Sailing: Hopes sink for New Zealand crews

By DANIEL GILHOOLY

A nightmare start has all but robbed two New Zealand crews of a medal hope at the yachting regatta. The men's 470 crew and the women's Yngling went into racing overnight in last place courtesy of tactical errors and failing to adjust to shifty conditions at the Agios Kosmos course.

It was a more positive start by America's Cup skipper Dean Barker, who was seventh out of 25 Finn sailors, and women's 470 duo Shelley Hesson and Linda Dickson, who were eighth out of 18 before races three and four.

New Zealand manager Don Cowie said men's 470 duo Jamie Hunt and Andrew Brown acknowledged their failings soon after docking.

"Basically, they think they sailed like prats," Cowie said.

"Their speed was good but they didn't get a good start in the first race. It was better in the second but they made a tactical error halfway up the first beat.

"This is the sort of place where once you get behind, it's difficult to overtake."

Hunt and Brown were last in the first race and only two places better in the second to sit on 52 points, 47 behind the leading Great Britain crew.

It was no better for Yngling keelboat sailors Sharon Ferris, Joanna White and Kylie Jameson, who were second last and last in their 16-crew fleet, notching up 31 points.

"I'm sure Sharon will be very disappointed," Cowie said.

"We were expecting them to be right up the front.

"But it's early days, Sharon's a tough competitor and she's got a good team with her."

Cowie said there was still hope.

All crews can drop the worst performance of their 11 races.

"If you look at previous Olympic Games, you've just got to keep plugging on because strange things can happen," he said.

Barker could relate to that. He was fifth from start to finish in his first race yet fluctuated everywhere in the second, eventually placing 10th.

"He's certainly happy with his pace in the first race, but not so in the second race, his setup was a little bit different," Cowie said.

"He learned something today, it's much lighter out there than we anticipated."

Hesson and Dickson's consistent seventh and ninth placings gave them 16 points going into races three and four.

Winds oscillated between 6 knots and 11 knots and frequently changed direction but Cowie refused to use that as any excuse for the under-performing crews.

"It's so shifty that it's a lottery," he said. "We'll take it in our stride and see if we can get them to perform a bit better tomorrow."

Hamish Pepper in the Laser class, Sarah Macky in the Europe and men's and women's Mistral sailors Tom Ashley and Barbara Kendall all began their campaigns overnight.

Kendall is regarded as New Zealand's best sailing prospect at these Games, having won a gold, silver and bronze medal in her three previous Olympic appearances.

World rankings

Positions of New Zealanders sailing at Athens

* Sarah Macky (Europe) 5

* Tom Ashley (men's Mistral) 14

* Barbara Kendall (women's Mistral) 18

* Dean Barker (Finn) 33

* Hamish Pepper (Laser) 38

- NZPA