NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Team: Kiwis win Bronze Medal in Boys' 29er - Day 5

Seb Menzies (left) and George Lee Rush (right) - (NZL) - Boys 29er - Allianz Youth World Sailing Championships - Day 5 - The Hague - July 2022 © Sailing Energy / World Sailing

George Lee Rush and Seb Menzies went through nearly the full range of emotions on the final day of the Youth Sailing World Championships in The Hague but ultimately won a bronze medal. Four NZ crews finished in the top ten in their fleets.

The pair went into the final race with a chance of winning gold in the boy's 29er but saw those hopes dashed when they got mixed up in a pileup at the pin on the start line and then watched their main rivals quite literally sailing away. They eventually finished the race in 20th in the 24-boat fleet and were convinced they had dropped out of the medals.

"We were out the back, miles from anyone else so we had to sit and watch, which was pretty horrible," Lee Rush said. "We actually thought we got fourth and were absolutely gutted.

"When we were on the beach, someone said the results had us tied in third [with the Spanish] but winning on countback. We sailed the whole way in thinking we had lost out for sure."

Menzies added: "Hearing the news was definitely a big relief for us. We were here to go for gold after winning our two first regattas [leading into the youth worlds] but to end up with a medal, we are definitely stoked with that."

Seb Menzies (right) and George Lee Rush (second from right) - (NZL) - Boys 29er - Allianz Youth World Sailing Championships - Day 5 - The Hague - July 2022 - photo © Sailing Energy / World Sailing

The Argentine pair of Maximo Videla and Tadeo Funes de Rioja sailed a masterful regatta in the often treacherous conditions and rounded out their week by winning the final race to finish 15 points ahead of Great Britain's Santiago Sesto Cosby and Leo Wilkinson.

The Youth Sailing World Championships ended how it started in The Hague, as most of the New Zealand sailors struggled with the light winds and strong currents.

Three other New Zealand crews finished in the top 10 overall with Helena Sanderson and Cam McGlashan fifth in the Nacra 15, Hugo Wigglesworth seventh in the boy's kitefoiling and Lucas Day and Sam Scott ninth in the boy's 420.

New Zealand also finished seventh in the standings for the Nations Trophy, with Spain, France and Italy in the top three.

"It definitely didn't go our way," New Zealand coach Sam Mackay said. "All of the members of the team showed their potential with some good races but consistency cost us this week.

Lucas Day / Sam Scott (NZL) - Boys 420 - Allianz Youth World Sailing Championships - Day 4 - The Hague - July 2022 - photo © Sailing Energy / World Sailing

"It was still a really good learning experience and I'm really proud of the way the team conducted themselves over here. They would have learned a lot working under some excellent coaches in Jenny Armstrong, Nathan Handley and Paul Snow-Hansen.

"A lot of the sailors in the team are still really young and, for most, this was their first taste of international racing. We hope they go back home really motivated to work hard and kick on in their sailing careers."

Some in the NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Team will remain overseas, with Caleb Armit heading to the ILCA 6 youth worlds in Houston and Lee Rush and Menzies competing in the junior (under-23) 49erFX world championships at Lake Como.

Lee Rush and Menzies will swap roles in the 49erFX and go there full of confidence after regatta wins at both Kiel Week and the 29er European Championships on top of their bronze at the youth worlds.

Helena Sanderson / Cam McGlashan (NZL) - Nacra 15 - Allianz Youth World Sailing Championships - Day 4 - The Hague - July 2022 - photo © Sailing Energy / World Sailing

"It’s massive knowing we can work so well together as a combination," said Menzies, who teamed up with Lee Rush late last year. "It’s still pretty early stages for us as a team.

"We don't have any expectations for ourselves [at the junior world championships]. We're just there to learn as much as we can and get that experience of racing a 49er under our belt. We have done our important three regattas so it should be a bit more chill now. The youth worlds was pretty stressful, that's for sure."

Hugo Wigglesworth (NZL) (Boys Kitefoiling) - Allianz Youth World Sailing Championships - Day 4 - The Hague - July 2022 - photo © Sailing Energy / World Sailing

Final results and standings after Day 5 of the Youth Sailing World Championships in The Hague:

Boy's kitefoiling (19 boards)

1st: Maximilian Maeder (SGP) (3) 1 (2) 1 1 2 2 (7) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 (5) 1 2 - 19 points 2nd: Riccardo Pianosi (ITA) 1 (2) 1 (2) (2) 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 - 23 pts 3rd: Jakub Jurowski (POL) 2 3 3 (11) (6) 5 (7) 2 2 3 5 5 3 4 4 5 4 3 4 - 55 pts

7th: Hugo Wigglesworth (NZL) 9 (DNC) 7 7 (11) 7 5 6 7 (14) 9 8 8 7 7 7 6 6 - 106 pts

Nacra 15 (14 boats)

1st: Grandjean / Fehlmann (SUI) 1 2 2 2 (4) 1 1 1 2 3 - 15 pts 2nd: Garcia de la Casa / Garcia de la Casa (ESP) 2 (4) 1 1 1 3 4 1 1 2 - 16 pts 3rd: Rideau / Moreau (FRA) 4 1 3 4 3 2 2 (UFD) 3 6 - 28 pts

5th: Helena Sanderson / Cam McGlashan (NZL) 5 6 4 (9) 6 5 3 3 9 9 - 50 pts

Girl's ILCA 6 (56 boats)

1st: Eve McMahon (IRL) 2 1 1 3 1 1 (6) - 9 pts 2nd: Evie Saunders (AUS) 1 7 2 (10) 2 8 4 - 24 pts 3rd: Roos Wind (NED) 4 4 4 (9) 8 3 7 - 30 pts

26th: Teaghan Denney (NZL) 33 (41) 19 30 39 18 9 - 148 pts

Boy's ILCA 6 (61 boats)

1st: Rocco Wright (IRL) 2 (17) 4 7 6 7 4 - 30 pts 2nd: Sebastian Kempe (BER) 1 1 (11) 11 8 8 2 - 31 pts 3rd: Ole Schweckendiek (GER) 8 2 (29) 6 5 5 5 - 31 pts

17th: Caleb Armit (NZL) 4 24 (39) 27 14 2 27 - 98 pts

Girl's 29er (23 boats)

1st: Pefaur / Pantin (ARG) 3 2 3 3 1 3 5 3 2 (7) 1 1 - 27 pts 2nd: Gout / Babin (FRA) 1 1 5 7 3 1 1 2 9 (24 UFD) 3 2 - 35 pts 3rd: Ichihashi / Goto (JPN) 2 3 2 (24 DNF) 23 8 3 4 7 5 4 6 - 67 pts

18th: Lucy Leith / Lizzie Shapland (NZL) 20 18 16 (24 DNF) 15 17 8 9 6 24 UFD 19 10 - 162 pts

Boy's 29er (24 boats)

1st: Videla / Funes de Rioja (ARG) 1 1 1 2 8 2 1 (9) 4 4 9 1 - 34 pts 2nd: Sesto Cosby / Wilkinson (GBR) (17) 2 3 4 3 7 4 14 0 1 5 6 - 49 pts 3rd: George Lee Rush / Seb Menzies (NZL) 7 4 7 3 2 5 2 1 14 2 4 (20) - 51 pts

Girl's 420 (21 boats)

1st: Perello / Mora (ESP) 1 6 1 (22 UFD) 10 12 1 1 3 - 35 pts 2nd: Wehrie / Rinn (GER) 5 1 2 3 1 5 15 (22 BFD) 7 - 39 pts 3rd: Michelini / Bonifaccio (ITA) 2 7 8 4 3 4 9 2 (13) - 39 pts

17th: Nicola Hume / Daniella Wooldridge (NZL) (21) 17 10 12 13 16 19 13 21 - 121 pts

Boy's 420 (23 boats)

1st: Parkin / Beck (USA) 10 5 2 (21) 7 4 7 2 1 - 38 pts 2nd: Levy / Gal (ISR) 1 1 10 4 13 6 3 1 (24 RET) - 39 pts 3rd: Samarzija / Scheidl (CRO) 3 12 6 (13) 12 2 1 4 2 - 42 pts

9th: Lucas Day / Sam Scott (NZL) 11 7 11 3 9 (19) 12 3 8 - 64 pts

Girl's windfoiling (29 boards)

1st: Tamar Steinberg (ISR) (1) (1) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 8 pts 2nd: Merve Vatah (TUR) 1 1 1 1 1 (7) 5 1 (17) 2 - 13 pts 3rd: Lina Erzen (SLO) (DNF) 3 5 3 5 1 1 5 3 (6) - 26 pts

18th: Aimee Bright (NZL) (33 DNF) 13 17 11 19 19 17 15 11 (30 DNS) - 122 pts

Boy's windfoiling (31 boards)

1st: Charlie Dixon (GBR) 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 (17) 1 (5) - 11 pts 2nd: Hidde van der Meer (NED) 1 3 1 1 7 7 (35 DNC) (9) 3 3 1 - 27 pts 3rd: Nacho Baltasar (ESP) 11 7 1 5 (21) 1 1 1 (19) 5 1 - 33 pts

29th: Jack Parr (NZL) (35 DNS) 25 27 27 23 15 25 31 (35 BFD) 32 UFD 17 - 222 pts

Full results youthworlds2022.sapsailing.com