2014 NZL Sailing Team Launched

2014 NZL Sailing Team © Yachting New Zealand

The 2014 NZL Sailing Team was launched by Yachting New Zealand today at a function in Auckland attended by team supporters and media.

The NZL Sailing Team includes New Zealand's top Olympic campaigners who have made the top 20% in their most recent (respective) class World Championships or pinnacle event and have shown consistency of performance over the year including other significant Championships.

After the successes of 2013 a total of 18 sailors were named in the 2014 NZL Sailing Team with 12 campaigns ranging across eight of the 2016 Olympic sailing events including the two sailing disciplines making an Olympic debut at Rio 2016.

Yachting New Zealand's High Performance Programme Director Jez Fanstone says it's nice to reflect on a stellar year for New Zealand's Olympic class sailors, but knows that a long road to Rio lies ahead; "New Zealand is 2013's top performing nation in terms of Olympic class world championships. It's a nice place to be, and this team is undeniably young and talented."

"Our ultimate goal is Olympic medals and it's important that we remain focussed on achieving that as we look ahead into 2014. The competition will tighten up; our rivals will get better – we need to stay on the top of our game."

"I am very excited about this group of sailors and I know their coaches and support staff are too."

Included are New Zealand's 2012 Olympic medalists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (Women's 470), and Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (49er) – both pairs choosing to campaign again and opening their 2016 crusades in fine form each claiming their respective 2013 World Championship crowns.

Securing the 49erFX World Championship sees the young pairing of Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech launched into the spotlight and they are named on the NZL Sailing Team for the first time.

2014 NZL Sailing Team (see sailor profiles here)

• 49er (Men's skiff) – Peter Burling & Blair Tuke
• 49er (Men's skiff) – Marcus Hansen & Josh Porebski
• 49erFX (Women's skiff) – Alexandra Maloney & Molly Meech
• Women's 470 (double-handed dinghy) – Jo Aleh & Polly Powrie
• Men's 470 (double-handed dinghy) - Paul Snow-Hansen & Daniel Willcox
• Finn (Heavy-weight men's dinghy) – Andrew Murdoch
• Finn (Heavy-weight men's dinghy) – Josh Junior
• Laser (Men's dinghy) – Andy Maloney
• Laser (Men's dinghy) – Sam Meech
• Laser (Men's dinghy) – Thomas Saunders
• Women's RS:X (Windsurfer) – Natalia Kosinska
• Nacra 17 (Mixed multihull) – Gemma Jones & Jason Saunders

• 2014 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland, 1-4 February 2014
• 2014 ISAF World Championship in Santander, Spain, 8 - 20 September 2014
• ISAF Sailing World Cup 2013/14 Regattas in Miami (USA), Mallorca (Spain) and Hyeres (France)
• EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup 2014 Regattas in Lake Garda (Italy), Medemblik (the Netherlands), Weymouth (UK), Kiel (Germany) and La Rochelle (France)

All these sailors will need to earn their place in the 2015 NZL Sailing Team by meeting performance expectations at next year's major regattas.

Inclusion in the NZL Sailing Team is reviewed annually for team sailors and on an on-going basis for aspiring campaigners.

Yachting New Zealand's High Performance Programme is focussed on winning medals at the Olympics in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

NZL Sailing Team sailors all started out at grass roots yacht clubs around the country and with commitment, dedication and drive have risen to be world class athletes; they work hard in the gym, train long hours on the water and are supported by great coaches.