Kerikeri connection in world youth sailing success

Former Kerikeri yachtie Alexandra Maloney and her Murray's Bay Yacht Club sailing partner, Bianca Barbarich-Bacher, have put in a stellar performance at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Buzios, Brazil.
The pair moved from 15th position into fifth overall, with two wins and a second place on day five of racing yesterday  in the Girl's 420 double-handed class.
Meanwhile, Whangarei's Marcus Hansen and James Turner, who also represent Murray's Bay Yacht Club, improved their standings by two places yesterday, moving into eighth spot in the Hobie 16 Open Multihull division.
There were excellent performances by all of the 10-strong New Zealand youth team on the penultimate day of racing in Buzios, where the competitors enjoyed 12-knot winds and ideal conditions on the water.
Mount Maunganui's Sam Meech has secured a gold medal in the boys' Laser Radial class.  He returned two race wins and a second place on the water, giving him an insurmountable margin over his opponents. The result means the Tauranga sailor has secured the gold medal without having to sail the final race planned for today.
"Sam had devastating speed all day," Yachting New Zealand youth development manager Marty Watson said. "He was able to keep his nose clean by starting conservatively and sailing smart."
 In the girls' Laser Radial class, Rachel Basevi also jumped 10 places on the leader board, now sitting in eighth place, while Ben Goodwin and Logan Dunning-Beck climbed from 15th to ninth place in the boy's 420 double-handed fleet.
Hobie 16 multihull pair Marcus Hansen and James Turner are lying in eighth, and windsurfers Ben Mackay and Lucy Driver are lying 10th and ninth in their respective fleets.
New Zealand sit behind France, Great Britain, Italy and Brazil in fifth place for overall best team performance at the championships.