Yachting: 29er boys crew hit lead

Kiwi representatives Tam Lindsay and William Mckenzie. Photo / Christophe Launay

New Zealand's 29er boys crew hit the lead on what was a mixed-bag day for the New Zealand Yachting Trust Youth Team on the third day of competition at the 2015 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships in Malaysia.

In shifty conditions which made racing tricky the boy's 29er pair of Jackson Keon and Nick Egnot-Johnson had another strong day. The boys now hold a commanding lead after adding another two race wins to post 5, 1, 1 and take a seven-point lead into the regatta lay day. Their female counterparts in the skiff, Kate and Greta Stewart, are currently in fourth after posting 5, 9, 7 during racing.

Girls' Laser Radial representative Ali Nightingale described a frustrating day where, "it was super shifty and I just couldn't quite figure out what the wind was doing".

She is currently sitting in eighth after placing 11, 18 and her male counterpart George Gautrey is sitting in sixth after posting 9, 16. That theme continued for the 420 boys who "had a bit of a mare," posting 18, 20 to currently sit in 14th overall.

The SL16 mulithulls finally got some racing under way after their supplied equipment was held up arriving to the Malaysian venue in a shipping delay. Kiwi representatives Tam Lindsay and William Mckenzie had a solid day scoring 2, 4, 2, 3. A couple of pitch poles may have been incorporated into their on-the-water experience but considering it was their second day ever sailing an SL16 they put in an impressive performance and currently sit 4th overall.

In the most entertaining story of the day the 420 girls Kerensa Jennings and Chelsea Rees won their last race in spectacular fashion. Holding a commanding lead on the last downwind, things spiralled slightly south resulting in a brief pause upside down. Their recovery was the stuff of legend as Chelsea bounced frantically up and down on the centreboard to pull their chariot back into the upright position, still clear ahead, and away they sailed to win the race. They are in sixth overall.

In the RS:X Finn Croft showed what he was capable of pulling out an eighth on the second race of the day. Lauren Mackenzie sailed consistently and is currently holding on to 10th position. Both of the boardies describe incredibly long, physical days, which is accurately measured in the colossal amount of food they consume once they get in.

All the team (bar the lucky SL16 sailors who have some racing to make up) have a lay day tomorrow and will spend the day recovering from the last three days. Once they are back the regatta winds into the business end with only two days of racing left before the medals are decided. With seven teams in the top 10 and many in medal contention New Zealand have a successful regatta in their sights.

2015 ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships

NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team current standings
1st Jackson Keon and Nick Egnot-Johnson - 29er boys - (5, 9, 8, 1, 1, 1, 5, 1, 1)
4th Tamryn Lindsay and William Mckenzie - SL16 - (2, 4, 2, 3)
4th Greta and Kate Stewart - 29er girls - (6, 8, 4, 1, 2, 2, 5, 9, 7)
6th George Gautrey - Laser Radial boys - (7, 2, 3, OCS, 9, 16)
8th Ali Nightingale - Laser Radial girls - (1, 19, 4, 5, 11, 18)
6th Kerensa Jennings and Chelsea Rees - 420 girls - (5, 2, 21, 12, 15, 1)
10th Lauren Mackenzie - RS:X girls - (5, 15, 10, 8, 9, 9, 10, 12, 14)
14th Jono Weston and Taylor Balogh - 420 boys - 14th (18, 19, 5, 2, 18, 20)
22nd Finn Croft - RS:X boys - (20, 20, 16, 14, 19, 21, 22, 8, 17)