New Zealand crews have made a good start to the ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres Regatta in France.
Andrew Murdoch leads the Finn after the first day, while Peter Burling and Blair Tuke are first equal in the 49er class.
New Zealand sailor Andrew Murdoch. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Murdoch, who is competing in his first major international regatta for 2015, was 5th in both of today's 2 races.
He says conditions were challenging with light offshore winds ranging 6 to 10 knots with pretty flat water.
Murdoch says he managed to get the majority of the decisions right today on the first upwind legs which set him up for two solid results.
Sam Meech is third in the Laser with Andy Maloney 7th, while Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie are 11th in the women's 470.
New Zealand has 14 entries competing in nine classes.
This important Olympic class regatta, which has a 47 year history, is the third of five events which lead up to the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi later this year.
Changes to the format of the ISAF Sailing World Cup (the premier international sailing series for Olympic class sailors) mean that fleets are restricted, by invitation, to only 40 in each of the ten Olympic class events.
Standings after first day in Hyeres
1st = Peter Burling and Blair Tuke - 49er (2, 9, 3)
13th Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski - 49er (9, 12, 19)
18th Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech - 49erFX (12, 16, 19)
11th Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie - Women's 470 (3, 25)
13th Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox - Men's 470 (24, 7)
1st Andrew Murdoch - Finn (5, 5)
35th Josh Junior - Finn (33, 27)
3rd Sam Meech - Laser (11, 2)
7th Andy Maloney - Laser (12, 9)
19th Mike Bullot - Laser (21, 18)
24th Thomas Saunders - Laser (16, 30)
17th Sara Winther - Laser Radial (26, 11)
21st Natalia Kosinska - Women's RS:X (27, 13)
10th Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders - Nacra 17 (5, 17)
