Graeme Sutherland and Laurie Jury have secured the final two spots in the New Zealand Match Racing Championships after coming 1st and 2nd respectively at the New Zealand Match Racing Championships – Qualifier Series. They now complete the 10 skipper line-up with includes Dean Barker, Chris Dickson, Gavin Brady, Simon Minoprio, Adam Minoprio, Simon Dickey, Phil Robertson and Scott Dickson.

Sutherland finished top of the Qualifier Series – held over the past three days – narrowly beating arch rival Jury in a nail biting final. Jury won the first and the third match and Sutherland the second, fourth and finally the fifth to win the regatta.

Jury, who qualified 1st from the double round robin fought hard but Sutherland came from 2nd place in the double round robin to beat the favored Jury.

Sutherland was also given the only black flag of the regatta today when racing against 3rd placed Jan Dawson. Coming down the run Dawson gybed onto starboard and luffed Sutherland who failed to keep clear and was awarded his first penalty. Then at the bottom mark Sutherland had no overlap but ‘stuck it in there’ at hit both the mark and Dawson’s boat gaining penalty number two and three which equals a black flag disqualification.

In this mornings Semi Finals Jury chose to sail Michael Thorpe, who he beat twice to secure his spot in the finals.

This left Sutherland to race Dawson and Sutherland won races one and three – but in race two is when Sutherland got his black flag.

In Dawson’s prizegiving speech she thanked the umpires 3 times – which directly relates to the number of penalties they gave Sutherland in her semi final match!

5th spot went to David Wood whose opponent forgot to show up for racing this morning.

Jury and Sutherland and the majority of their crews are graduates of the Squadron’s Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme. Thorpe & Wood and their crews are all current members of the Programme and Wood’s team travel to Sydney on Tuesday morning to compete in the Under 20

Harken Youth International held at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. Their coach for this event is Roy Dickson who will be watching the website closely for results on how his son’s Chris & Scott are going in the New Zealand Match Racing Championships.

Qualifier Series Results – Raceday Three - Sunday 19 November 2006

Semi Finals - Flight One

G. Sutherland beat J. Dawson by 28s

L. Jury beat M. Thorpe by 36s

Flight Two

J. Dawson beat G. Sutherland (Black Flag)

L. Jury beat M. Thorpe by 56s

Flight Three

G. Sutherland beat J. Dawson by 43s

Petit Finals

J. Dawson beat M. Thorpe by 13s

J. Dawson beat M. Thorpe by 23s

Finals

L. Jury beat G. Sutherland by 2s

G. Sutherland beat L. Jury by 32s

L. Jury beat G. Sutherland by 29s

G. Sutherland beat L. Jury by 25s

Final Results

1st Graeme Sutherland, RAYC

2nd Laurie Jury, RNZYS

3rd Jan Dawson, RNZYS

4th Michael Thorpe, RNZYS Lion

Foundation Youth Training Programme

5th David Wood, RNZYS Lion Foundation

Youth Training Programme

6th Andrew Barron, RAYC

New Zealand Match Racing Championships –

23 – 26 November 2006

Final entry list

Dean Barker (ETNZ / RNZYS)

Simon Dickey (RNZYS)

Phil Robertson (RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme)

Chris Dickson (BMW Oracle / GGYC)

Gavin Brady (BMW Oracle / GGYC)

Simon Minoprio (Vision Yachting / RNZYS)

Adam Minoprio (Blackmatch / RNZYS)

Scott Dickson (LBYC)

Graeme Sutherland (Durex / RAYC)

Laurie Jury (Vodafone Kiwi Match / RNZYS)

Sara Roberts www.rnzys.org.nz

Last Updated ( Sunday, 19 November 2006 )