Yachting: Sailors learn hard lesson

Andrew Murdoch. Photo / Brett Phibbs

There may yet be some silverware, but New Zealand sailing team director Jez Fanstone is "vastly disappointed" with the nearly-but-not-quite performance at the Olympic test event in Weymouth.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke were sailing overnight in the 49er class and well placed for a possible bronze medal, but, regardless of that result Fanstone concedes the regatta overall was not good enough.

"We came here to show our intent leading into next year. We were close but not quite there. It has been a massive learning curve and we will be undertaking a robust debrief."

The biggest disappointment was in the Laser class. Andrew Murdoch had been in first place going into the medal race yesterday, but got it all wrong to finish seventh and complete an unlikely freefall down to fourth.

"It was a light, shifty day, at the shiftiest course of the venue and the Laser class is notoriously tight," says Fanstone. "Having said that, with another chance Andrew may have looked to take a different approach and sailed a bit more conservatively. He is absolutely gutted that he didn't convert and it is all about performing under pressure. He is disappointed in himself but will learn a lot from this."

Expectations were high for Murdoch and the scale of the reverse was indicated by the fact he was not available to talk to media after the race.

With three classes to be concluded overnight, the Kiwi squad have three fourth places, as well as a 10th, a 15th and a 22nd. Burling and Tuke have a good chance at bronze, while Hamish Pepper and Craig Monk (Star) are tracking for a top six finish and Daniel Slater (Finn) will be in the top 10.

These are solid results, but not high enough to meet expectations; especially since New Zealand achieved three podium finishes and were the third-ranked team at the Sail for Gold regatta at the same venue.

"The game moves on and we need to keep up and overtake the other nations," says Fanstone. "It is about out working them and out thinking them. Everyone in the team is very keen and open to learning, and we will be working on the mental side of things."

Fanstone was quick to emphasise the many positives: "Natalia Koskinka showed the benefits of a tough training regime over the last 12 months to have the regatta of her life and her rate of improvement has been impressive."

Fellow boardsailor Jon-Paul Tobin started slowly but stormed back in the second half of the event, dominating the last few races and then winning the medal race, missing bronze by a whisker. In the women's 470, Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie also had a forgettable opening but managed four top four finishes in their last six races, before taking out the medal race.

How they're faring

NZ Sailing team at Olympic test event

4th - Andrew Murdoch: Laser (medal race: 7th)

4th - Jon-Paul Tobin: RS:X Men (medal race:1st)

4th - Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie: 470 Women (medal race: 1st)

10th - Natalia Kosinska: RS:X Women (medal race: 9th)

15th - Paul Snow-Hansen and Jason Saunders: 470 Men.

22nd - Sara Winther: Radial.

Racing overnight

3rd - Peter Burling and Blair Tuke: 49er.

6th - Hamish Pepper and Craig Monk: Star.

8th - Dan Slater: Finn.