Graeme Sutherland leads the Telecom New Zealand Match Racing Championships

[Source: Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron] Graeme Sutherland and crew lead day one of the Telecom New Zealand Match Racing Championships with and fantastic 7 wins out of 7 races.

Sutherland’s closest race was against the all youth crew representing the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme helmed by William Tiller who Sutherland beat by just 7 seconds. Tiller and his youth crew finished the day on 4 wins and 3 losses.

Second overall for the day on 6 wins and only 1 loss is Reuben Corbett and his Black Sheep Racing team who recently won the prestigious Kinckerbocker Cup, Grade 1 Match Racing event in New York. Corbett’s only loss of the day was to Sutherland.

Third overall on count-back is Laurie Jury and his team, who also have 6 wins but were, deducted half a point in Flight 7 for damage caused to his opponent’s boat.

For the first time ever the Championship’s have attracted three female skippers. Current New Zealand Women’s Match Racing and Fleet Racing Champion Jessica Smyth, who is also sailing with an all female crew for the series.

Stephanie Hazard and Samantha Osborne who are both part of the Yachting New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Olympic Squad vying for positions in the 2012 London Olympics are helming mixed crews. Hazard had the best overall day from the Women skippers taking 3 wins in the strong tide and breeze on the Waitemata Harbour today.

Racing resumes at 10am on Thursday morning.

Overall leaderboard
Sutherland 7 wins / 0 losses / 7.0 points
Corbett 6 / 1 / 6.0
Jury 6 / 2 / 5.5 *
Junior 5 / 2 / 4.5 *
Tiller 4 / 3 / 4.0
Kroening 4 / 4 / 4.0
Hazard 3 / 4 / 3.0
Dickson 3 / 5 / 3.0
Osborne 1 / 6 / 1.0
Sakamoto 1 / 6 / 1.0
Smyth 0 / 8 / -0.5 *
*0.5 points deducted for damage