RS Games: Kiwis win RS Feva Worlds Open and Female Championship titles at Weymouth
by Wade Tresadern, NZ Coach 28 Jul 13:20 NZST
28 July 2022
Kate Rasmussen and Madi Russell (NZL) - Female RS Feva World Championship, Weymouth, July 2022 © Phil Jackson
The RS Feva World championships concluded in Weymouth, England with New Zealand crews winning both the Open and Female World Championships.
Both championships were sailed as part of the RS Games 2022, held in the 2012 Olympic Sailing Regatta at Weymouth and Portland. The event, held as part of the 2022 RS Games, attracted a big fleet of 185 crews. The RS Games - comprising various championships for RS Sailing manufactured classes, attracted an entry of over 1,000 crews.
Open World Champion, Simon Cooke won his second open title, sailing with new crew Arthur Rebbeck (both Royal Akarana YC).
By dint of a decision within the RS Feva class, the title of World Champion is conferred on the top under 18yr old crew. Britain’s Joseph Jones and Charlie Howard were second overall and 2022 Class World Champion. Finland's Freddie Sunderland and Stella Nygard placed third overall in the Open fleet and were runners-up for the World title.
Kate Rasmussen and Madi Russell (Maraetai Sailing Club) finished 8th in the Open fleet and won the Female World Championship title.
The third New Zealand crew Ashton Cooke and Oskar Masfen (Royal Akarana YC) placed 48th in the 62 boat Open Gold fleet.
New Zealand coach Wade Tresadern reports on the final day of racing:
The final day bought us a delay onshore while we waited for a stable breeze to fill in. Eventually a SE 6-10kts was ready for the crews to do battle.
Simon and Arthur continued their consistent series with a first in Race 7 and a second in the final Race 8 to come away as Open World champions for 2022 this was Simon's second world title technically, scoring back to back wins. Arthur has picked up his first world title at 12 years old.
And to go with that open world title, our Maraetai girls also became 2022 Female World Champions!
They came into the day with a 3pt deficit to a really strong Netherlands girls crew. They banked a 10th place in Race 7 to go into the final race with a 8pt advantage. Meaning they had to be within eight places of the NED girls at the finish of the next race to clinch the title. After a black flag general recall. The nails were getting thin with the parents. But the girls recovered with incredible pace upwind and good fleet management to finish Race 8 in 23rd place besting the Netherlands girls by 16 places to claim the title!
Our boys team of Ashton Cooke and Oskar Masfen were the fastest boat on the course today with the lighter breeze, and they managed to sail out of some less than ideal starting situations to get a 29th and an 18th in the races. But the boys showed real speed and the ability to carve back from deep in the fleet,and I am sure they will be at the front of the fleet next year.
Also to note Ashton and Arthur competed in the Optimist worlds before the Feva worlds and have been away from home for a long time! We respect your commitment to yachting at the highest level across two very different yachts. And the team as a whole has learnt, grown together and has put on a stellar performance on the world stage. Two world titles is outstanding!
Thank you all for your support and the comments on the streams they did massive work for us in securing a worlds in New Zealand in the next cycle.
Signing off from Weymouth!
See you all back in NZ at the next regatta!
Wade Tresadern
Coach
For full results click here