Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta: Mixed 470 throws up surprises on Day 2

Paul Snow-Hansen and Rebecca Hume - Mixed 470 - Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta - Takapuna BC February 18 © Adam Mustill

The 470 is the oldest class in Olympic sailing, having made its debut at the 1976 Games, but it's taken on a new look for the 2024 Paris Olympics having gone to a mixed format.

It's also brought about a change at the Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta and the majority of entries in the 470 this week are mixed combinations.

Sitting on top of the standings today was a familiar face, three-time Olympian Paul Snow-Hansen, but his crew is less well known, Rebecca Hume, who represents the new breed of 470 sailors.

Snow-Hansen is still working out his next move, and a training session on Wednesday was his first time back sailing a 470 since last year's Tokyo Olympics.

He was convinced to team up with Hume for the Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta and the pair won three of today's five races sailing the same boat Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox used in Tokyo, when they finished just outside the medals.

A growing fleet of mixed 470 sailors has emerged in the past 12 months, and Hume is excited about the opportunities ahead as she sets her sights on the Paris Olympics.

"With the move to the mixed 470 we have seen a lot of new people giving it a go," said Hume, who has two sisters also competing at the regatta. "Everyone has been quite fluid, jumping in and out of different boats and teaming up with different partners.

"I was looking for a skipper for this event and fortunately Paul was available. I’m learning so much, so many small details in the way you move through the boat that a coach might not pick up outside the boat. It’s like having a coach sitting alongside me, and really intensely, for three days."

Snow-Hansen and Hume revelled in the beautiful sailing conditions of 12-15 knots off the Takapuna Boating Club today, like many across the various fleets.

They hold a two point lead over Brittany Wornall and Sam Street, with Sofia Higgott and Andre Van Dam a further four points behind in third.

Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie continued their perfect start to the regatta, winning another three races in the 49er today on top of the three they won yesterday. The pair now lead Logan Dunning Beck and Oscar Gunn, who last weekend claimed their fifth-straight 49er national title, by seven points midway through the regatta.

It's tight at the top of the 49erFX fleet, where Alex Maloney and Olivia Hobbs lead Jo Aleh and Molly Meech on countback, while world champion Tom Saunders won four of the five races in the ILCA 7 (Laser) fleet today to establish a handy lead over Thomas Mulcahy and Luke Cashmore.

Both open and youth sailors race together in the ILCA 6 (Laser Radial), with Annabelle Rennie-Younger the leading open fleet sailor after four races and Caleb Armit and Teaghan Denney sitting on top of the youth standings.

The Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta also incorporates the windfoiling national championships and Josh Armit holds a narrow lead over Thomas Crook after six races. Veerle ten Have leads the women's fleet.

A lot of the best racing was in the youth classes, where there's a lot on the line with selection to the NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Team to compete at this year's youth sailing world championships up for grabs.

They should enjoy good conditions over the weekend and ensure all fleets get back on schedule after most were unable to get on the water yesterday due to light winds.

Results and standings after day 2 of the Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta and windfoiling national championships today:

49erFX (9 boats)

1st: Alex Maloney / Olivia Hobbs (Murrays Bay Sailing Club / Royal Akarana Yacht Club) (6) 5 1 1 1 5 - 13 points 2nd: Jo Aleh / Molly Meech (Torbay Sailing Club / RAYC) (3) 3 3 2 2 3 - 13 pts 3rd: Brayden Hamilton / Henry Haslett (MBSC / Wakatere Boating Club) 2 (6) 6 3 6 2 - 19 pts

49er (5 boats)

1st: Isaac McHardie / William McKenzie (RAYC) (1) 1 1 1 1 1 - 5 pts 2nd: Logan Dunning Beck / Oscar Gunn (WBC / MBSC) 2 4 2 2 2 (6 OCS) - 12 pts 3rd: Sam Bacon / Henry Gautrey (Worser Bay Boating Club / Muritai Yacht Club) (5) 2 4 3 3 2 - 14 pts

470 (6 boats)

1st: Paul Snow-Hansen / Rebecca Hume (WBC / MBSC) (7 UFD) 2 1 1 1 - 5 pts 2nd: Brittany Wornall / Sam Street (Naval Point Club Lyttelton / New Plymouth Yacht Club / MBSC) 1 1 (3) 3 2 - 7 pts 3rd: Sofia Higgott / Andre Van Dam (RAYC / Evans Bay Yacht and Motor Boat Club) 3 3 (4) 2 3 - 11 pts

420 (9 boats)

1st: Lucas Day / Sam Scott (MBSC) (3) 1 2 2 1 - 6 pts 2nd: Joe Leith / Josh Ferrissey (MBSC) 2 2 1 3 (4) - 8 pts 3rd: Cameron Brown / Alex Hebberd (WBC / MBSC) (10 UFD) 3 3 1 2 - 9 pts

Girls

1st: Nicola Hume / Dani Wooldridge (MBSC / WBC) 1 (4) 4 4 3 - 12 pts 2nd: Vivien Webster Chung / Kiera Sinton (MBSC / WBC) 4 (5) 5 5 5 - 19 pts

ILCA 6 (27 boats)

Open

1st: Annabelle Rennie-Younger (RAYC) 2 2 1 5 - 10 pts 2nd: George Lane (Hamilton Yacht Club) 5 6 3 3 - 17 pts 3rd: Olivia Christie (WBBC) 4 4 6 6 - 20 pts

Male youth

1st: Caleb Armit (MBSC) 1 3 2 1 - 7 pts 2nd: Dylan Forsyth (RAYC) 3 1 4 2 - 10 pts 3rd: Zach Stibbe (Otago Yacht Club) 6 7 10 9 - 32 pts

Female youth

1st: Teaghan Denney (Tauranga Yacht & Power Boat Club) 18 15 18 14 - 65 pts 2nd: Anna Martin (NPCL) 16 19 16 18 - 69 pts 3rd: Molly Webley (Manly Sailing Club) 17 18 17 17 - 69 pts

Windfoiling

Gold fleet (17 boards)

1st: Josh Armit (MBSC) (2) 2 1 1 1 1 - 6 pts 2nd: Thomas Crook (WBC) 1 1 2 2 (4) 2 - 8 pts 3rd: Eli Liefting (RAYC) 3 6 3 (18 UFD) 2 3 - 17 pts

Women

1st: Veerle ten Have (TYPBC) 4 3 6 5 7 (10) - 25 pts 2nd: Brianna Orams 10 10 9 8 (12) 11 0 48 pts

Youth

1st: Jack Parr (1) 1 1 1 1 1 - 5 pts 2nd: Charles Solly 3 4 2 (6) 3 3 - 15 pts 3rd: Aimee Bright 2 (6) 4 2 6 2 - 16 pts

Kitefoiling (5 boards)

1st: Lukas Walton-Keim (open - Takapuna Boating Club) (1) 1 1 1 1 1 - 5 pts 2nd: Hugo Wigglesworth (youth - MSC) 2 2 2 2 (3) 2 - 10 pts 3rd: Justina Kitchen (women - TBC) 3 (6 DNC) 3 3 2 3 - 14 pts

Full results click here