Mixed day for Kiwi's on day two

A day of mixed results for the NZL Yachting Trust Youth team followed a spectacular flyby from Emirates Team New Zealand's AC45 off Torbay this morning.

Hard to miss, the appearance of the bold red and black catamaran on the Hauraki Gulf came in a day which left most sailors scratching their heads for an explanation as to the 6-14 knots of gradient Southerly breeze they faced, which posed a direct contrast to the dying winds expected throughout the day.

"It was an unusual breeze direction, and not what we had predicted going out there, as it was light in the first race and picked up as well as getting shiftier towards the end of our second race," commented Laser Radial sailor Olivia Christie.

Originally from Wellington, Christie is comfortable in the stronger winds and did well to place 7th in the second race following a 31st in the first race of the day.

"I had good starts in both of the races but the first one didnt quite go my way. Getting out to the edges of the course and into clear air was pretty important to do well in the second one," she says.

Christie wasnt the only New Zealand sailor to have a mixed day however, with Nacra 15 pair Jackson Keon and Tom Fyfe describing their day as just that.

"Conditions were much softer than yesterday and the fleet was less spread out. Getting off the line and finding a clear lane was key," says Keon.

Not as strong as the first days results, the boys placed 10, 7, 10 in todays racing after their 3rd and 2nd yesterday, along with a DSQ which they now discard to sit in 5th overall.

"Its tight racing, but looking to tomorrow its about minimizing risks and doing the best we can. Were hoping for a bit more breeze tomorrow too," says Keon.

The boys are enjoying the new class which is making its debut this week at the youth worlds competition. "Its pretty cool, theyre a bit different to what were used to training in an F18 but there are some similarities and we just have to get used to it in all conditions," adds Keon.

New Zealand 29er boys pair Francesco Kayrouz and Oscar Gunn had a strong start to their day, enjoying their first race win and following it up with a 4th and an 8th. Key to the boys performance today was good speed and making the most of their opportunities, with their overall position bumping up to 6th.

29er sisters Kate and Greta Stewart have also climbed up the scoreboard to 4th overall following their placings of 7,6,4, across the racing today.

The first fleets to start racing tomorrow at 0955 are the RS:X Boys, 420 Boys, and 29er Boys.

NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team provisional results following the second day of the Aon Youth Sailing World Championship:

420 Boys

13th Josh Berry and Henry Haslett: 13,13, (14), 6

420 Girls

9th Courtney Reynolds-Smith and Brianna Reynolds-Smith: 6,4, (16) 12

29er Boys

6th Francesco Kayrouz and Oscar Gunn: (12),12,11, 1,4,8

29er Girls

4th Greta Stewart and Kate Stewart: (13),4,7,7,6,4

Nacra 15

5th Jackson Keon and Tom Fyfe: 3,(21DSQ), 2, 10,7,10

Laser Radial Boys

2nd George Gautrey: 6,2,4,(7)

Laser Radial Girls

14th Olivia Christie: 7,18, (31), 7

RS:X Boys:

6th Patrick Haybittle: 5,6,10, (11) 8,7.

As racing progresses over the next three days results can be viewed here;

http://www.isafyouthworlds.com/results/index.php

For details on how to follow the regatta click here:

http://www.isafyouthworlds.com/news/41402.php#.WFOBLGNptsM

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Yachting New Zealand