Burling and Tuke win gold

Tauranga sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have added to their medal haul securing a gold in the 49er class at the 2015 Rio Test Event.

Blair Tuke and Peter Burling have taken gold at the 2015 Rio Test Event. Photo: File.

Yesterday Peter Burling and Blair Tuke took 49er gold in front of a beach crowd at the Olympic sailing venue on Guanabara Bay. In their medal race they played a conservative game plan covering the only crew with the potential to steal the overall win from them.

Burling and Tuke have totally dominated the Olympic 49er class over the past year, and indeed the past three years, with an unprecedented string of consecutive victories. Burling and Tuke have now won 20 major events in succession. No other 49er sailor has ever been unbeaten for 12 months, let alone three years.

Here in Rio they've stamped it home once again. Significantly this victory is on the Olympic Games race track and they remain the crew to beat at the one year to go mark.

Tauranga's Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech have wrapped up the regatta in fourth overall in the 49erFX class. The Kiwi skiff women sailed a strong medal race yesterday to take third place on the water, but it wasn't enough for them to grab a place on the podium.

'A challenging week in Rio,” report Maloney and Meech. 'We lacked consistency in our racing having some glamours, as well as a few too many shockers leading us to finish fourth overall.”

'This position isn't too much fun, so with a year to go we will make sure to make it count. Time to learn and grow.”

Maloney 23, and Meech 22, haven't finished outside the top 10 at all the major international regattas this year with a silver medal at ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth in June. Later this year they head to Buenos Aires, Argentina for the 49erFX World Championships in November.

Women's 470

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie concede that an average first half to 2015 Rio Test Event put them in catch up mode and they were pleased to turn things around at the mid-way mark and secure a podium finish today.

Lying third going into the medal race today in Rio silver or gold were a hard ask for the Kiwis after mixed results over the opening days of the regatta and with more than one crew within reaching distance on points, Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie had a job on their hands to defend the bronze medal position today.

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) were well placed for the gold medal today but it slipped from their grasp when they finished last in the medal race and USA's Anne Haeger and Briana Provancha stole the overall victory.

During 2015 Aleh and Powrie, known as Team Jolly, have now stockpiled seven podium finishes at the major international regattas in the Women's 470 class including victories at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Princess Sofia Regatta and they claimed the Women's 470 European Championship title.

The Men's and Women's 470 World Championships are on in October in Haifa, Israel.

Finn

Josh Junior romped away for a medal race win in Rio today in the Finn finale.

Lying fith going into today the win wasn't enough to alter his overall position and he wraps up the regatta with that as his final result.

Josh Junior 25, who hails from the Worser Bay Boating Club in Wellington has had an impressive run in the Finn class this year so far, with consistent top 10 finishes at the major regattas around the world.

He was on the podium at the Finn European Championship, with silver and at ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth with silver again.

Later this year Junior, along with NZL Sailing Team-mate Andrew Murdoch and other Kiwi Finn sailors will have the opportunity to contest their 2015 World crown in front of a home crowd when Takapuna Boating Club hosts the prestigious Finn Gold cup this November.

Nacra 17

Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders went into the final double-points race in sixth overall, and a decent final race sees them lift their placing to record a top five finish at 2015 Rio Test Event.

The Nacra 17 medal race was bumped from yesterday's schedule and they were first to hit the medal race course today in Rio to do battle for the podium.

With the crews behind them in the standings unable to catch up on points Jones and Saunders had nothing to lose, and the Kiwis put it all on the line for the best outcome possible. Unfortunately they pushed the limit a little far and concerned they'd hit the start too early they went back for a penalty turn, before charging back through the fleet to cross the line in fourth and end the regatta in fifth overall.

Jones 21, and Saunders 24, paired up to sail in the mixed multihull class back in 2013 when it was announced as the multihull event for the 2016 Rio Olympics. This year they finished 4th at the Nacra 17 world Championships sailed in Arhus, Denmark in July.

Laser

Yesterday was a day of mixed fortunes for Andy Maloney in the Laser fleet posting a second to start the day strongly. Unfortunately the 25 year old from Murrays Bay Sailing Club wasn't able to replicate that in the second race of the day and he was edged out into eleventh and didn't sail today's Laser medal race.

Men's 470

Men's 470 pair Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox were back on the water today sailing one race in which they placed thirteenth. Their week was interrupted when Willcox had to sit out on a day of racing on the doctor's recommendation and they conclude the regatta in twentieth overall.

2015 Rio Test Event, Rio de Janeiro The NZL Sailing Team final results

1stPeter Burling and Blair Tuke - 49er

3rdJo Aleh and Polly Powrie - Women's 470

4thAlexandra Maloney and Molly Meech - 49erFX

5thGemma Jones and Jason Saunders - Nacra 17

5thJosh Junior - Finn

11thAndy Maloney – Laser

20thPaul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox - Men's 470

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