NZL Sailing Team - Team Jolly finish 4th at 2015 470 Worlds

by Jodie Bakewell-White. Yachting NZ on 18 Oct 2015 Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie have finished fourth overall at the 2015 470 World Championships at the regatta sailed in Haifa, Israel which has just wrapped up.

The NZL Sailing Team men’s crew of Paul Snow-Hansen have finished the regatta in 12th.

Aleh and Powrie collected predominantly keeper scores through the ten race series however one BFD and two mid pack finishes during the week meant that their main rivals had the jump on them going into today’s double points medal race.

With nothing to lose Aleh and Powrie gave it their all today and took second place in the medal race to conclude the regatta six points shy of the podium place-getters.

“We went out fighting today at least,” says Jo Aleh. “It was a tough race, tricky shifty conditions and a tight fleet. We put our all into it, Polly pumped most of the race and we finished it in second place which was the highest we got all race. So we were happy to at least go out on a solid race and know we went all in.”

Having been on the podium at all the major regattas this year the kiwi women have set high standards for themselves, evident in their disappointment at this result which is clearly still very credible.

Aleh and Powrie will return to New Zealand after pack-up in Israel. “It's been a long year; we started in Miami on the ninth of January and we can't really remember any real breaks since then. It just feels like we have pushed a little too hard for a little too long.”

With their career experience to draw on Aleh and Powrie are able to remember the bigger picture; “We have come away from this week with some great learnings, clearer than ever before, so there are some big pluses for us in the greater scheme.”

“We are looking forward to next year, to some training at home over the summer and getting back to where we need to be going into Rio.”

“Thank you all for the kind words and support, it means even more when we are struggling a little.”

“Huge congrats to the Austrians Lara and Jola. Impressive stuff!”

Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox have finished the regatta in 12th overall.

“The 2015 470 World Championships have concluded for us here in Israel. We take 12th place overall and a lot of good learning to work on going forward.”

2015 470 World Championships NZL Sailing Team’s final results

4th Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie
12th Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox

Full results click here

What else is on this year?

New Zealand’s Olympic 470 sailors aren’t the only ones yet to contest their 2015 World Championship titles with the 49er, 49erFX,RS:X, Finn and Laser Radial classes also scheduled to sail their respective World Champs within the next two months.

2015 49er and 49erFX World Championships
Dates: 16-21 November 2015
Venue: Buenos Aries, Argentina
Featuring: Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech and a handful of up and coming kiwi 49er crews including Logan Dunning-Beck and Jack Simpson, Markus Somerville and Aaron Hume-Merry, Isaac McHardie and Trent Rippey

2015 RS:X World Championships
Dates: 19-24 October 2015
Venue: Al Mussanah, Oman
Featuring: Natalia Kosinska and Jon Paul Tobin

2015 Finn Gold Cup
Dates: 24-29 November 2015
Venue: Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand
Featuring: Andrew Murdoch, Josh Junior and plenty more local and international sailors

Laser Radial World Championships
Dates: 20-26 November 2015
Venue: Al Mussanah, Oman
Featuring: Sara Winther, Susannah Pyatt