All around the globe sailors are taking to the shores where we sail to help clean up plastic and other garbage. As passionate users of the sea, racers, cruisers, sailors young and old unite behinds a love of the oceans. While the 49er and Nacra 17 classes were hoping to participate and lead 200 such […]
via Sailors Are Coming Together Worldwide To Clean Beaches — finixsportsblog
Denmark’s Hansen/Iversen and Britain’s Fletcher/Bithell Take First Ever World Titles On Intense Final Day In Porto Another day meant another obstacle from mother nature at the 2017 International 49er and FX World Championship, where an unstable land breeze teased the gold medal fleets this morning for their 10 AM start. Both the men’s 49er and […]
via NEW CHAMPIONS USHER IN NEW ERA FOR SKIFF SAILORS — newfanzoneblog
At the turn of the year, Olympic sailors took to Instagram, posting a picture that states ‘2013 was practice, 2014 was the warm up, 2015 is game time.’
With Rio qualification regattas, national trials and a testing ISAF Sailing World Cup circuit throughout the year the heat is on. And at 10:00 local time on Monday 26 January, 2015’s ‘game time’ begins with the sounding of the starter’s gun at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella.
More than 800 sailors from 63 nations racing across ten Olympic and three Paralympic events will light up Miami, Florida’s glorious Biscayne Bay. With ISAF Sailing World Cup Final Abu Dhabi qualification spots and valuable ranking points available the game will heat up in the sunshine state.
Historically the Laser has always been the largest fleet in Miami and that is no exception to 2015 with a strong contingent of international sailors making up the 120 boat fleet.
2015 is a key year for many competitors with Rio 2016 Olympic qualification regattas fast approaching. For American Laser sailors the 2016 edition of the regatta will be their first internal qualification event, but the highest ranked American sailor, Charlie Buckingham at World #11, will want to lay down a marker one year in advance.
“Miami is always an important event for me personally,” said Buckingham, “so I am happy it serves as part of the OIympic trials. This year I will be aiming to perform my best at this event as I have in years past and as I will next year.
“I’ve had roughly two months of preparation, both training and racing, after a pretty big break post-Santander. This year is the strongest I’ve ever seen the fleet since I’ve done the regatta. Everyone will be here.”
Buckingham has been a familiar face in Miami, competing at the regatta a consecutive seven times from 2008. As one of 16 American sailors within the strong Miami fleet a performance that mirrors his third place in 2013 will leave him in a good place in advance of his national trials.
The Laser fleet is jam packed with talent from World Champions to Olympic medallists, all of whom are aiming for an Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final slot. World #1 Tom Burton (AUS) sealed his spot at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne so the pressure is off, but the determined Aussie will have his eyes on the prize after narrowly missing out on a Miami podium in 2014.
World #2 Robert Scheidt (BRA) will make his first international appearance since Santander 2014 in Miami whilst defending champion Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) will also return.
With 22 of the world’s top 25 Lasers heading to Miami, the competition will be one of the most hotly contested in recent times.
The Laser Radial fleet will see 80 competitors lock horns. World #1 and 2014 World Champion Marit Bouwmeester (NED) will be joined by World #2 and 2014 Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion Evi Van Acker (BEL) as well as Melbourne gold medallist Alison Young (GBR).
Paige Railey (USA) will attempt to take the title for the third year in a row whilst Railey’s ever improving compatriot, Erika Reineke, will be aiming to move up from her ninth place at the 2014 regatta.
The Men’s RS:X is set to be an exceptional competition with the leading racers making the trip to Miami.
In amongst a sea of experienced competitors is a young Frenchman who is mixing it up at the top. Louis Giard (FRA) picked up gold at the inaugural ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi and heads to Miami fully fired up with confidence sky high, “That put me in a good place and gave me a lot of motivation for 2015,” said Giard. “It was my first win in the senior fleet and it helped me a lot to look forward and to try to do the same in upcoming events.”
Giard put in a performance worthy of a champion in Abu Dhabi but knows he still has a lot to prove, “It would be good for me to show that Abu Dhabi was not a surprise. My goal is just to do the best I can. I have never been in Miami so it will be a bit new for me but it was the same in Abu Dhabi. A podium could be a good start for 2015 but my training is not at the top at the moment but I will try to do the best start for 2015.”
Like Buckingham in the Laser, Giard has an eye on his Olympic trials and just like the American he wants to put a good show on in Miami, “I’m expecting tough competition, as usual. Everybody wants to win and once again it will be the first event of the year for everybody. Miami is the best way to prepare for the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Hyères which will be the first step of the Rio trials.”
Giard’s compatriots Pierre Le Coq and Thomas Goyard will join him in Miami. As will World #1 Byron Kokkalanis (GRE), World #2 Ricardo Santos (BRA) and London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED).
Miami will also see a high level Women’s RS:X fleet take to the water. Bryony Shaw (GBR) started 2014 by taking the Miami title and wrapped the year up by claiming the Women’s RS:X ISAF Sailing World Cup Final title in Abu Dhabi. She will be gunning for another great start to her year in Miami.
Joining the Briton in the fleet will be World #1 Flavia Tartaglini (ITA), World #3 Laura Linares (ITA) and London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Marina Alabau (ESP).
ISAF Sailing World Cup Final Abu Dhabi gold medallists Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) will sail in a highly competitive fleet that features 2014 World Champions and 2014 ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA).
The Kiwis will be competing in a single fleet of 40 teams and will have to be on top form, ensuring mistakes are at a minimum, “It is exciting to have a smaller fleet here in Miami,” commented Meech, “as it will let us sail against the top girls the whole regatta rather than just through the final days. It will make the racing more exciting overall.
Maloney and Meech touched down in Miami early last week to compete at the 49erFX Midwinters where they finished three points off Grael and Kunze and Meech has liked what she’s seen, “So far Miami has given us good conditions. We were coming over here expecting light winds the whole time, but it looks like we are going to get a mixture which will be nice.”
World #2 Ida Marie Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen (DEN) will be within the Miami fleet, as will World #3 Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth (GBR) and World #4 Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA).
The 49er will also throw out some exciting competition with strong British, Canadian, Spanish, French, Italian and American teams in the mix. Other contenders include ISAF Sailing World Cup Final gold medallists Lukasz Przybytek and Pawel Kolodzinski (POL), Ryan Seaton and Matthew McGovern (IRL), Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER) and returning champions Jonas Warrer and Anders Thomsen (DEN).
Racing commences on Monday 26 January through to Saturday 31 January. Competitors in the Paralympic events will have five days of fleet racing from Monday 26 to Friday 30. Medal Races across the ten OIympic events will bring the regatta to a close on Saturday 31 where medals will be awarded to the top three boats.
The Medal Race places in the ten Olympic and open kiteboarding events were decided at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates after a tense day of competition.
The top ten in each fleet will advance to the Medal Race in a do or die battle for ISAF Sailing World Cup Final glory and a share of the $200,000 prize fund.
It was another beautiful day in Abu Dhabi with clear blue skies, a north westerly breeze at 10-13 knots with the Emirati waters filled with the sails of 270 sailors from 38 nations.
Highlights are available below:
Abu Dhabi Medal Race Places Decided – Day 3 Highlights Part 1
Find out what went down on the water in the Laser, Laser Radial, Nacra 17, Men’s and Women’s RS:X and the Men’s and Women’s 470.
URL – http://youtu.be/O7tfDiIAFEU
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Close Calls On Penultimate Abu Dhabi Day – Day 3 Highlights Part 2
See what happened in the Finn, 49erFX, 49er and Open Kiteboarding.
URL – http://youtu.be/-v0F23vc_Mc
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The opening day of racing at the inaugural ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates has been described as spectacular, fantastic and perfect.
Smiles were present before racing at the Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club, on the waters off of the Corniche and around Lulu Island and back ashore upon the conclusion of racing.
A north westerly breeze that ranged between 9-14 knots greeted the sailors across the four race tracks. The outside courses saw big waves to add some spice to the sailors lives whilst the flat water on the inside Corniche course tested the sailors all round abilities.
Racing for the 270 sailors from 38 nations across the ten Olympic and open kiteboarding fleet commenced at 12:00 local time and wrapped up with a full complement of races in the Olympic events.
Finn
Slovenia’s Vasilij Zbogar was dominant in Abu Dhabi’s conditions, picking up a pair of race wins in the 19-boat Finn fleet.
After racing, ashore at the Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht, the Slovenian was visibly pleased yet shocked with his regatta opening, “I am a bit surprised with the two first places. It’s much better than I thought I would start. The conditions were perfect for my technique and weight and my boat speed was extremely good. The main issue was that I got a yellow flag in the first race which was a bit annoying but I still finished first.”
Zbogar’s victories came by different margins. A close encounter with Jake Lilley (AUS) in the opening race saw him take the victory by a narrow two seconds. He ramped it up in the second race, taking the gun by 30 seconds over Pieter Jan Postma (NED) and Zbogar wants to continue in the same way on the second day, “I hope we will have the same conditions. I will try to keep this first place until the end but I know it is going to be very hard. Today it was really nice sailing conditions and I’m looking forward to the next few days.”
Abu Dhabi is a new venue for the Slovenian and he has taken to it well, not only the sailing side but offshore as well, “Until now, Abu Dhabi has been a big surprise for me. Everybody was a bit sceptical at first, maybe the venue and the sailing conditions weren’t right but here we are and people are extremely helpful, everything is extremely well organised and the sailing is spectacular.
“I think all the sailors are really happy and they all see it’s a big step forward in Olympic classes.”
Lilley trails the Slovenia by five points in second place whilst Croatia’s Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic occupies third overall, a point behind Lilley.
49erFX
New Zealand’s Alex Maloney and Molly Meech started the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final with a bang by taking the opening race victory in the 17-boat 49erFX fleet.
The pair picked up a second victory in the third race of the day but a sandwiched tenth tarnishes their good start. Nonetheless the Kiwis had some great racing as Maloney explained, “It was beautiful conditions out there with a nice Abu Dhabi breeze and really nice waves. We were on Course C in front of the Emirates Palace and it was pretty nice out there. The first and last race we had 8-10 knots and it dropped down and got a bit interesting, it’s really nice racing out there.
“We were pretty disappointing with our performance at the Worlds but we had a good break and have had some good preparation for Abu Dhabi. We were in Rio for three weeks and we’re feeling a lot more confident again and a lot more focused.”
Whilst the Kiwis lead, it’s the Italian pairing of Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich who were the masters of consistency as they notched up a race win and a pair of seconds. They sit second overall by nature of the Kiwis discarding their tenth and Conti’s face was full of smiles after racing, “It was perfect, perfect conditions. There were 10-14 knots with good waves and we enjoyed it a lot. We had good results and that’s why we enjoyed it a lot.
“We felt very comfortable with the boat. It’s good to have a brand new boat as we used to sail with a pretty old one so there are a lot of differences in performance. It’s just perfect to escape from winter and to be here, we love it.”
Conti was also full of praise for everything she has seen thus far at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, “We are staying in such a beautiful hotel and the people here are just so gentle and kind. They’re so curious about sailing as well. The venue is just perfect. There is plenty of space so we can move around without having the problem of touching other boats. The weather is warm and there is a huge mall right here, it has everything. I would stay here the whole winter.”
Sweden’s Lisa Ericson and Hanna Klinga complete the podium after the opening day but it’s still early stages in the competition with six fleet races to follow ahead of the Medal Race.
49er
Captain America and Superman’s Polish alias’ Tomasz Januszewski and Jacek Nowak have swooped in to Abu Dhabi to take the 49er lead on the opening day of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.
The pair picked up two races wins and a 13th, discarding the latter to top the bill in the 18-boat 49er fleet. They lead Great Britain’s Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign by a single point, “It’s great to be here and race here with the best of the best,” commented Nowak. “We were on Course D so we were inside the bay and the wind was inshore so there was a lot of shifts and gusts. It was good to have great speed and to be able to read the shifty conditions. All the teams were very close to each other throughout the races.”
The Polish competitors are instantly recognisable on the race track with their superhero outfits and Januszewski explained the origin of their tops, “We are co-operating with under armour, so when the t-shirts went on sale our friend gave us a couple of them.
“He asked who we would like to be and I was just like, stop there, ‘I want to be Captain America’, because I love that superhero and Jack loves Superman.
“After we first wore them everybody has called us Superman and Captain America,” continued Januszewski with a beaming smile, “They’re defending someone’s honour and ambitions so we like those and they’re really friendly, they’re not bad guys.
“It’s a good way to show potential sponsors what we can do and how many opportunities we can give them.”
The racing on the 49er race course was exceptionally close with little separation of the fleet across three races. Fletcher and Sign picked up the first race victory before finishing second behind the Polish sailors in the second. The Brits did not sail the third race due to an equipment issue as the Polish sailors swooped through to take their second race win and the lead.
Januszewski and Nowak are in a good spot to progress with six fleet races and a Medal Race remaining and will be looking to draw on their super strength from within, “With any power you can achieve anything,” said Januszewski, “but if we were to have a power I think we’ll take super speed.”
Women’s RS:X
Great Britain’s Bryony Shaw stole the show in the Women’s RS:X taking three consecutive race victories to hold a steady lead over her rivals at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The British racer, who won bronze at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition, was in exceptional form, mastering the conditions and ruling the waves on one of the outside course areas.
“We were out on Course C today so we had quite a bit of swell and waves,” said Shaw. “The wind was between 10 and 13 knots and I was pleased to be sailing fast.”
Shaw proved to be a class above the rest as she read the conditions perfectly to lead at the first mark in all of the races as she explained, “I got a good start in the first race but not such a good start in the second race. The wind had just started flicking to the right so I made a gain from going to the right in that race. The first two races I rounded first and was able to extend my lead.
“In the last race we had lighter winds. I had a great start by the committee boat and really good height and speed and managed to round first again. It was quite a physical race that one. I kept it quite simple and stayed between my competitors and the mark and managed to win that third race. It was a really good day.”
With 270 sailors from 38 nations competing in Abu Dhabi, the British sailor is just one of many competitors who are revelling in the Emirati capital. With a blend of old traditions in a modern metropolis there is plenty for the sailors to learn and enjoy, both on and off the water, “I’ve tried to immerse myself in the culture and we’ve been going out for dinners and the people here seem really friendly,” added Shaw. “The conditions today were fantastic. To be sailing out there in board shorts and for it to be warm, sunny and to be sailing in planing conditions is the best for windsurfing. I’ve had a great time here so far. It’s been a short regatta for them to try and set up but it’s going well.”
China’s Qiaoshan Weng is second overall following a third, second and a discarded 14th. Charline Picon (FRA), 2014 Women’s RS:X World Champion, is third overall after an up and down day that included a second, a fourth and a discarded 14th place finish.
Men’s RS:X
Youngsters Pawel Tarnowski (POL) and Louis Giard (FRA) are showing their experienced counterparts how to race in Abu Dhabi as they top the bill in the Men’s RS:X fleet.
Tarnowski, 20-years-old, stormed into the lead following an exceptional day on the water. He amassed two race wins and a third and holds a two point advantage over Giard, 21-years-old, who took a pair of seconds and a third.
The youngsters lead their more experienced rivals but only time will tell if they are able to continue it through for a podium finish on Sunday 30 November.
Laser Radial
Tuula Tenkanen (FIN) is in control in the 18-boat Laser Radial pack. She picked up a fourth and a first to hold a five point advantage over Alison Young (GBR) going into the second day of competition.
Young has had some time away from the boat throughout 2014 and is happy to be back, competing against the best Laser Radial sailors in Abu Dhabi, “It’s been great fun racing against all the great sailors that are here this week. I’m here this week to learn as much as possible. There are 18 great sailors here so every race is really tight and every point counts.
“It was such tight racing today out on the water with boats crossing the line in packs and I expect that will be a similar story for the rest of the regatta.”
London 2012 bronze medallist Evi Van Acker (BEL) completes the podium at the early stage of the event.
Laser
World #1 Tom Burton (AUS) showed his worth in Abu Dhabi by grasping the Laser lead after the opening day of racing. Burton was strong on the race track and took a fifth and a bullet and was pleased after racing, “It was pretty solid day all around,” commented Burton, “The top guys are all here and with the 20 boat fleet you can’t afford to have a bad race because the guys that will win this regatta, won’t do that so you won’t have a chance to catch up.”
Pavlos Kontides (CYP) took the first race win but an 11th in the second race relegated him down to fifth overall.
ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao gold medallist Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) is tied on points with Burton in second whilst Nick Thompson (GBR) occupies third.
Men’s and Women’s 470
It was business as usual for World Champions Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) in the Men’s 470. The pair strolled into pole position following a 2-4 scoreline. Greece’s Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis are second on eight points with Austria’s David Bargehr and Lukas Mahr in third on ten points.
The day’s race wins went the way of Stu McNay and David Hughes (USA) who are sixth overall and fifth placed Matthias Schmid and Florian Florian Reichsteaedter (AUT).
China’s Shasha Chen and Haiyan Gao and Austria’s Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar shared places one and two in the Women’s 470 and are tied atop of the 11-boat fleet on three points.
Very little separated the two teams on the opening day and they will do battle once again on the second day with two more races scheduled.
America’s Anne Haeger and Briana Provancha are third overall on 10 points, seven off the leading duo but there is plenty of time for change.
Nacra 17
It’s an all French top three in the Nacra 17 with World Champions Billy Besson and Marie Riou leading the way. Besson and Riou are seemingly unstoppable in the Nacra 17 and amassed a steady scoreline that featured two seconds and a race win.
Their compatriots Audrey Ogereau and Matthieu Vandame follow in second with Moana Vaireaux and Manon Audinet in third.
Matias Buhler and Nathalie Brugger (SUI), Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) and Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank (AUT) are hot on the French teams heals, tied on nine points.
Open Kiteboarding
Riccardo Leccese (ITA) came out on top on the opening day of kiteboarding after he picked up a pair of bullets. He heads into the next stage as top seed. 2014 World Champion Maxime Nocher (FRA), European and Open Asian Champion Oliver Bridge (GBR) and 2013 World Champion Florian Gruber (GER) follow in places 2-4.
The 20 competitors will be divided up for Stage 2 heats on Friday and Saturday based on their seeding from Stage 1. The top ten boats will then progress to the medal stage.
Two semi-finals will be held with five racers in each. Places 1 and 2 will carry forward ten points, 3 and 4 seven points, 5 and 6 five points, 7 and 8 four points and 9 and 10 three points. Two races in each semi-final will follow with the top two placed sailors in each heading to the final.
From there, it’s a four way single race shoot out for the podium spots.
Racing across the fleets is scheduled to commence at 12:00 local time on Friday 28 November.
The ISAF World Sailing Rankings for 22 September 2014 have been released.
Finn
2014 World Champion Giles Scott (GBR) rockets to the top of the Finn rankings and finally counts scores from the maximum six regattas. Previously ranked at World #14 he adds the maximum 200 points to his total and tallies a perfect line up of first place finishes to keep Sweden’s Bjorn Allansson at bay at World #2. Silver medallist from the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships, Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) moves up one place to World #3.
Finn North American Champion Caleb Paine (USA) posted a career best Finn World Championship result, coming in seventh in Santander and moves up three places to World #8, the highest ranked sailor who is counting points from just five regattas.
The youngest sailor in the Medal Race, Junior World Champion Anders Pedersen (NOR) sailed the regatta of his life, qualifying for his first Medal Race and securing a spot for Norway at the 2016 Olympic Games. Pedersen finished eighth overall and sees his ranking position improve by 12 places to World #16.
49erFX
It was a dramatic 49erFX Medal Race on the Duna course with just two teams fighting it out for the title – European champions Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen (DEN) and World #1 duo Martine Sofiatti Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA). The Danish pair got off to the best start but couldn’t hold off the Brazilians and it was Grael and Kunze who claimed the gold medals and consolidate their position at the top of the ranking. Nielsen and Olsen remain at Wold #2 whilst bronze medallists Giulia Conti and Francesa Clapcich (ITA) move up seven places to Wold #3.
Just outside the medals in fourth place were Dutch pair Annemiek Bekkering and Annette Duetz who climb one place up to World #4. It was an up and down regatta for defending champions Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) who just missed out on the Medal Race cut finishing eleventh but now counting six regatta results they move up six places to World #5.
At their first World Championship together in the 49erFX, Sweden’s Lisa Ericsson and Hanna Klinga finished in ninth place and see their ranking position improve by four places to World #18.
49er
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) have a perfect ranking score in the 49er following victory at the Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds that that also extended their unbeaten run to 11 consecutive regattas (four within New Zealand and seven international events). The pair count five regattas to their ranking score and with those around them counting six, they currently sit at World #5.
Jonas Warrer and Anders Thomsen (DEN) picked up silver in Santander and therefore retain World #1 with six solid regatta scores under their belts. Warrer, Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medallist, won gold at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami and silver at World Cup Mallorca.
Like Burling and Tuke, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS) count five regattas to their point’s total. They sit at World #7 following a third place in Santander.
Men’s 470
After a dominant display at the ISAF Sailing World Championships, Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) retain World #1 in the Men’s 470. For the pairing it was their second world championship title together but for Belcher, it was his fifth in a row, having won three with Malcolm Page in the build-up to London 2012.
Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO) and Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis (GRE) took silver and bronze in Santander and as a result sit at World #2 and #3 respectively.
Spain’s Jordi Xammar and Joan Herp won the Men’s 470 Medal Race, finishing seventh overall in Santander and as a result move up to a personal best ranking of World #17.
Women’s 470
Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) lost out on Women’s 470 gold at the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships but with a second place overall, their silver lining is moving back up to the World #1 position.
In a do or die final Women’s 470 race it was a dual between the Kiwis and Austria’s Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar for gold. The Austrians took the lead at the first mark and never looked back, claiming a well-deserved first world championship title. As a result of winning gold the Austrians move up to World #5.
Bronze medallists Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) count five regattas to their points total and as a result sit at World #13.
Laser
Brazil’s Robert Scheidt has advanced to World #1 in the Laser after a consistent 12 months of racing that features three podium finishes and a fifth at the Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds. Tom Burton (AUS) follows Scheidt by just five points at World #2 after he took silver in Santander.
Nicholas Heiner (NED) was a class above the rest in Laser Medal Race at Santander 2014 taking victory by over minute. With results behind him in his favour the Dutchman was crowned 2014 world champion, sparking wild celebrations. Heiner sits at World #11 counting the full 200 points from Santander, a fourth and tenth at ISAF Sailing World Cup Mallorca and Hyeres, a 16th at the 2013 Laser Worlds and two silver medals from 100-point EUROSAF regattas.
Laser Radial
Marit Bouwmeester (NED) retains World #1 in the Laser Radial after taking her second world championship title at the Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds. Bouwmeester’s last world title came at the 2011 edition of the ISAF Worlds as she once again proved she can mix it up on the grandest of stages.
Bouwmeester is ten points ahead of World #2 Evi Van Acker (BEL) who picked up bronze in Santander. Silver medallist Josefin Olsson (SWE) only counts five regattas in her points total and is currently ranked at World #14.
With plenty of ups and downs within the 120-boat fleet in Santander there are plenty of changes afoot across the Laser Radial rankings.
Nacra 17
Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA) won their second Nacra 17 world title after a dominant display at the Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds. The pair won the inaugural title in 2013 and retained it comprehensively with a day to spare in Santander.
They currently sit at World #5 counting the maximum 200-points from the Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds and ISAF Sailing World Cup Mallorca. They received 197 points from their second place at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres but have only sailed at three 200-point regattas, compared to those around them who have sailed at four.
Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) have finished in the top four at four 200-point regattas, winning two. They retain World #1 and are followed by Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis (AUS) and Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank (AUT).
Women’s RS:X
Charline Picon (FRA) was the class act of the women’s RS:X fleet at the ISAF Worlds, only once finishing a race outside the top four. Picon had secured the gold medal with a day to spare but finished off her regatta in true champion’s style with a Medal Race win. Counting results from just five events, the 2014 World Champion moves up six places to World #4.
Holding on to the World #1 position is Flavia Tartaglini (ITA) ahead of Bryony Shaw (GBR) and Laura Linares (ITA) at World #2 and 3 respectively.
To the delight of the home crowd, Marina Alabau (ESP) took the silver medal. She moves up six places to World #29 with just three ranked regattas from the past 12 months to add to her points. The bronze medal went to Mayan Davidovich (ISR) who improves her ranking position by seven places to move up to World #14.
Men’s RS:X
Like Picon in the Women’s, Julien Bontemps (FRA) was on fire in the Men’s RS:X at the ISAF Worlds. He finished 21 points ahead of Przemyslaw Miarczynski (POL) to become a two time Men’s RS:X World Champion. Bontemps only counts five regattas out of a possible six to his points total and with 200 points coming his way from Santander he moves up to World #11 from World #18.
Ricardo Santos (BRA) retains World #1 whilst Poland’s Piotr Myszka, who finished fourth in Santander, moves up to World #2. Men’s RS:X bronze medallist Thomas Goyard (FRA) advances from World #8 to World #3, a personal best.
Events Included
For more details on the new events included and events not included in this Ranking release please click on the link below.
The full ISAF World Sailing Ranking lists, results from all ISAF Graded events, lists of Graded events throughout the year, Ranking release dates and the method of calculation for the Rankings can be found on the ISAF website at http://www.sailing.org/rankings
ISAF World Sailing Rankings – http://www.sailing.org/rankings
Video
Re-live the 2014 ISAF Worlds.
Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds – Race Day 10 Highlights – Part 1
49er and 49erFX Medal Race highlights.
URL – http://youtu.be/idg2D07m9jE
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Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds – Race Day 10 Highlights – Part 2
Finn and Nacra 17 Medal Race highlights.
URL – http://youtu.be/4tRIRuCEi7M
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Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds – Race Day 9 Highlights – Part 1
Men’s and Women’s 470 Medal Race highlights.
URL – http://youtu.be/cNqM7QIuBkA
Embed –
Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds – Race Day 8 Highlights
Men’s and Women’s RS:X Medal Race highlights.
URL – http://youtu.be/z9aWgCUP9JI
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Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds – Race Day 7 Highlights
Laser and Laser Radial Medal Race highlights.
URL – http://youtu.be/EIIcBFGMFPM
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Four more world champions were crowned at the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships as racing wrapped up in the Spanish City on a day blessed with glorious sunshine.
After a short racing delay in Santander a variable 6-11 knot breeze blew across the Duna race course with the 49erFX, 49er, Finn and Nacra 17 Medal Races entertaining a packed grandstand.
2,500 to 3,000 fans watched the action unfold as Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) took the 49erFX title in a dramatic Medal Race. Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) had 49er gold sealed ahead of the final day and stylishly showed what they’re all about by taking the bullet.
Giles Scott (GBR) wrapped up Finn gold with a solid race whilst Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA) walked away convincing winners in the Nacra 17, finishing 38 points clear of their rivals.
Re-live the 49er, 49erFX, Finn and Nacra 17 Medal Races
URL – http://youtu.be/Lv3AGgYViQY
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49erFX
In the top billing match up of the day, it was who beats who in the women’s skiff class.
Recent European Champions, Ida Nielsen & Marie Olsen (DEN) were just ahead of Martine Grael & Kahena Kunze (BRA). The day got off to a slow start as the breeze built and then the teams were called to the race area. “My heart was thumping in the pre-start,” said Martine Grael when asked about the significance of the moment.
It was an up and down race in about 6-8 knots of wind. The two leaders covered each other closely, and in the end the Brazilians emerged as world champions. They celebrated emphatically with big smiles, hugs, and some swimming for the crowd. This is their first world championship though they have been contenders at all of the major regattas this year.
It was disappointment for the Danes, who have been riding a high since July when they won both the Junior World Championship and the European Championship back to back. It is a tremendously competitive fleet, however, and it is unlikely we will see any team dominate for too long.
In third place were Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA) who were guaranteed their position so used the race to enjoy themselves. Conti has been sailing recently with a male team mate while Francesca was out injured, and was relieved to have her normal crew back and to make it on the podium.
49er
The Medal Race was just like the regatta, dominated by New Zealand. Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) had an insurmountable lead going into the final. They had a middling first beat, but then made their move with a gybeset on the first run. They got into the lead by the bottom marks and never looked back, taking a huge win in the Medal Race to cap their huge win in the regatta. The duo are winning regattas and races by margins never seen before in the 49er, and look unstoppable. Time will tell whether they can hold this kind of form all the way through to Rio.
The real fight in the Medal Race was for the silver medal in the battle of Olympic gold medallists. Jonas Warrer, the Beijing 2008 Gold medalist with Anders Thomsen (DEN) were only two points off the London 2012 Gold medallists, Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen (AUS).
Outteridge and Jensen got off to a good start and were third around the first top mark while the Danes were back in eighth. However, there were position changes on every leg of the race, and on the final upwind the Danes got past the Aussies to secure their silver medal, leaving the Aussies to settle for Bronze.
The crowds were so big that it was standing room only, and they reserved their biggest cheers for the Paz brothers from Spain, who get their highest ever worlds finish with a 10th place.
49er and 49erFX Reports courtesy of Ben Remocker, International 49er Class Association
Finn
Giles Scott (GBR) made sure of the Finn World title, for the Finn Gold Cup, after leading early on in the race and finally crossing in fourth. All he had to do was finish cleanly, but wanted to make a good race of it as well as he explained, “I just went out and sailed my own race and kind of forgot what was going on with the other guys. You can try and get out of their way but I was racing as much as they were. I wanted to go out on a high, and I managed to almost do that.
“It’s a been a great season for me and I can’t really think of a better way to round it off that with the world title. It’s been a great event and I am really pleased with the way I have sailed, and there’s always a lot to learn from it, but I’m over the moon about it.”
On his dominance throughout the event, “I never really let myself think like that. But the event has gone really well. I have sailed well from day one and managed to keep it going through the regatta.”
The Medal Race was won by Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO), who took the lead on the first downwind and held it to the finish. Already in second overall, this win gave him the silver medal by a comfortable margin.
He said, “The week has been great for me, a really excellent performance. Today I knew I had to be relaxed and keep calm and I did exactly that and it put me right into the lead. Then I had really clear lanes through the race and really good moments. I sailed pretty consistently today, as I did all week, and it it turned out to be a winning combination for me.
“It’s an important event for me because after a couple of years of some general setbacks, I really made a great performance here, with all my team behind me. This really makes me happy and all of this proves that we are working in the right way and the progress is just going forwards and I hope in Rio it is going to be even better.”
Ed Wright (GBR) went into the Medal Race in fourth, just one point behind Jonathan Lobert (FRA). Initially Lobert had the upper hand, but that all changed on the second lap when Wright found better pressure on the left and moved up to third.
He said, “On the second beat I got a gust on the left hand side and moved up to third and held that all the way. It was a nail biting race and I really enjoyed sailing in it. It means a lot to me to get a medal at the worlds and I needed this medal, so really happy with that.”
“It’s been a hard week after I had a OCS early on and I’ve been struggling a bit with that. But it was all to play for today and it was a real fun race to be part of. I now just need to wind it up a bit more and try to catch Giles.”
Josh Junior (NZL) also sailed a great race to finish second, and moved up to fifth overall.
Finn Report courtesy of Robert Deaves, International Finn Class Association
Nacra 17
French team Billy Besson & Marie Riou were already assured of the first place before the start of the Medal Race. But from second to sixth there were a lot of possible changes. And Argentine team Santiago Lange & Cecilla Carranza Saroli raised from 5th to 2nd overall position with Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (AUS) taking silver.
After a short postponement the sea breeze came up and stayed during the afternoon, which made it possible to start at 16:10. With thousands of sailing fans on the spectator Dune and a lot of spectator boats on the water it was an amazing finale to the ISAF Worlds.
Besson and Riou had sealed the deal before the Medal Race and enjoyed themselves on the race course taking a third which ensured the celebrations commenced.
Meanwhile the fight went on around them with plenty of permeatations.
After the start, racing was very close between Argentine team Lange & Carranza Saroli and the Swiss team Matias Buhler and Nathalie Brugger. At the first upwind mark Buhler and Brugger were leading the Argentines. But at the first downwind gate Lange took over to lead directly followed by the Swiss. Lange was sailing very strong but at the end of the third lap just before the finish the Swiss team were able to pass him and take first but Lange and Saroli still advanced up the leader board to take silver.
Lange was delighted after racing, “For us it is really a very special day. It was difficult sailing in the Medal Race in the harbour area. Tricky race and you have to stay very sharp all time. Only in the last minutes we lost some distance and Matias passed us. We are very happy with this result. Our next goal will be the Olympics. Still a long way to go, but with this result we are very motivated to reach our dream.”
Meanwhile the Swiss were happy with a Medal Race victory and sixth overall, “In Rio we won the Medal Race. This week in Santander we didn’t sailed our best races. Before starting this Medal Race we decided to go for the best and take some risks. We didn’t have anything to lose and wanted to try to show it was no coincidence we won in Rio. This race we sailed very well and are super happy we have won the medal race. This will give us a very good start for our new season.”
Australian team Waterhouse & Darmanin kept their third position in the overall result with a fifth in the Medal Race.
Nacra 17 Report courtesy of Edwin Lodder, International Nacra 17 Class Association
Schedule of Racing:
15-21 September, 49er, 49erFX, Finn and Nacra 17
Live Blog – A live blog will follow the ISAF Worlds from Thursday 11 September through to Sunday 21 September. The live blog is available here http://www.sailing.org/events/isafworlds/live-blog.php
Results are available here.
Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds Event Website
http://www.santander2014.com/
Santander 2014 ISAF Microsite
http://www.sailing.org/2014-ISAF-Worlds.php
Schedule of Racing:
15-21 September, 49er, 49erFX, Finn and Nacra 17
Live Blog – A live blog will follow the ISAF Worlds from Thursday 11 September through to Sunday 21 September. The live blog is available here http://www.sailing.org/events/isafworlds/live-blog.php
Austria’s Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar and Australia’s Mat Belcher and Will Ryan stormed to gold in the Men’s and Women’s 470 as a capacity crowd watched the action unfold at the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships.
The spectator Dune was packed with 2,500 to 3,000 sailing fans who watched Vadlau and Ogar claim their first world title and Belcher and Ryan claim their second together. The victory was special for Belcher as he made it five 470 world titles in a row.
Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds – Race Day 9 Highlights – Part 1
URL – http://youtu.be/cNqM7QIuBkA
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The 49er and Nacra 17 world titles were snapped up with a day to spare at the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships as the final Medal Race spots were decided in the remaining four classes competing.
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL), in the 49er, and Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA), in the Nacra 17, both took their second consecutive world title after dominant displays in Santander.
Giles Scott (GBR) is nearly there in the Finn whilst the game is wide open in the 49erFX with a winner takes all shoot out on the cards.
Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds – Race Day 9 Highlights – Part 2
URL – http://youtu.be/JLSKyw_AlWo
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49er, 49erFX, Finn and Nacra 17 Medal Race Broadcast Embed Code
Scheduled for 21 September from 12:00 – 16:00 local time and 10:00 – 14:00 UTC.
The 49er and Nacra 17 world titles were snapped up with a day to spare at the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships as the final Medal Race spots were decided in the remaining four classes competing.
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL), in the 49er, and Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA), in the Nacra 17, both took their second consecutive world title after dominant displays in Santander.
Giles Scott (GBR) is nearly there in the Finn whilst the game is wide open in the 49erFX with a winner takes all shoot out on the cards.
Nacra 17
Billy Besson & Marie Riou (FRA) sealed the Nacra 17 World Championship with a day to spare after a dominant week of racing.
It all boiled down to the penultimate day for the Nacra 17 fleet with the stakes high. After a long wait the sea breeze came up around 14:00 and the sailors left the beach around 14:30 to go to the race area. But the wind conditions at sea still were weak and the Race Committee decided to wait. Finally at 16:45 the starting signal was given for the tenth race with around 6 knots of wind. Only one race could be sailed because after the finish of this first race the wind dropped down.
The Italian team of Federica Salva & Francesco Bianchi liked the light wind conditions and took the race victory. Salva said, “We were hoping for light wind during this week like we had during our training weeks. But we it was a week with two days a lot of wind, which is not quite our speciality. With this score we are now 15th overall. We would to go to the [ISAF Sailing World Cup] Final in Abu Dhabi and hope it will be there light wind too, so we can show our strength.”
Besson & Riou finished fifth and made their score complete with a total score of 21 points, 34 points clear of the Italian team, Vittorio Bissaro & Silvia Sicouri. With those points they are sure to be the 2014 World Champions before the Medal Race.
It is their second Nacra 17 world title and they are the only crew to hold it in the class’ second year. After racing Besson said, “We are very happy now and it was a good week for us. We did a lot of training during winter with the French teams, which made us stronger. This week we worked very hard to reach this position. Sometimes we made some mistakes but fought back to keep our position in the front. We are also very proud that we will win the third gold medal for France during this event.”
Bissaro and Sicouri are now second overall with Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin moving up to third. With the points close in the bunch at the top it will be close racing on the final day for the remaining podium spots.
Nacra 17 Report Courtesy of Edwin Lodder, International Nacra 17 Class Association
49er
It was a case of ‘hats off’ to Burling and Tuke (NZL) who secured their second consecutive World Championship title and extend their undefeated streak in the 49er to eight regattas since London 2012. There was only a single race on the penultimate and late in the day they sailed to a comfortable fifth to secure the title.
For the Medal Race on Sunday 21 September there is a great fight for the silver and bronze medals on the cards. Jonas Warrer, the Beijing 2008 Olympic Gold medallist, along with team mate Anders Thomsen (DEN) had an 11th today, but managed to leap frog Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS) on the leader board as they had a shocker back in 25th.
Also leaping forward into medal contention are Portugese veteran Jorge Lima and Jose Costa who are preparing to finish their highest ever placing at a World Championship. They will be over the moon if they can secure a medal.
49erFX
In the 49erFX class it’s going to be a barn burner, as the two most consistent boats all year will go head to head making it a winner takes all for the Championship title. Ida Nielsen and Marie Olsen (DEN) are on 33 points after sailing well today with a 5, 3, 9. That could not compete with the day that Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) had, with a 3, 2, 1. The race area was right hand favoured, so it was vital to get an early lane to the right and have the boat speed to hold. The Brazilians started excellently and were able to apply the pressure.
Giulia Conti and Fancesca Clapcich (ITA) are fresh back from some time off due to injury but it hasn’t held them back. Clapcich injured her ankle in Helsinki for the Europeans and has been out of the boat since July. They seem to have done the right thing and rested enough that they have been able to race well this week where they find themselves locked into the Bronze medal position for the final Medal Race.
One more team worth noting are Vicky Jurczok and Anika Lorenz (GER). This team were 25th after qualifying, the last team to make it into gold fleet and have been on fire since then moving all the way up to sixth place, with a chance to move up to fourth tomorrow if the cards line up.
49er and 49erFX Reports of Ben Remocker, International 49er Class Association
Finn
The 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Santander came full circle on Saturday with the last of the fleet racing series abandoned in almost identical conditions that led to the abandonment of Monday’s racing, six days ago.
Since then one man has dominated the fleet and has built a 20 point lead, never scoring worse than fourth in any of the eight races sailed. With no races sailed today Giles Scott (GBR) takes this comfortable margin in Sunday’s medal race off the breakwater. All he has to do is finish the race tomorrow to lift his second Finn World Championship, for the Finn Gold Cup, one of the most prestigious trophies in the sport of sailing.
His immediate reaction, “I’m nearly there. It might just seem like a formality tomorrow, but I’ve still got to finish, without having an OCS and without gear failure to make absolutely sure, but other than that, I am very happy.”
On not racing today, “It’s good for me because I keep my 20 point lead but it was odd out there today. There was a big split in pressure. To the left was really light and to the right was probably raceable. By the time we moved over to the right, it immediately shut down and we came ashore. So maybe it would have been possible but it was marginal at best.”
Finn Report courtesy of Robert Deaves, International Finn Class Association
Watch the action unfold on the final day via:
49er, 49erFX, Finn and Nacra 17 Medal Race Broadcast Embed Code
Scheduled for 21 September from 12:00 – 16:00 local time and 10:00 – 14:00 UTC.
URL – http://www.youtube.com/9Eo3ZkIV7GQ
Embed –
Schedule of Racing:
15-21 September, 49er, 49erFX, Finn and Nacra 17
Live Blog – A live blog will follow the ISAF Worlds from Thursday 11 September through to Sunday 21 September. The live blog is available here http://www.sailing.org/events/isafworlds/live-blog.php
Results are available here.
Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds Event Website
http://www.santander2014.com/
Santander 2014 ISAF Microsite
http://www.sailing.org/2014-ISAF-Worlds.php
New Zealand’s 49er and 49erFX teams will head to the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships aiming to defend their title and continue their run of podium finishes.
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) are on an unbeaten run of six consecutive 49er regatta victories, stemming from June 2013 whilst Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) have finished on the podium at ten of 11 49erFX events they’ve competed at. Both crews struck gold at the 2013 worlds in Marseille, France and will be looking to hold onto their title at Santander 2014.
The 49er fleet at Santander 2014 will see 88 teams compete from 33 nations whilst the 49erFX pack features 62 teams from 29 nations. As well as world championship titles on the line, ten Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition places in both fleets will be won based on results in Santander.
After taking silver at London 2012 Burling and Tuke have been the pair to beat in the 49er. In world class fields the Kiwis have dominated and will be aiming to continue that run in Santander, “It’s the big one of the year for us so all of our focus has been on that,” said Tuke. “We don’t go to events to come second or further back so we’re going to give it our best shot.”
The Kiwis have had an exceptional 2014, winning ISAF Sailing World Cup Mallorca and Hyeres, the 49er Open Europeans and the Aquece Rio International Sailing Regatta 2014. Confidence is high within the camp and Burling also has his eyes on the prize, “We’re quite enjoying having that New Zealand 1 on the sail at the moment and the goal is definitely to go and try and defend that title. As a bonus to qualify the country for the games, that’s obviously the second goal but hopefully between us and our training partners being first and second at the last worlds we’ll be able to get that done.”
Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS) were the last team to beat the Kiwis and it came on the grandest of stages, the London 2012 Olympic Games. Post-Olympics the Australians focused on other projects but with a good season behind them they’re aiming to put a stop to the Kiwis dominance, “They’ve been on a bit of streak since the Olympics by winning all of the events,” said Outteridge. “We really haven’t been putting a lot of time into our 49er sailing but this year Santander will be our third or fourth major event. We did Hyeres, Europeans and Rio so we should have our racing skills back and we’re looking forward to taking them on.”
As a pair Outteridge and Jensen have gold medals from the 2009, 2011 and 2012 world championships, with Outteridge also a 2008 victor with Ben Austin. Having finished fifth at the 2013 worlds the Australians head to Santander well prepared with a solid plan, “With those events a lot of it is about qualifying well so when you get the final series at the end of the week you’re in a good position so we’re hoping we can get through qualifying unscathed and have some really good racing in the finals.
“Everything this year has been building up to the worlds to ensure we qualify our spot for Australia. It’s been a while since we’ve had an ISAF Worlds so it will be nice to try and win another one,” concluded Outteridge.
The 49er fleet has some seasoned campaigners with further competition for top places coming from Nico Delle Karth and Nikolaus Resch (AUT), Jonas Warrer and Anders Thomsen (DEN), Manu Dyen and Stephane Christidis (FRA), Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign (GBR), Ryan Seaton and Matthew McGovern (IRL), Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski (NZL), Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER) and Carl Sylvan and Otto Hamel (SWE).
New Zealand’s Maloney and Meech claimed the inaugural 49erFX world title in 2013 and will be aiming to defend their title in Santander. A fleet of 62-boats will take to the water in Santander and Meech is focused on the task ahead, “Coming off from a win at the world’s last year we’re hoping to try and win. We’ll do our best there but I’ve heard it’s a tricky venue as well so we’ll see how it goes. We would love to qualify New Zealand and obviously that is the aim of the event but our personal aim is to medal.”
Maloney and Meech have been at the front of the pack in all but one event they’ve competed at since they won the 2012 ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. Only an 11th at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Mallorca tarnishes their record but with the fleet gaining experience Meech knows the task of defending their world title won’t be an easy one, “This year both Ida [Marie Nielsen] and Marie [Thusgaard Olsen (DEN)] and Martine [Grael] and Kahena [Kunze (BRA)] have really kept up their performances at the top. I think that quite a few of the other teams have become quite competitive as well. There will probably be a mixture of the British, the Danish, the Dutch and a few German teams and hopefully you’ll see the Kiwis up there as well.”
Brazil’s Grael and Kunze have been the form team of 2014 with ISAF Sailing World Cup Mallorca and Hyeres, Garda and Trentino Olympic Week and Aquece Rio International Sailing Regatta 2014 gold to their name. The Brazilians have found an edge over their rivals and with the Brazilian Rio 2016 49erFX spot guaranteed they can focus solely on victory, “The Worlds are our biggest goal of the year,” said Grael. “We don’t have the pressure to do so well like the other teams but we will do what we always do, do our best and have fun there. Every championship is a pleasure to sail, race, win and be with the other girls.
“I think the New Zealand girls are doing pretty well but there are so many doing well but it depends on the conditions. I think the Danish girls are good so we’ll see what it’ll be like there.”
Denmark’s Nielsen and Olsen defeated the Kiwis and the Brazilians at the 2014 European Championship in Helsinki, Finland and will head to Santander full of confidence.
Several other 49erFX teams continue to find their feet in the boat and will be looking to peak in Santander. Strong competition for podium places will also come from World #3 Sarah Steyaert and Julie Bossard (FRA), World #5 Annemiek Bekkering and Annette Duetz (NED), World #6 Tamara Echegoyen and Berta Betanzos (ESP) and the Australian, British, German and Swedish squads.
The 49er and 49erFX fleets will kick start their competition on 15 September with the start of the qualification series. That will conclude on 16 September with five races for both fleets scheduled over the opening two days.
The final series will commence on 17 September with 18 September the scheduled reserve day. Two further days of final series on 18 and 19 September will conclude fleet racing with the podium places to be decided in the Medal Races on 21 September.
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