Bay duo hope Croatia wind's in their sails

After dominating in New Zealand waters this summer, two Tauranga teens will be out to make a bigger mark when the youth sailing world championships start off Croatia this weekend.
Gearing up in host city Zadar, Laser radial sailor Molly Meech and windsurfer Sven Pedersen are part of a 12-strong national team aiming to maintain New Zealand's fine record at the regatta.
It's not only high national precedents the pair are set on matching, either. Tauranga sailors have won gold at the last two youth worlds - Meech's brother Sam taking the 2009 male Laser radial title and Thomas Saunders doing the same last year.
With racing set to start tomorrow, Meech is looking to build on last year's event in Turkey, where she finished 24th in the female Laser radial, including a sixth placing in the final race.
The Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club duo earned their passage to Zadar by topping the youth (under-19) ranks in this year's national titles and Sail Auckland regatta.
The pair also proved themselves at England's RYA youth nationals in April, where Meech was top girl and eighth overall in women's Laser radial and Pedersen eighth in the men's RS:X windsurfing class.
Meech counted the sojourn, led by New Zealand team manager Ian Neely, as excellent preparation.
"It felt great to win, it was such a good regatta to go to," she said before departing for Zadar. "There were about 120 radials, probably the biggest fleet I've sailed in. It was good to see how my speed held up and I got useful practice on start techniques."
The former Bethlehem College student has swapped Tauranga Harbour for Auckland's North Shore this year, launching into an Exercise and Sport Science degree at Massey University. She's still fitted in up to four sailing sessions a week, as well as the team's regular Auckland-based camps.
"I've been working with Ian [Neely] on downwind sailing quite a bit, practising using waves for speed," she said.
"You find which way the waves are going, and from that get the right line for the mark."
With last year's experience behind her, the 18-year-old feels better prepared this time round.
"In Turkey it started coming together for me at the end of the regatta. I was lacking big-race tactics ... I've been working on my start strategy and on looking up the course to find [wind] pressure, planning the race ahead."
Older brother Sam, who took bronze at the '08 regatta before his golden effort in '09, has also been schooling her up. "He's helped me with mapping a course - sorting out angles and deciding which side is best to start and race on."
For Pedersen, selection was sweet success after just missing out in 2010, when he led on points after the nationals but was pipped at Sail Auckland.
"I was liking my chances last year but then got beaten in heavy winds. It made me absolutely determined to get there in 2011."
Sweeping every race in the youth male RS:X class at this year's two selection events was the ideal response. "It was amazing, such a good feeling to do so well in the trials," Pedersen said last week.
Aged 18 and boarding at Hamilton's St Paul's Collegiate, he has spent countless hours in the gym and pounding the pavement to make up for lack of water time during school weeks.
The tall boardsailor hopes Zadar's predominant sea breeze of 8-12 knots will play to his advantage. "Light wind has definitely been a weapon for me ... in England I raced against UK boy Sam Stills, who was fifth at last year's youth worlds and will be hard to beat this year. I won one race in light conditions and was close to his speed in another three."
Now in its 41st year, the youth worlds event has seen New Zealand win 15 gold, 15 silver and 12 bronze medals. The regatta comprises six race days, making 12 races possible in each class.