Fans Turned Up For Final Day In Hyères

The fans was turned up for the final day at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères as an exciting finale played out across two racing areas.

18-20 knots of breeze ensured the regatta concluded with thrills and spills aplenty. Seven races unravelled on the live broadcast area – click here for a full replay – whilst a further three concluded nearby.

Live Medal Race Replay Embed Code

Across the ten Olympic disciplines, ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères medals were awarded, a share of the €72,000 was distributed and ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots were picked up.

49erFX

Last on the race track on the final day, the 49erFX provided a blockbuster conclusion.

Big breeze and big waves tested the 49erFX sailors and there were some thrills, spills and close shaves in a testing race.

One point split overnight leaders Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) and Denmark’s Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen coming into the day.

Following a clear start and intriguing upwind leg, the first mark saw the Danes hold the advantage, getting clear air in their sails. However a close rounding saw the Brazilians touch the mark resulting in a penalty turn and from there they were always playing catch up.

The Danes were able to edge away ensuring an uphill battle for the Brazilians. Pushing their 49erFX to its limits Grael and Kunze lost a bit of control on the second downwind but expertly held it together, with Grael hanging out of the boat yet keeping it upright.

Meanwhile the Danes were never under great pressure, working through the motions and despite being pipped to the Medal Race win by compatriots Jena Hansen and Katja Salskov-Iversen (DEN) they claimed gold by seven points over silver recipients Grael and Kunze.

“We had a really good race,” commented the pair almost in tandem. “We kept calm throughout the course and that was important in these conditions.

“We kept it simple, without pressure and sailed fast.”

Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA) held on to bronze after a fifth. After racing Conti said, “We made a few mistakes so we’re a little disappointed but we’re happy because we had good boat speed and handling. We are happy with bronze. It means a lot to us. After silver in Miami it’s important for us.”

Top Three
1 – Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen (DEN) – 87
2 – Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) – 94
3 – Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA) – 99

49er-Fleet

Women’s 470

It was a winner takes all scenario in the Women’s 470 with any of the top four capable of taking gold.

Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Luiza Barbachan (BRA), Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR), Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) and Camille Lecointre and Helene Defrance (FRA) were all in the running with the capabilities to command and conquer.

In a close, exciting race Medal Race Brazil’s Oliveira and Barbachan came out of the blocks with intent and led at the first mark. They made some gains on the downwind but had Japan’s Ai Kondo Yoshida and Miho Yoshioka for company on the second lap. The Japanese pair passed the Brazilians to take the bullet but it was irrelevant as the Brazilians were well clear of their rivals and finished in second to take gold.

“The points were so close,” explained Oliveira. “We thought that we must do our job and sail our own race. We thought about the points and the other boats but we just focused on us. It was perfect. We finished second in the race and we’re so happy.

“It was our goal to win here and we worked very hard for this and we got it. It’s amazing, we’re so happy.”

Aleh and Powrie came through in third in the Medal Race to move up into silver medal position. “It’s a great way to finish,” commented Aleh. “It’s been a tough week. The Brazilians have been great all week and it was an exciting Medal Race with us all fighting it out.”

Camille Lecointre and Helene Defrance (FRA) followed behind the Kiwis and clinched bronze. Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) missed out on the podium by a single point.

Top Three Women’s 470
Fernanda Oliveira & Ana Luiza Barbachan (BRA) – 45
Jo Aleh & Polly Powrie (NZL) – 53
Camille Lecointre & Helene Defrance (FRA) – 54

Men’s 470

It was clear for all to see that Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic’s (CRO) winter training paid off. The pair ended came into the Medal Race 25 points clear of Luke Patience and Elliot Willis (GBR) to claim the gold medal a day early.

Fantela and Igor got off to a great start in the windiest and roughest sea state that the competition had seen all week to finish seventh in the fleet, ending the ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères on an impressive 40 points.

The fight for second and third place however was much less certain.

Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) rounded the first mark in pole position. They held their lead throughout the race and went on the claim the Medal Race victory which handed them silver. Luke Patience and Elliot Willis (GBR) finished just four points behind the Australians in third place.

Top Three
1 – Sime Fantela & Igor Marenic (CRO) – 40
2 – Mat Belcher & Will Ryan (AUS) – 55
3 – Luke Patience & Elliot Willis (GBR) – 59

Women’s RS:X

Lilian De Geus (NED) booked her ticket to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the Abu Dhabi World Cup Final by taking gold in the Women’s RS:X.

The Dutch sailor had a solid advantage heading into the Medal Race and knew a good performance would seal the deal. She put on an outstanding show in the Medal Race and established a commanding lead on the final downwind.

She pulled away to take her first race win of the week, ending 11 points clear of Charline Picon (FRA).

It was a high scoring affair in the Women’s RS:X with ups and downs aplenty.

Picon came through in second in the Medal Race to take silver, a result she was pleasantly surprised with, “If you had said to me three days ago ‘you’ll win silver this week’ I would have said that it was impossible but I’d never give up.

“I never gave up, I tried to fight and I’m happy because I have silver but I’m not happy about my week as I had a lot of bad races.”

Patricia Freitas (BRA) pushed Picon hard in the Medal Race in an attempt to overthrow her but at the penultimate rounding she misjudged the layline which allowed the French sailor to pass. Nonetheless Freitas came through in third, taking bronze.

De-Geus-Leads At ISAF WORLD CUP

Top Three
1 – Lilian de Geus (NED) – 90
2 – Charline Picon (FRA) – 101
3 – Patricia Freitas (BRA) – 104

Men’s RS:X

A competition made up of the world’s most skilled male windsurfers was always going to be a tough challenge for all competitors. Throughout the week there have been many ups and downs with multiple race winners.

France’s Pierre Le Coq started the day knowing that he would take home a medal. The Frenchman entered the Medal Race at the top of the leaderboard with a 15 point lead. An eighth or better would seal the deal and Le Coq finished in seventh to wrap up gold.

Piotr Myszka (POL) was on top form in the big breeze, coming second to take silver whilst a fourth for Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) saw him drop into bronze medal position.

Louis Giard (FRA) revelled in the big breeze and took the Medal Race win. With three race victories, Giard recorded the most out of any racer but was not consistent and ended up eighth overall.

Top Three
1 – Pierre le Coq (FRA) – 74
2 – Piotr Myszka (POL – 81 –
3 – Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) – 83

Finn

Great Britain’s Giles Scott had gold all but wrapped up in the Finn and a Medal Race bullet confirmed his place at the top of the pack.

Scott has controlled the week with a discarded 24th his only result outside of the top ten and he was pleased with his performance, “Taking the event and the Medal Race win is a great way to round up the regatta, especially when it is my first win in Hyères.

“This was not an easy regatta. The conditions were super difficult with light and shifty winds for most of the week so the result is very rewarding.”

Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) gave himself a huge chance of taking a medal following double bullets on the penultimate day. He followed this up with a third in the Medal Race to hold on to silver.

Great Britain’s Ed Wright finished the Medal Race in eighth which was enough to hang on to bronze on 75 points. A fifth from Zsombor Berecz (HUN) left him three points off bronze medal position.

Top Three
1 – Giles Scott (GBR) – 38
2 – Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) – 62
3 – Ed Wright (GBR) – 75

Laser

An overnight protest significantly altered the Laser leaderboard.

The results before the protest saw Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) but a solid lead over Tom Burton. However, during the final fleet race Stipanovic pushed Burton off of the proper course and gained a significant advantage as a result. Following the protest, Stipanovic was scored a non discardable 41st having infringed Tom Burton (AUS). The Australian received 21 points following a redress.

Burton came into the day leading on 45 points, followed by Nick Thompson (GBR) on 47 points. Rutger van Schaardenburg (NED) and Nicholas Heiner (NED) followed on 57 points with Robert Scheidt (BRA) on 58. Stipanovic, meanwhile, was down the pack on 75 points.

The race commenced in a good breeze and Heiner was over the line early and disqualified ensuring he dropped out of the running.

Charlie Buckingham (USA) came out strongly and grabbed the lead. He was closely followed by Burton and the pair jostled at the front of the pack.

Buckingham had the best of the back and forth exchange, taking the bullet. Burton followed 11 seconds behind to claim gold much to his delight as he hit is Laser with a mixture of relief and frustration after a tough week.

With Heiner out of the running it was between Thompson, van Schaardenburg and Scheidt for the remaining medals.

Thompson remained in control and picked up a fifth to take silver. Scheidt kept van Schaardenburg at bay to finish fourth, claiming bronze.

Top Three
1 – Tom Burton (AUS) – 49
2 – Nick Thompson (GBR) – 57
3 – Robert Scheidt (BRA) – 66

Laser Radial

Evi Van Acker (BEL) made it look easy in the Laser Radial taking out the Medal Race bullet to win by 21 points.

It was all on for the remaining podium spots between Gintare Scheidt (LTU), Josefin Olsson (SWE) and Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN).

Scheidt ventured into the Medal Race on 38 points with Rindom on 44 and Olsson on 46.

Whilst Van Acker ran away with the victory Olsson gritted her teeth and got down to business. Pushing hard throughout the race she finished second, doing all she could have possibly done, having started the day in fourth overall.

Olsson had an anxious wait to see where she would finish overall and she witnessed Rindom coming through in fourth followed by Scheidt in fifth. As a result Olsson leapfrogged Rindom but it was not enough to overhaul Scheidt who claimed silver.

Top Three
1 – Evi Van Acker (BEL) – 25
2 – Gintare Scheidt (LTU) – 48
3 – Josefin Olsson (SWE) – 50

49er

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) and Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS) had gold and silver wrapped up in advance of the Medal Race but there was a fight on for bronze.

The advantage ahead of the day was with David Gilmour and Rhys Mara (AUS). They had an eight point advantage over Germany’s Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel and were in control for the first 50% of the race. However, on the second downwind disaster struck for Gilmour and Mara as they capsized and lost their third position.

The Australians dropped down the pack and came through in ninth. The Germans capitalised on the Australians misfortune, coming through in fourth to steal bronze.

Maja-Dziarnowska

Top Three
Peter Burling & Blair Tuke (NZL) – 49
Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen (AUS) – 98
Erik Heil & Thomas Ploessel (GER) – 144

Nacra 17

Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA) stylishly sealed gold and an Abu Dhabi Final spot in the Nacra 17 by winning the Medal Race in convincing fashion.

The French team have been dominant in the Nacra 17 and had gold wrapped up in advance of the Medal Race. Besson and Riou got off to a blistering start and were able to grab an early advantage over the pack and never looked back, taking the bullet by 14 seconds over Mandy Mulder and Coen de Koning (NED).

“We’re feeling good,” smiled Besson, “It’s a great day and it’s great to win the Medal Race and finish the week off like that.

“It was really important for France to win here and everybody, including me, is really proud.”

A real battle was on behind the French team between the two boats from the Netherlands with Rio 2016 Olympic selection on the line.

Mandy Mulder and Coen de Koning (NED) brought in an advantage from Trofeo Princesca Sofia and confirmed their spot by finishing second in the Medal Race and second overall. “We’ve qualified for the Olympics for sure,” smiled de Koning.

Mulder added, “This whole week has been a good learning curve for us. We had some difficult conditions with moderate to light winds. The first day was really hard. We had some results in 20s and we learnt a lot and how to come back. We performed well in the next days and we’ll take that with us.”

Renee Groeneveld and Steven Krol (NED) pushed their compatriots throughout the week but couldn’t quite overhaul them picking up bronze.

Besson-and-Riou (c) Christophe Launay, ISAF Sailing World Cup,

Top Three
1 – Billy Besson & Marie Riou (FRA) – 57
2 – Mandy Mulder & Coen de Koning (NED) – 84
3 – Renee Groeneveld & Steven Krol (NED) – 98

Sailors will now regroup and review ahead of the Delta Lloyd Regatta which takes in Medemblik, the Netherlands from 26-30 May 2015. The Delta Lloyd Regatta acts as the qualification regatta for ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland which takes place at the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition venue from 8-14 June.

The world’s best 40 Olympic and Paralympic sailors will put their skills to the test once again in Weymouth and Portland, Great Britain with World Cup honours and Abu Dhabi Final places on the line.

Early Golds Clinched At ISAF Sailing World Hyères

Gold medals in the Men’s 470, 49er and the Nacra 17 have been confirmed at ISAF Sailing World Hyères following commanding displays by the leading teams.

Dominant performances from Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO), Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) and Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA) have ensured they walk away with ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères gold, a spot on the Abu Dhabi Final start line and a share of the €72,000 prize fund.

Giles Scott (GBR) has all but wrapped up gold in the Finn but for the remaining fleets, the competition is wide open ahead of Sunday’s live Medal Races.

A medium breeze in the region of 9-11 knots ensured all fleets got on the water for their start times with a full complement of racing completed.

Medal Racing on Sunday 26 April is scheduled to commence at 11:15 local time on the live course area with the schedule as follows (times CEST):

Nacra 17 – 11:15
RS:X Men – 12:05
RS:X Women – 12:55
470 Women – 13:45
Laser – 14:35
Laser Radial – 15:25
49erFX – 16:15

Medal Race highlights from the 49er (11:40), Finn (12:30) and 470 Men (13:20) will be shown throughout the broadcast.

Get involved with the Live Medal Races by sending in your questions for the sailors and the commentators by using the #LiveSailing hashtag and mentioning @ISAFupdates.

URL and Embed Code:
URL – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7ERcAOFhdM
Embed –

49er and 49erFX

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) were dominant once again in the 49er, sealing the deal with even a race to spare in the fleet racing.

The Kiwis have been unstoppable since London 2012, winning every regatta they’ve attended. Their gains and margins have increased but Burling remained modest after racing, “It’s pretty tough in the 49er in that big fleet. It’s the first time we raced in light air in a big fleet. If you start badly you’ll be in a tough place but if you get a good start and a good shift then you’ll be in really good shape.

“We were stoked to get a couple of good solid ones to begin with and then have it done before the last race today. It’s pleasing to see how our hard work has gone over the New Zealand summer. Everybody else has definitely improved as well. It’s probably a lot tighter out there than the scoreboard shows.”

The scoreboard shows the Kiwis 45 points clear of Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS) who also sealed silver with only the Medal Race to go.

Outteridge and Jensen won ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne to qualify for the World Cup Final. For Burling and Tuke, their victory in Hyères guarantees them a spot on the startline, “The Abu Dhabi final looks really good fun,” added Burling, “It didn’t fit in with our calendar last year as we had a lot on but we’ll probably go this year.”

Alongside World Cup glory and an Abu Dhabi spot the Kiwis also walk away with a share of the €72,000 prize pot. Burling concluded, “Hamish told us on the first day of the event that there’s a little bit of prize money and the live coverage of the Medal Race.

“It’s cool to see a bit of that in the sport now and the live coverage is awesome so people back home can see a bit of what we do. It’s great to see the sport going that way.”

The battle for bronze will be between Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER) and John Pink and Stuart Bithell (GBR). The Germans have the advantage on 132 points with the British team eight behind.

It’ll go down to the wire in the 49erFX after ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) knocked Denmark’s Ida Marie Nielsen and Marie Olsen off top spot for the first time.

The Danes had led from day one but the chasing pack chipped away as the week played out. Grael and Kunze recorded a 4-3-10-5 whilst the Danish team picked up a 8-1-19-12. As a result, the Brazilians lead by a single point.

Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA) were the stars of the day taking double bullets to move into third, seven points off the Brazilian leaders.

Fantela-Marenic

Laser and Laser Radial

Laser leader Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) had a clear plan for Saturday’s racing, “I will try to sail the first race the best I can and finish in the top three and if possible, try and win it.

“After that, if everything is between me and him [Tom Burton] I will maybe try and to go on him because he’s discarding 31 and I’m discarding just eight. I think I’m in a good position but we’ll have to wait for the first race tomorrow.”

Stipanovic knuckled down in the opening race picking up a sixth and duly punished Tom Burton (AUS) in the second, pushing him down the pack. Burton ended up 31st, which he now counts whilst Stipanovic discards his 33rd.

Stipanovic leads on 42 points with Nick Thompson (GBR) second on 47 points and Burton third on 55 points. It’ll be full on in the Medal Race with Rutger van Schaardenburg (NED) and Nicholas Heiner (NED) on 57 points and Robert Scheidt (BRA) on 58 points.

Defending Hyères Laser Radial champion Evi Van Acker (BEL) controlled the day, putting in a professional performance. A fifth and a bullet has given her a 13 point lead over Gintare Scheidt (LTU).

“I could have done better today,” commented Van Acker, “The first upwind wasn’t so good, the first downwind also. But I caught up and finished fifth. The second race was much better and I stuck to the plan and had great speed and won with big distances.

“I’m happy about this week and looking forward to the Medal Race tomorrow. I think we will have great wind, a nice easterly breeze and I just want to win and that will be my main focus.”

Van Acker has been a mainstay at the front of the Laser Radial pack and has enjoyed racing with the best of the best from day one, “It’s not so crowded. It’s tight racing and you’re immediately into the finals so the pressure is a much higher. But for me, I see it as nothing different. It’s just racing but I’m liking it.”

Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) had a mixed day with a fourth and a 15th. As a result she slips from second to third on 44 points. Josefin Olsson (SWE) is two points off the Dane in fourth.

Nacra 17

Besson-Riou

France’s Billy Besson and Marie Riou clinched an early gold in the Nacra 17 with another dominating display. The French team have been a class above the rest across the 11 race series, notching up three race victories and as a result, they have an unassailable 25 point lead.

From the day’s four races Besson and Riou recorded a 1-(14)-9-5 scoreline which was enough for gold with only the Medal Race remaining.

The story on the Medal Race day will be on the silver and bronze medals. Mandy Mulder and Coen de Koning (NED) are six points clear of compatriots Renee Groeneveld and Steven Krol with Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves (GBR) three further points off in fourth.

Up first at 11:15, the Nacra 17 Medal Race will prove to be an interesting opener on the final day of competition.

Further race victories on the day went to Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis (AUS) who are seventh, Groeneveld and Krol, and Saxton and Groves.

Men’s and Women’s RS:X

The Men’s RS:X has stirred up some interesting competition across the 11 race series. With the world’s best male windsurfers in the fleet it’s been an up and down week with multiple leaders and race winners.

Heading into the Medal Race atop of the pile is France’s Pierre Le Coq. The Frenchman was in terrific form posting a 2-3-7 and has guaranteed himself a medal. With a 15 point lead over second place, a solid performance will ensure he walks away with gold.

Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) is second on 75 points followed by Piotr Myszka (POL) on 77 points. Julien Bontemps (FRA) is firmly in the running for a medal with 80 points in fourth.

Stealing the day in the Men’s RS:X was Louis Giard with a 1-1-2 scoreline. The youngster’s performance was a stark contrast to some larger numbers posted earlier on in the week but he pulled himself into the Medal Race to compete for another day.

Lilian De Geus (NED) will go into the Women’s RS:X Medal Race with a nine point lead. The Dutch sailor is reaping the rewards of a good opening five races where she notched up a 15-3-2-4-4 to give her a solid cushion. A 13-11-8-(25)-19-9 has followed but she retains her overnight lead.

Charline Picon jumped into second overall following a final race bullet. With 97 points she is a point ahead of Patricia Freitas (BRA).

Men’s and Women’s 470

There have been some intense battles for the top spot in the Women’s 470. Race wins have been spread across the fleet resulting in some big movements on the leader board. Six points separate first to fourth so it’ll go down to the wire on Medal Race day.

A 4-7 score line ensures Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Barbachan (BRA) hang on to the leading position for two days running.

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) had an impressive day on the water, gaining a second and bullet in the light conditions. The pair will enter the Medal Race in second place, just two points behind the leaders.

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) piled on some pressure with a bullet and a third. As a result they sit in fourth, one point off Camille Lecointre and Hélène Defrance (FRA).

In contrast, the Men’s 470 leader board is a little more set ahead of Sunday’s Medal Race.

Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO) built on their lead posting a sixth and a bullet. They ended the day an 25 points clear of Luke Patience and Elliot Willis (GBR) to claim the gold medal and a share of the €72,000 prize money with only the Medal Race remaining.

After arriving ashore Marenic chirped, “We are thrilled with how our week went. We sailed really consistently so we are super happy we won before the Medal Race.”

Even though the Croatians have gold sealed they won’t be taking it easy on the final day, “We sail every Medal Race with a sharp mind and we will always try to do our best so that is what we plan to do tomorrow.”

However, the story is still not over for the rest of the fleet. Patience and Willis, sit on 51 points in second, with Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (GBR) and Ferdinand Gerz and Oliver Szymanski (GER) hot on their heels.

Things were looking hopeful at the start of day for Matthias Schmid and Florian Reichstädter (AUT) who were straight out of the traps, claiming the first race win of the day moving them higher up the leader board. After claiming 21st place in the second race they were left 19th overall, missing out on a place in Sunday’s Medal Race.

With only a few points between the top five teams at the top of the leader board, sailors will need to bring everything they have for the Medal Race if they want to join the Croatian sailors on the podium.

Finn

49er-Fleet

Great Britain’s Giles Scott has all but won gold in the Finn following an eighth and a tenth. The Briton has a 19 point lead over Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) and simply needs to complete the Medal Race to take another World Cup gold.

The two race wins of the day went to ISAF Sailing World Cup Final winner Zbogar proving that the conditions on the water suited his racing style. With a strong performance Zbogar has climbed up into second place for the first time in the regatta, relegating Ed Wright (GBR) into third.

Slightly further down the fleet, Saturday’s races provided many ups and downs for the sailors. The only other sailors to achieve a two top ten results were the fifth placed Milan Vujasinovic (CRO) and Andrew Murdoch (NZL), who narrowly missed a place in the Medal Race ending the regatta in 11th place.

Racing is scheduled to commence at 11:15 local time on Sunday 26 April where the medals will be decided.

LIVE Hyères Medal Races – Sunday 26 April

From 11:00 CEST to 16:50 CEST (09:00 UTC to 14:50 UTC) on Sunday 26 April, live Medal Races from ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères will be broadcast worldwide on YouTube as well as on ESPN3 in the USA.

The world’s top sailors will be fighting hard for glory, a share of the €72,000 prize money and a place at the World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi.

WATCH ONLINE
ISAF YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/isafchannel/
Direct URL – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7ERcAOFhdM

ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères Medal Race Broadcast Embed Code
Scheduled for 26 April from 11:00 CEST to 16:50 CEST (09:00 UTC to 14:50 UTC).

Watch Online Via ESPN3
American users can watch online from 05:00 EDT via ESPN3 – http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/2571796/2015-isaf-sailing-world-cup

ISAF Sailing World Cup Ups: Downs And Unpredictability In Hyères

The new ISAF Sailing World Cup format of 40 boats per fleet is stirring up exceptional competition in Hyères following another day of ups, downs and unpredictability.

Close, tactical racing with minimal separations across the ten Olympic and two Paralympic has excited the world’s top sailing athletes with Saturday’s fleet racing to decide the positions for Sunday’s live Medal Races.

Light, shifty breeze was present across the five race courses and racing got underway in a variable breeze between 3-8 knots.

De-Geus At ISAF WORLD CUP

Finn

It was another day of up and downs in the Finn fleet with only the leader Giles Scott (GBR) demonstrating consistency.

Scott posted an eighth and a fourth which extends his lead over British rival Ed Wright. Scott is 14 points clear of Wright and another day of dominance could seal the deal for Scott and extend his winning run. No other sailor was able to string together two top ten results on the day.

The opening bout went the way of c (USA) as he explained, “I had a great start and worked my way over to the right side. I had some great pressure over there and connected with it, I had the legs from there and it was pretty easy after that.”

Easy, for a world class athlete and Olympic hopeful. Getting an edge has proved difficult in such a highly competitive fleet and Paine explained what’s required to achieve such results, “You have to look for the small opportunity that’s there and sort of look around at the race course and judge what may happen later on in the race.

“It’s like predicting the future and only when you get it right you get a result like that.

“There are a lot of great guys especially when it’s really compact and with only 40 boats it’s really tight competition. I like it and I like the format and I’m looking forward to seeing how it continues.”

Paine’s start in the second bout didn’t quite match his opening race but he battled back to finish 21st, “You win some, you lose and that’s sail boat racing,” concluded the American.

At the end of the day Paine sits eighth overall.

Greece’s Ioannis Mitakis took the second race victory and currently occupies the final Medal Race position with fleet two races remaining.

Women’s 470

From six Women’s 470 races, five teams have taken race victories. Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Barbachan (BRA) picked up their second of the week on the third day and lead by one point. For Switzerland’s Linda Fahrni and Maja Siegenthaler, Friday’s racing saw them pick up their first to move up to seventh overall.

The Swiss pair enjoyed the day and followed up with a ninth to bolster their chances. After racing Fahrni said, “Yesterday was not a good day for us, it just wasn’t working. The day before was okay but today was okay. We’ve had some ups and downs.

“In the first race we had a great start and we were going to the left and got first at the upwind mark and we kept it until the end. It was our wind today. In Switzerland we only have these winds. We are specialists and we are superfast, we really liked it.”

At the front of the pack are Brazil’s Oliveira and Barbachan, winners of the 2013 edition in Hyères, who are just one point ahead of Anne Haeger and Briana Provancha (USA).

They opened with a 13th and concluded the day with a bullet to hold the lead and Oliveira was pleased with her day of work, “We were fast in the light winds so it was a very good day for us. We are happy and we still have two races to go before the Medal Race tomorrow but we are happy to be here again and we are trying to do our best.”

The Women’s 470 is packed full of some of the world’s most technically gifted female sailors. Anything can change in an instant with mistakes duly punished as Oliveira added, “The level of the fleet is very high and it’s difficult for everybody. If you look at the results in the 470 women you will see that it is very up and down, up and down.

“You have to try and do your best all the time, never give up. Each point that you gain is vital. At some point in time, you will need that extra point.”

Camille Lecointre and Helene Defrance (FRA) were the winners on the day posting a 2-4 scoreline. They are four points off the leaders in third.

Men’s 470

There was some fighting between 470 leaders Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO) and Gabrio Zandona and Andrea Trani (ITA) which resulted in some mixed results for both teams.

The Croatians opened their day with a fifth with the Italians posting a third but the second race of the day worked in the Italians favour as Fantela explained, “We had a fight with Gabrio on the pin end of the start and we touched the pin end boat.

“We had to do a 360 and at that moment we were at least 30 metres behind the whole fleet,” emphasised Fantela. “We started in the last position, fighting, fighting, fighting back.”

The Italians worked their way through the fleet, moving up and down, eventually finishing in 14th but things did not quite go the Croatians way as Fantela continued, “We managed to climb up to 20-25 in the first downwind and then in the second upwind we were so slow and we had to check the centreboard and we had a bag on it. We went down again and managed a good final downwind to climb up to 25th.

“It is a bad result but at least it’s not 40. Until now it was good. We didn’t use up our discard until that race.”

The Croatians lead on 19 points. The Italians follow on 30 points with Jordi Xammar and Joan Herp (ESP) third on 34 points.

Even though Fantela and Marenic lead by 11 points they are under no illusion that the job is done and will go back to basics for the penultimate day on Saturday, “We will enter tomorrow like it’s the first day. We’ll forget about the last three days. We’ll try to do our best and see what happens.

“Then we will calculate for the Medal Race. You can win and lose a lot from tomorrow’s two races so we won’t think about the boats around us. We’ll stay relaxed, motivated and calm. Then we’ll see how it works.”

Laser and Laser Radial

Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) reduced Tom Burton’s (AUS) lead in the Laser and has his sights firmly set on him with two fleet races remaining.

The Croatian’s 3-8 pulls him to within five points of the Australian after he notched up an 11-5 and he has a plan for the penultimate day of racing, “I will try to sail the first race the best I can and finish in the top three and if possible, try and win it.

“After that, if everything is between me and him [Burton] I will maybe try and to go on him because he’s discarding 31 and I’m discarding just eight. I think I’m in a good position but we’ll have to wait for the first race tomorrow.”

Burton leads on 23 points followed by Stipanovic on 28. Nicholas Heiner (NED) is firmly in contention in third on 32 points.

Racing in the Laser has been about making gains when and where possible. Making big gains on Friday was Italy’s Giovanni Coccoluto.

The young Italian had posted a 32-23-37-(40) in advance of Friday’s but hit top form, fighting up the pack taking a 13-4. “I sailed very badly over the last two days so I knew I needed to change something,” commented Coccoluto. “I took some more risks and they paid off. I know I could have sailed better but compared to the last two days it’s a good one for me.

“I took more risks at the start, starting at one end and it was a good choice.

“I just thought about sailing fast and taking good shifts but I made mistakes today. It was better than the other days so it’s okay.”

In the Laser Radial, Evi Van Acker (BEL) edged ahead of Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) following a 7-2 compared to the Danes 12-3.

Van Acker tops the leader board on 19 points with Rindom second on 25 points. Gintare Scheidt (LTU) is third.

The eighth placed Marit Bouwmeester (NED) and fourth placed Josefin Olsson (SWE) secured the day’s victories.

Nacra 17

Nacra-17

Towards the end of the day in Hyères the wind began to die which resulted in only a single race for the Nacra 17 fleet.

Puerto Rico’s experienced multihull specialist Enrique Figueroa and Franchesca Valdes Ortega took the race win in the challenging light breeze by just three seconds over Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis (AUS).

The result lifts the Puerto Ricans up to 22nd.

Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA) continue to lead the fleet following a 12th. They sit on 28 points followed by Lin Ea Cenholt Christiansen and Christian Peter Lübeck (DEN) on 40 points and Mandy Mulder and Coen de Koning (NED) on 42 points.

49er and 49erFX

It was another successful day on the water for Ida Marie Nielsen and Marie Olsen (DEN) who remain in the top spot of the 49erFX leader board. However, inching ever closer to the Danes are Lisa Ericson and Hanna Klinga (SWE) in second place after gaining an impressive two bullets and a 30th which they will discard. The Swedish duo claimed second place at last year’s ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi and are firmly on track to claim another podium place in Hyères.

ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) round off the top three places.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) used up their drop score in the 49er by scoring a 20th in the ninth race of the series. Two thirds preceded the 20th and as a result they are 37 points clear of Jonas Warrer and Anders Thomsen (DEN).

The day’s race wins were secured by Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER), who are fifth, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS), who are eighth, and the ninth placed Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski (NZL).

Men’s and Women’s RS:X

After Thursday’s fantastic sailing conditions both the RS:X fleets were met with decidedly less wind on Friday. The change in weather conditions made some sailors perform less well while others thrived in the lighter conditions.

At the end of the day Lilian De Geus (NED) still holds on to the top spot after gaining a 13-11-8 scorecard, leaving her 17 points clear of Jiahui Wu (CHN) who is in second place on 62 points.

Race wins in the Women’s RS:X fleet were snapped up by Manjia Zheng (CHN), Laura Linares (ITA) and Charline Picon (FRA) who, after an impressive performance on the water ends the day in fifth place.

In the Men’s RS:X the race for a place in the live Medal Races is firmly on. After a morning postponement the fleet went on to complete three races in winds averaging 7-8 knots.

First place at the end of day three is occupied by Pierre Le Coq (FRA). Le Coq, who has claimed a succession of top ten places at previous ISAF Sailing World Cup regattas, put on a stunning performance to claim two race wins and a third. Still close behind him in second is Nimrod Mashiah (ISR) while fellow Israeli sailor Shahar Zubari took the other race win of the day.

With conditions set to be slightly better on Saturday and just 11 points separating first and tenth place it’s still all to play for. All the Men’s RS:X racers will have to fight hard on the penultimate day to secure their spot in Sunday’s Medal Races.

Maja-Dziarnowska

Paralympic Events

Despite the lighter conditions on the course, the battle for the top spot still continues in the 2.4mR class who managed to complete two races to keep the fleet on schedule.

After dropping one place on day two Bjørnar Erikstad was back on top form and ends the day in first place at the top of the leader board leaving him ever closer to his second consecutive ISAF Sailing World Cup gold medal following his victory in Miami.

Damien Seguin (FRA) is in second place having scored the first bullet of the day. Seguin will discard his 13th place result and ends the penultimate day of racing a mere two points behind Erikstad.

Making her debut in the top three this week is Helena Lucas (GBR) who posted a 2-6 score line.
Matthew Bugg (AUS) also had a successful day on the water and went on to claim first place in the final race on Friday meaning he will go on to the final day of racing in seventh place overall.

In the Sonar, France’s Bruno Jourdern, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont-Vicary were on incredible form claiming both of the day’s wins, firmly proving that the lighter conditions suited their sailing style.

After a third and a discard of sixth place Colin Harrison, Jonathan Harris and Russell Boaden (AUS) slipped down into third overall.

With the final day of fleet racing scheduled for Saturday it will be down to the wire to see which sailors claim a spot in the Medal Race for their chance to win a share of the €72,000 prize pot and a place at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi in November.

ISAF Sailing World Cup: ‘No Mercy’ In Hyères

Nacra-17

The biggest smile of the day at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères belonged to Poland’s Maja Dziarnowska after she picked up three straight race wins in the Women’s RS:X.

When asked about how she dominated the day, Dziarnowska commented, “there is no mercy”. With the new ISAF Sailing World Cup format exciting the sailors competing in the French Riviera, no mercy can be shown if they want to end up on top and the Polish racer demonstrated that perfectly well.

A strong breeze, which built to around 16 knots, filled all five courses consistently throughout the day allowing sailors to truly put all their skills to the test.

The leader boards are starting to take shape across the ten Olympic and two Paralympic disciplines in Hyères ahead of the Medal Races on Sunday 26 April where a share of the €72,000 prize fund, ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots and World Cup glory are on offer.

Men’s and Women’s RS:X

Maja Dziarnowska (POL) was beaming with smiles after Women’s RS:X racing having dominated the day taking a trio of victories.

After racing the Polish racer said, “Compared to yesterday when I finished 29th overall, today was good. I had a lot of fun, good speed, I didn’t make many mistakes and that explains my success.

“There is no mercy,” she smiled.

Dziarnowska’s performance has pushed her up from the middle of the pack to third overall. Lilian De Geus (NED) holds the lead on 13 points after a 2-4-4 day followed by Isobel Hamilton (GBR) on 22 points and Dziarnowska on 31.

Despite De Geus holding a steady lead the day belonged to Dziarnowska who revels in Hyères when the breeze is in, “I really enjoy staying in Hyères because we spend a lot of time training here every year. We spend all of April here so I know this place quite well. The wind shifts, the waves and so on. It’s helping.

“This place this year only has 40 women starting and they’re the top 40 in the world so it makes the competition really hard. The smallest mistake costs you hugely and you can lose a lot of places.”

The world’s best Women’s windsurfers are racing in Hyères and anticipation was high in the build-up as Dziarnowska concluded, “The format is super exciting. I was waiting for the start of this event for a long time, I couldn’t wait. Just to see the progression of myself and the other girls, it’s been really exciting.

“I’m enjoying what I do, I enjoy the training, I enjoy staying with my team. We’re called Energa Sailing Team. We’re cool people and then being with all the women here, I love this lifestyle.”

De-Geus-Leads At ISAF WORLD CUP

There were ups and downs across the Men’s RS:X fleet as the competition ramped up a notch.

Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) started the day exceedingly well by taking the opening race victory as he explained, “I made some good choices sailing upwind and jumped up three places. I was ahead rounding the top mark on the second lap and then I just had to chase the Israeli guy [Nimrod Mashiah] and I slid past him at the start of the slalom.”

Kokkalanis struggled in the remaining races posting a 12th and a 23rd, he continued, “I got hit bad at the start in the middle race and I was nearly last so I had to come back but in the last race, something felt really bad. I just couldn’t keep up.

“The conditions changed and the wind picked up more so maybe it was my technique or something with my equipment that I didn’t tune properly so all these things need to be fixed.”

The Greek racer ends the day eighth overall.

Israel’s Nimrod Mashiah was the star of the day. Double seconds and a race win catapult the Israeli up into second, one point off leader Piotr Myszka (POL).

Just eight points separate first to seventh place in the Men’s RS:X after six races. Six more fleet races follow with the potential for further ups and downs ahead of Sunday’s Medal Races.

Maja-Dziarnowska

Nacra 17

It was a busy day for the Nacra 17 fleet. Four races in a good breeze ensured some tired faces back ashore after racing.

Tired, yet full of enthusiasm after racing was Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA). The dynamic French duo started the day with back to back victories. A 12th and a third followed which hands them a handy 14 point lead.

“We’re happy because that is a good day for us,” commented a Riou after racing.

The Nacra 17 fleet is of the highest calibre. Olympic medallists and World Champions make up the highly competitive fleet. Maintaining a clear head is key as Riou explained, “You have to always keep the focus on your job. You can lose distance and places quickly in this fleet.

“It’s really tough to sail at this event but really good to sail in a fleet of 40 good teams. The format is good for sailing because for spectators they can follow and understand our sport, it’s better than ever before.”

Lin Ea Cenholt Christiansen and Christian Peter Lübeck (DEN) occupy second overall on 30 points with overnight leaders Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (AUS) third on 36 points.

Finn

It was a day for the Great Britain’s Giles Scott and Ed Wright. The pair sailed consistently well throughout the two races to land them in first and second place respectively at the end of day two.

Scott is well on track to add another podium finish to his already impressive succession of first places he has collected over the last 12 months.

The stronger winds provided the ideal conditions on the water for all of the fleet making the competition for first place even harder. A race win was also claimed by Tapio Nirkko (FIN) who is tenth overall.

49er-Fleet

49er and 49erFX

Ida Marie Nielsen and Marie Olsen (DEN) solidified their spot at the top of the 49erFX leaderboard. The Danes 6-1-6 scorelines sees them atop of the pack on 17 points.

Tamara Echegoyen and Berta Betanzos (ESP) follow on 32 points with Jena Hansen and Katja Salskov-Iversen (DEN) third on 35 points.

Nielsen and Olsen have proven themselves in the light flukey Hyères breeze that was present on the opening day as well as the consistent breeze on day two. Time will tell if they can continue their good form to take home gold, a share of the €72,000 prize pot and a spot on the startline at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) asserted their dominance once again in Hyères with a 1-1-2 giving the duo a clear lead ahead of Jonas Warrer and Anders Thomsen (DEN) in second place.

This is the first ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta for Burling and Tuke in 2015 and half way through the regatta they are well on the way to continuing their unbroken record of regatta victories.

Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS) also enjoyed a strong day on the water, recording three top fifteen results. They sit in third and still have the opportunity to build on their current success over the next three days.

There was some top quality racing throughout the entire fleet and Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER) claimed a first in the last race of the day.

Laser and Laser Radial

It is tight at the top in the Laser Radial with Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) and Evi Van Acker (BEL) locked on ten points apiece.

Both competitors put their hard opening day behind them to bounce back nicely. Rindom discarded her 24th from day one and added a sixth and a bullet to count ten points. Van Acker scored a 4-2 on the second day, losing her 17th, to share the lead with Rindom.

The day’s opening race win went the way of 2013 Laser Radial World Champion Tina Mihelic (CRO). The Croatian is 27th at the moment but has the skills and drive to work her way up the leaderboard with four more fleet races remaining ahead of the Medal Race.

It was a similar scenario in the Laser. Tom Burton (AUS) and Nicholas Heiner (NED) discarded their opening day 33rd and 24th respectively to sit in first and second overall.

Burton was in fine form, taking a third and second to take the lead on seven points. For Heiner, his 4-5 on the day is enough for second. Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) is three points off the Dutchman.

Race victories were picked up by Julio Alsogaray (ARG) who is 19th and Kristian Ruth (NOR). Ruth enjoyed a terrific day taking a fifth alongside his bullet and he moves up to eighth.

Men’s and Women’s 470

Following on from Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark’s (GBR) second place success at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami and, with only four races left until the Medal Race, they top the Women’s 470 leaderboard by the narrowest of margins.

The day provided the perfect conditions for Mills and Clark who started the brilliantly by gaining a first place and an 18th which the pair have discarded. Mills and Clark have no time to relax however, as the fight for the top three places are extremely close.

Rounding off the top three behind the Brits is Anne Haeger and Briana Provancha (USA) in second and Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) in third.

The Men’s 470 took to the water this morning and, after two more races Croatian pair Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic end the day in first place five points clear of Gabrio Zandonã and Andrea Trani (ITA) in second.

Race wins on the day went to Luke Patience and Elliot Willis (GBR) and Stuart Mcnay and David Hughes (USA) who are sixth overall.

Paralympic Events

In the Sonar, Colin Harrison, Jonathan Harris and Russell Boaden (AUS) remain at the top of the scoreboard after achieving a second and a third place which the team have discarded. However, the Australian team cannot afford to relax just yet as, hot on their heels and only one point behind are Bruno Jourdern, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont-Vicary (FRA) who achieved a bullet in the second race of the day to land them in second place overall.

Thursday is set to be another interesting day on the water for the class as only one point separates second and third place from the top spot.

In the 2.4mR class, Damien Seguin (FRA) had a fantastic day on the water and showed that the stronger conditions suited his style. Seguin gained a second and first place in the two races knocking Bjørnar Erikstad off the top spot and relegating him into second place.

Seguin is no stranger to this event after claiming second place at last year’s ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres and with only four races left to go before the medal race, is well on his way to gaining another place on the podium.

Megan Pascoe (GBR) rounds off the top three sailors in third place. While a race win also went to Lasse Klötzing (GER) who finished the day in seventh place.

Racing resumes on Friday 24 April at 11:00 local time when sailors will continue to compete for a place on the podium and a chance to claim their share of the €72,000 prize money on Sunday 26 April.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella – Day 5 Highlights

The Paralympic competition concluded at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella. It was a frustrating finish with little to no breeze forcing several cancellations. Nonetheless the podium places have been decided.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami – Day 5 Highlights
Spotlight on the Paralympic events at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella.
URL – http://youtu.be/JpnwHP4GdkI
Embed –

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami: Four Gold And Early Glory

What could be sweeter than to wrap an Olympic-style event with a medal guaranteed before the Medal Race even starts?

At ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, there’s an answer for that. Having the gold medal itself wrapped up, and extending an 18-month winning streak.

Do the math. In the Finn class, Giles Scott has 23 points. Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic has 46. Scott could finish 10th out of ten qualifiers in Saturday’s Medal Race, with his closest competitor in first, and still win with points in his pocket.

There have been 599 boats racing on Biscayne these last five days. Scott’s Finn, GBR 11, is not the only one guaranteed to finish in a gold medal position tomorrow. Nacra 17 team Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA), Women’s RS:X dominator Bryony Shaw (GBR) and the breakaway 49erFX Kiwis, Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) join him with gold in the bag.

Seven of ten Olympic classes completed at least one race on Friday in winds varying from killing light to dead calm. Days like that are a trial for race officials too—and then there was Yuseila Gonzalez Luis, who fought red tape and time and frustration to be the first Cuban sailor racing under the Cuban flag on Biscayne Bay since long before she was born. The morning began with a cascade of troubles and stumbling blocks, but Gonzalez was suited up and on the water in time to start the only RS:X windsurfing race of the day. She didn’t finish, but she was there. Some victories have to be measured on a personal scale.

The good news for Friday. The wind is coming back.

Women’s RS:X

RSX Women Fleet (c) Vincenzo Baglione.Santander 2014 photo credit ISAF

Across 13 fleet races Bryony Shaw (GBR) finished out of the top five just once, resulting in an early defence of her ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami title.

Shaw has been dominant across the week, mustering such consistency that has been lacking from many sailors score lines in the ten Olympic and three Paralympic events on show in Miami. Shaw is 33 points clear of Lilian de Geus (NED) and a further 14 ahead of Flavia Tartaglini (ITA).

“It’s a great start to the year,” commented Shaw. “Miami has had a really high quality fleet here. It’s been very popular, with the new World Cup format and it was a target event for me. I wanted to start the year on a high.

“We’ve had 30 knot gusts down to some marginal and then today was 5 or 6 knots. It was a range of conditions this week and that really played to my strengths. My downwinds have been exceptional this week. I’ve made some big gains and some big comebacks so I am really pleased.”

Shaw’s victory qualifies her to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final set to be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE from 27 October to 1 November. After winning the inaugural edition at the back end of 2014, Shaw likes where the World Cup is heading, “It’s a change for the scene, but it’s a change for the better so we’ll always get some world class racing.

“The World Cup series, I really want to do well in it, it’s a focus for me. The fact that winning here in Miami qualifies me for the World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi is great, it’s the focus for sailing now.

“It’s going to be great to have the elite of the sport racing, being the key focus.”

Silver and bronze is yet to be decided. Hayley Chan (HKG) and Olga Maslivets (RUS) are two points off Tartaglini so it’s all on the Medal Race.

Men’s RS:X

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, RSX – Shaw (c) Ocean Images

Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED) is ten points better off than Thomas Goyard (FRA) heading into the Men’s RS:X Medal Race.

The Dutchman has been his relaxed yet internally focused self in Miami and is primed for victory if he finishes in the top five.

For Goyard, his performance has come as a bit of a surprise for him. Not for vigilant observers, however, who have seen fervent improvements in Goyard across the last 12 months that resulted in a bronze at the Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds.

He holds a good points margin over the fourth placed sailor and bronze is guaranteed, but he is poised to improve on that, “It’s been a really good week for me. I did not expect to be in second but it is a really good result for me,” commented Goyard. “The wind was crazy today. Tricky and shifty. It was tough racing and still, really interesting.

“Everybody has a lot of points currently, even the leader. It’s not usual but it’s been a good regatta.”

The next ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta is a significant one for the French RS:X team, not only because it’s a World Cup regatta as Goyard explained, “The World Cup in Hyères will be really important because it’s part of the selection process for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. It’s important to do good results all throughout the year.”

For now Goyard is concentrating fully on solidifying silver and potentially overthrowing the Dutchman but he’ll have to keep a close eye on Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) who trails him by three.

Laser

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Laser—Herman-Tomasgaard

Nick Thompson of Great Britain is in a lay-up for gold or silver, and so is Philipp Buhl of Germany, only one point behind. Either of them could place 10th in Saturday’s double-points contest and still lead third-place Matthew Wearn of Australia, if only by a squeaker.

Wearn has more to play for. Brazil’s formidable five-time Olympic medalist, Robert Scheidt, is 13 points back. Add one more point, and there is New Zealander Andy Maloney. The odds favor Wearn for bronze. But.

Wearn was smarting from his results in the Friday races. A 16th and a 30th meant that he has to keep the 20th place finish in race six that used to be his throwout. That was the context as he said, speaking for a lot of people, probably “It was extremely tricky racing. You think you’re doing well and then the next minute you’re not.

“Usually you go to a regatta and it’s all about boat speed,” he said. “This week was definitely about being smart as well as getting to the right place quickly. Mentally, it’s one of the hardest regattas I’ve ever done.”

Laser Radial

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Laser-Radial—Constance-Stolz

This Medal Race will be one to watch. Marit Bouwmeester, NED, Anne-Marie Rindom, DEN, and Evi Van Acker, BEL, in that order are separated by only three points.

With such a tight threesome, Van Acker said, “It’s going to be an interesting day.”

The only other Radial sailor with a mathematical chance at a medal is Paige Railey, USA. If she can win the race, she can beat any or all of the top three—if their day turns into a bottom of the pack nightmare.

Railey, a Florida native, called this week of sailing in extremely shifty and unstable winds “probably the most difficult conditions I’ve seen in ten years of sailing here.” With the breeze dropping out of the teens to single digits on Friday, it was close to gruesome, and only a fraction of the scheduled races were completed—and only one Radial race.

“We set up expecting to start in one set of conditions,” Railey said, “and then the race started and we found ourselves in something completely different. All through that race, if you weren’t on the right end of the shift, you couldn’t get to the next one.”

Women’s 470

2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup, photo credit ISAF © Sport the library / Jeff Crow

What can you say about a race day with no racing?

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie of New Zealand were the Olympic gold medal winners at the 2012 Games, They’ve been solid since, and they have a handy lead now. Today, that lead did not grow, or shrink.

“We went out and waited for breeze,” Aleh said. “It looked promising a couple of times, and then it didn’t. But the race committee has done a good job through the week, and I think they were right today to not send us off in a race that would have turned into a lottery.”

Only the 2012 silver medalists, Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark, could take the gold medal spot away from Aleh and Powrie, and then, given a 19-point difference, only if the Kiwis stumble badly in a way that they just have not done yet.

The battle for bronze? There are six boats within a 10-point range.

Men’s 470

Luke Patience and Elliott Willis of Great Britain are in a position very much like that of the Women’s 470 leaders. Like them, they drifted around for a long day with no result but time lost. They too have a nice lead. They’re ahead by 15 points, and second place is the only team with a shot at them. It could happen, but it would buck the trend. Again, it’s all about the color of the medal.

That second-place team would be Australians Mat Belcher and Will Ryan, who have a 13-point lead over third and a 15-point lead over fourth. In a dream scenario for those two boats, a nightmare scenario for Belcher and Ryan, they could knock the Kiwis out of silver, or even out of the medals.

So let’s give them names.

Onan Barreiros and Juan Curbelo Cabrera of Spain are in third, two points ahead of a pair of New Zealanders, Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Wilcox, with another points gap behind them.

A striking fact about the ten boats in the Men’s 470 fleet: Ten countries are represented. In order: Great Britain, New Zealand, Spain, New Zealand Sweden, Greece, South Africa, Russia, France, Japan.

Finn

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Finn fleet in front of the City of Miami

The story of a gold medal for Britain’s Giles Scott is already written, even if the story of the Medals Race is not.

And the battle for silver and bronze will be hot.

Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic of Croatia lifted himself from fourth to second on Friday. “It was not so nice a day for sailing, but it was nice for me,” he said. Gaspic now has 46 points to 47 points for Ioannic Mitakis of Greece. The podium spots are their battle, with only Jake Lilley to watch out for. This rising star is another 11 points back after having his worst day of the week, but still potentially a threat.

It’s remarkable that the Finn class, identified in Olympic-speak as Men’s Heavy, completed two races. A morning start helped. From a booming 7-8 knots at the start of the first race, the breeze dropped to 3-4 knots by the end of the second.

From the Department of Useless Facts: Each race took 1:06 to go to completion.

Target time, 50 minutes.

Nacra 17

Lange Saroli ARG Nacra 17 (c) Laurens Morel. photo credit ISAF

A professional penultimate day performance from Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) ensure they go into the Medal Race with gold in the bag.

The defending champions ventured into Miami with one aim, to defend their title. Hard graft had been done over the first four days of the regatta, leaving them in a handy position going into the penultimate day.

Bissaro and Sicouri notched up a 2-1 whilst their nearest rivals, Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves (GBR) missed their opportunity to hold on, only managing a ninth and a discarded 21. The Italians ended the day with an unassailable 26 point lead to take the title once again.

Saxton and Groves have a 17 point advantage over Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders (NZL). Not untouchable by any means but Jones and Saunders will more likely have their eyes on Mandy Mulder and Coen de Koning (NED) and Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA) who are within striking distance of the final podium spot.

49erFX

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, 49erFX—Maloney-Meech

Consistent days have been few and far between for the 49erFX fleet. No one has truly grasped the Miami race track and after 15 fleet races, every team counts a triple digit net score.

A 110 point net score isn’t usually one which wins regattas, but for Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) it has proven to be, surprisingly.

They hold an unassailable 50 point lead heading into the Medal Race but will no doubt want to finish strong after a 10-10-20 score line on the penultimate day.

There have been 14 race winners across the five day, 15 race series. Only the Kiwis have picked up a duo of wins. A sign showing that when you read the Miami racing area well, it pays dividends and when you do not, you flounder.

Nonetheless, lessons will be taken away from Miami on the journey to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final, which the Kiwis qualify for as event winners.

Although gold is settled, the battle for silver is an intriguing one with one point separating Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA) and Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA). Jena Hansen and Katja Salskov-Iversen (DEN) are 12 points off the podium and in with a shout.

49er

No racing was possible in the 49er with the light breeze playing havoc. The overnight results stand and Nico Delle Karth and Nikolaus Resch (AUT) will take a one point lead over Joel Turner and Iain Jensen (AUS) into the Medal Race.

Spanish brothers Carlos and Anton Paz are 14 points off the leaderboard with John Pink and Stuart Bithell (GBR) two points off of them and Jonas Warrer and Anders Thomsen (DEN) three off.

In all likelihood, it’ll be a duel between the top two with the Spaniards fending off the medal chasers.

Paralympic Events

The Paralympic events came to a light wind conclusion in Miami with no racing possible.

Results from overnight stand with the medals confirmed.

Norway’s Bjornar Erikstad claimed only his second ISAF Sailing World Cup gold medal in Miami, remaining in control across the seven 2.4mR races. Erikstad’s rivals were either inconsistent or picked up penalties that affected their scores.

Megan Pascoe (GBR) and Allan Leibel (CAN) were on the course side in what turned out to be the final race of the regatta the day prior. Discarding that score ensured they counted their next big score, thus promoting Erikstad and leaving them in silver and bronze medal position respectively.

Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch (AUS) made it two ISAF Sailing World Cup SKUD18 victories in a row in Miami. The pair won the Melbourne edition in December and facing new foes, they claimed another scalp.

Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell (GBR) take silver whilst bronze goes to Marco Gualandris and Marta Zanetti (ITA).

A double bullet penultimate day advanced Aleksander Wang-Hansen, Per Eugen Kristiansen and Marie Solberg (NOR) to the top of the leader board. With no racing on the final day, those victories proved crucial as they took Miami gold for the fourth time.

Alphonsus Doerr, Brad Kendell and Hugh Freund (USA) pick up silver whilst Paul Tingley, Logan Campbell and Scott Lutes (CAN) take bronze.

Racing is scheduled to commence at 11:00 local time on Saturday 31 January as the Medal Races bring the regatta to a close.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella – Day 4 Highlights

One measure of the success of Olympic class racing on Biscayne Bay is the steadily growing participation. The numbers in 2015-599 boats from 63 countries-make this a record turnout. But make that 64 countries. Add Cuba to the list.

It was a sun bathed day at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella, with the cool northern breeze from the day prior replaced with a shifty, yet warmer, easterly that tested the sailors once again.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami – Day 4 Highlights
Spotlight on the Laser, Men’s RS:X, Nacra 17 and Laser Radial at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella.
URL – http://youtu.be/pvNUH9bPttc
Embed –

A Latin Flair For A Racecourse Built Of Shifts

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP

One measure of the success of Olympic class racing on Biscayne Bay is the steadily growing participation. The numbers in 2015—599 boats from 63 countries—make this a record turnout. But make that 64 countries. Add Cuba to the list.

At the ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, presented by Sunbrella, Cuba’s Yuseily Gonzalez Luis is coming in late (obviously) with no hope of qualifying for the Medal Races on Saturday. Even so, she wants to bring her RS:X windsurfer to the start line, if only for a day, to put her punctuation on the thaw in international relations. And see some friends on the water. And in a small way, make history.

Luis is likely to find single-digit winds on the course on Friday, down from the teens on Thursday. Once again, the racecourse was built out of shifts, whichever one of six racing areas you might have in mind. Once again, everyone struggled, but a few people turned in the kind of results that don’t show it.

And then there was Bjornar Erikstad in the 2.mR, who learned anew the virtues of being “OSS.” On Start Side. When both of your nearest competitors are OCS. Over early at the start. Suddenly the longtime campaigner from Nøtterøy, Norway is sitting in first with 21 points in his pocket.

It’s lonely at the top.

Laser

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Laser—Herman-Tomasgaard

Britain’s Nick Thompson, who says that his favorite boat is the foiling Moth, is doing nicely here in a Laser, in contact with the surface of the water. The former youth world champion leads the 106-boat fleet with an eight-point margin going into the final day of racing ahead of Saturday’s double points Medal Race. In second place, Philipp Buhl of Germany has burned his throw-out race on a 34th, so he has more to lose than Thompson (a 12th to throw out) if the wheels fall off on Friday. Behind them are serious threats still within range, depending, and it remains a difficult racecourse.

Young Andy (“Pain is temporary; glory is forever”) Maloney of New Zealand has had his moments of late. He won the Palma version of this event in 2013, and in 2012 was second at Hyeres. As race day five beckons, he is seventh in the standings and found Thursday’s conditions not quite as challenging as the races on Wednesday. “They moved the Thursday start into the morning,” he said. “By comparison it seems to get a lot more patchy in the afternoon, as things heat up.”

The second race of the day was ripe to be abandoned, and it was. “Between races, we were seeing 40 degree shifts with pressure drops to 5 knots,” Maloney said, “and then pressure building to 15 knots and back to 5. They got a start off, and a massive lefty came down with heaps of pressure. It was a lay to the weather mark, so that race was abandoned, and we waited around for a bit. I think they were hoping it would stabilize, but finally they set up at an average angle and got on with it. There were lots of little shifts, but the thing was to be sure you were in phase with the big ones. When it’s that tricky, nobody can get everything right.”

Maloney won a race on Monday. Today he went 7-11.

Laser Radial

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP MIAMI 2015 Anne-Marie Rindom DEN207194
Laser Radial, aarhus N, Jylland DEN

Denmark’s Anne-Marie Rindon had the lowest finishes of the top three Radial sailors today, but that didn’t knock her off the top of the leaderboard. An 11-14 day means that she is now eating an 11th and discarding the 14th. Previously, a 7th was her discard.

The day’s results tightened things up, with second and third both in striking range.

Evi Van Acker of Belgium is only five points back. Marit Bouwmeester is only two points behind that.
This sets up some interesting running-math problems for the Medals Race on Saturday.

The hard-luck story of the day was Annalise Murphy from Ireland, who was part of this conversation until she picked up a keeper 35th in race eight. “It was hard to know where you had to be,” she said, and left it at that.

Nacra 17

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP MIAMI 2015
Vittorio Bissaro
Silvia Sicouri
ITA 262
Nacra 17,

Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) held firm in the Nacra 17 to maintain their lead over Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves (GBR) and Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA).

The Italians celebrated their first ISAF Sailing World Cup gold medal in Miami 12 months ago and returned with the one aim – to defend.

They are on track to achieve their goal and were full of smiles after racing, “We are happy because it’s been a very tricky week,” commented Bissaro. “We’ve been consistent in most races and that’s why we’re still leading. There are three races and a Medal Race left so we don’t want to lose our good mood and we’ll look to stay consistent until the end of the World Cup.”

Sicouri added, “We won our first ISAF event here last year. We want to do the same again this year. This event is very important because the Olympic Games are in just one and a half years. This Miami fleet is very strong and everybody wants to beat everybody so from now on each race is going to be very important.”

Two points clear of Saxton and Groves, the job is far from a given. Three vital races remain and then it’s down to Saturday’s deciding Medal Race.

49erFX

Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) hold a mammoth 56 point lead in the 49erFX. It’s still mathematically possible for them to lose their lead – but it’s hard to bet against the 2013 World Champions losing such an advantage.

Below the breakaway Kiwis, there’s a real ding dong battle forming for the remaining podium positions. Nine points separate second to sixth. Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth (GBR) sit second whilst Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA) occupy third.

The Italians finished runners up at the 2014 edition and are battling for a medal once again. Conti and Clapcich were first ashore after racing – helped by being the first across the finish line in the final race of the day. A fourth and a seventh preceded their bullet which won them the day and Conti was in a buoyant mood after racing, “Miami is nice and warm, it’s good and it was to escape a European winter,” she joked.

“We had a very good day with a fourth, a seventh and that first. That bullet was a good way to end the day. We’re enjoying the sun and Miami is always very good racing.”

Three further races will be decide the Medal Race places, in which a real dogfight will be on the cards if the points remain similar at this stage on Friday.

49er

It’s a good old fashion game of snakes and ladders in the 49er with a new leader at the end of the fourth day.

Nico Delle Karth and Nikolaus Resch (AUT) were the only team to finish in the top ten three times in a row. A 7-8-2 has enabled them to advance to the leading position.

Australia’s Joel Turner and Iain Jensen are just one point behind the Austrians, in contention, waiting patiently to pounce. Spanish brothers Carlos and Anton Paz are in third, 14 points off the top.

Early leaders Diego Botin and Iago Lopez (ESP) have dropped further down the leader board following another day at the back of the pack.

470 Women

The rich got richer in the Women’s 470 fleet, where the familiar series leaders had a 1-3 day to further tighten their grip on first. That would be the 2012 Olympic gold medalists from New Zealand, Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie, who are sitting on the enviable scoreline of 2-2-1-(7)-1-1-3. Pressure outweighed direction shifts, in Powrie’s thinking, but shifts were nothing to ignore, Aleh said, “Get both right and you were really looking good.

“There was a lot of close racing,” Aleh said. “We had downwind legs where the whole fleet was right there.”

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark of Great Britain, silver medalists at the 2012 Games, are 13 points back, with a 10-point margin over Sophie Weguelin and Eilidh McIntire. Also from the UK, Weguelin and McIntire have the Japanese duo of Ai Kondo Yoshida and Miho Yoshioka breathing down their necks.

Non-athletes need not apply. Trapeze boats make extreme demands in changeable conditions, with the sailors trimming sails and, we might say, trimming their body weight in and out for balance in a sort of ongoing emergency triage. Or as Aleh put it, “There was a lot going on out there.”

470 Men

2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup, photo credit ISAF © Sport the library / Jeff Crow

Men’s 470 results echoed Women’s 470 results, with the rich getting richer. In this case, it was 2012 silver medalist Luke Patience and crew Elliot Willis sailing a throw-out 18th and keeping a race eight first.

Patience won his 2012 silver medal with Stuart Bithell, just two weeks after the pair teamed up. The new team of Patience and Willis wrapped up the European 470 Championship in 2014 with races to spare, and this pair from the UK are in form again.

Australians Mat Belcher and Will Ryan are 9 points back and still in touch. Then it’s an 18-point jump to Onan Barreiros and Juan Curbelo Cabrera of Spain.

Finn

On a 3-1 day, Giles Scott, the Finn class leader who hasn’t lot a regatta in 18 months, doubled his lead. The way he saw the racecourse, he said, “The right was stronger than the left, but there were routes out of the left. It was an oscillating day with bands of pressure, a shift and position day.”

It was, he said, about “joining up the gusts.”

Scott is 18 points ahead of Australian Jake Lilley and 18 points ahead of Ioannis Mitakis of Greece, with one more day of racing before the double-points Medals Race on Saturday.

Scott’s fellow Briton, Ed Wright, had a 5-12 day and took it a bit harder. “If I was left,” he said, “it went right. If I was right, it went left. It’s a shame I picked up an RTD [Retired] earlier in the week or I’d be looking good now.”

Race seven started the day and went to Croatia’s Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic, who “got a clear lane after the start and kept on the right hand side. At some moments it didn’t look so nice, but patience paid and I rounded the top mark just ahead of the fleet. On the downwind I got a bit of distance and then just controlled to the finish.”

The cut to make the top 10 is tight in the Finn fleet, with four boats close on points and another group not to be ruled out.

Men’s RS:X

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP MIAMI 2015
Men’s RSX

It was mixed days all around for the Men’s RS:X fleet with high scores afoot for many of the fleet.

London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED) grabbed the lead from Thomas Goyard (FRA) in spite of an up and down day. When he was up, he was up – securing an opening race bullet ahead of Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) which was then backed up by a sixth. When he was down, he was down – finishing back in 22nd, which he now discards.

Although his day was somewhat back and forth, his competitors experienced similar results, thus leaving the Dutchman with a three point advantage over Goyard. Kokkalanis’ daily string of 2-1-15 leaves him seven points off the top.

Italy’s Daniele Benedetti had something to prove to himself in the final race of the day after he was black flagged and scored over the line in the first two races. Perhaps it was his freshness on a warm Miami day that gave him an advantage but Benedetti grasped the lead early on and never looked back, taking the gun.

Benedetti sits in 12th.

Women’s RS:X

Bryony Shaw (GBR) has solidified her position at the top of the Women’s RS:X leader board, adding another race win to her impressive tally of four. Shaw is 21 points clear of Lilian de Geus (NED) and firmly in control, ready to defend the title she won one year ago.

Flavia Tartaglini (ITA) occupies third overall with Hayley Chan (HKG) two points behind.

Paralympic Events

Bjornar Erikstad (NOR) is now leading the way in the 2.4mR after his three main rivals were all on the course side in the final race of the day. He leads on 16 points with Megan Pascoe (GBR) second on 17 points.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne winners Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch (AUS) remain in the lead in the SKUD18. Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell (GBR) are second whilst Marco Gualandris and Marta Zanetti (ITA) are third.

Aleksander Wang-Hansen, Per Eugen Kristiansen and Marie Solberg (NOR) grabbed the Sonar lead with both hands after a double bullet day. They are a point clear of Alphonsus Doerr, Brad Kendell and Hugh Freund (USA).

Racing is scheduled to resume at 10:00 on Friday 30 January as the Medal Race places will be decided.

ISAF Sailing World Cup : Moguls? In the Wind?

There’s a world of difference between skiing a long, smooth run and skiing on moguls. Today, forget the waves, it was the breeze on Biscayne Bay that was “moguls.” Shift upon shift upon shift upon shift.

This is the ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, presented by Sunbrella, with 599 boats and 768 sailors who were adjusting all day to one thing or another. If it wasn’t the wind direction that was changing, it was the wind speed. Which made it all the more notable that three classes produced back-to-back race winners.

Dave Ullman, among many things the 1996 US Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and a three-time 470 world champion, is now coaching U.S. Olympic hopefuls. He was a keen observer of the day’s events. The direction shifts, he said, were coming at “15 to 20 degrees, but more than that it was about velocity-on and velocity-off. Downwind, if you were in the velocity, you could make big gains.

“It was much windier today than the forecast called for,” Ullman said, “but the racecourse is fine. The race officials are doing a good job with some challenging circumstances.

“But, it was cold out there.”

He wasn’t the only one who said so.

Wednesday was the third of six days of racing for ten Olympic classes. Top qualifiers will sail a Medal Race on Saturday. Competitors in three Paralympic classes will conclude their racing on Friday.

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP

Men’s 470

A second win in six races settled Luke Patience and Elliot Willis of Great Britain into a six-point lead in their 44-boat fleet, and they had reason to be glad that race six went as long as it did, and ended when it did. They had boats to pass. And then it was over. Second-place skipper Mat Belcher of Australia observed that Patience and Willis had a good second weather leg, “They went heavily to the right, and that got them around a lot of boats.”

With four more races scheduled before Saturday’s Medals Race, Patience and Willis have scores of 1-2-(5)-4-3-1 to a count of 5-1-2-(12)-2-7 for Belcher and crew Will Ryan. The six-point delta allows for discarding worst scores. Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis dropped out of their leadership position (two firsts on Tuesday) and now are looking at (25)-4-1-1-8-10 for third place.

Farther down in the lists, Matthias Schmid’s Austrian crewman, Florian Reichsteaedter, like everyone out there in a 470, spent his day balancing on the wire, adjusting in and out with the puffs. “There was no system to it” he said. “Sometimes you had to be on the left. Sometimes you had to be on the right. And it was up and down, up and down all day. Eight knots. Eighteen knots.

“And it was cold out there.”

His handshake proved that.

And we may have already mentioned that. But, to be fair, it was Miami-on-the-water cold. Readers in northern climes, please hold those cards and letters.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Laser-Radial—Constance-Stolz

Women’s 470

The London 2012 gold medalists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie, aka Team Jolly, tightened their grip on the lead in the Women’s 470 with a pair of firsts, demonstrating that, yes, there must be an answer to the dilemma of a dicey racecourse. “We’re sort of getting used to the wind being up and down and shifty,” Aleh said.

She offered, “If you can’t pick the right place to be on the racecourse, try to not pick the wrong place. We didn’t always have the best start or the best first leg, but we would keep chipping away and chipping away until we could look around and say, Oh, we’re in front. We’ll take it.”

Team Jolly, sailing out of Auckland, New Zealand, has placings of 2-2-1-(7)-1-1. The London 2012 silver medalists, Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark of Great Britain, are nine points back at 6-1-(7)-1-3-5.

Sophie Weguelin and Eilidh McIntire, also of Great Britain, are in third, another ten points back.

49er

Diego Botin and Iago Lopez’s (ESP) overnight 14 point lead was shattered by a culmination of bad results and tight performances from their rivals.

John Pink and Stuart Bithell (GBR) and Joel Turner and Iain Jensen (AUS) kept things together, remaining at the front of the pack and now share the lead on 42 points. But for Botin and Lopez, a U flag penalty, a tenth and an 18th allowed the British and Australian teams to advance, leaving them one point behind.

Last to arrive back on-shore, last to take their sails down and last out of the boat park, Botin and Lopez looked deflated on the slipway. After their bright start they received a thorough debrief from their coach upon conclusion of the third day. All is not lost. They remain in contention; teachings will be applied and tomorrow is another day.

For Turner and Jensen, their short term partnership, is a one off for Miami with Jensen’s usual helm Nathan Outteridge missing out for personal reasons.

“It’s the first time I’ve sailed the 49er without Nathan for a long time,” said Jensen. “Joel’s doing great and he’s picking some clever shifts out there and we’re doing a lot better than we expected considering we only had three days in the boat together before this.”

Routine, rhythm and reliability are three buzz words for Outteridge and Jensen. The pair sailed together as teenagers, winning the ISAF Youth Worlds, and a partnership in the 49er was inevitable.

Seven years after forming, three 49er world titles and an Olympic gold medal later, Miami is the first time Jensen has been without his formidable helm in the Men’s Skiff, “If you sail with someone for years, like I have with Nathan, you get stuck in your routine. It’s always the same but if you sail with someone else it forces you to problem solve differently and that’s beneficial for when you go back with the other person.

“The roles are still the same with Joel as with Nathan. There are subtleties with the way he [Turner] sails and the way Nathan steers and approaches things. Neither is right or wrong, it’s just the individual style.”

Whilst the partnership is flourishing in Miami, when teased with the question – reckon you’ll stick with Turner? – Jensen replied, “Joel’s doing an awesome job and I think he’ll be a force in the 49er for years to come, he’s 19-years-old and got a bright future but in the next couple of years I might just stick with what I know.”

Outteridge will be flying in on Thursday, ensuring his crew sticks to what he knows and to enjoy the Miami racing from the coach boat.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Laser—Herman-Tomasgaard

49erFX

When those around you all discard 41 points from a DNF or a DNC, the odds will always be stacked in your favour. That’s the case for Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) who have opened up a 25 point lead in the 49erFX.

The Kiwis were just one of eight teams to complete the single race on the first day and they are reaping the rewards. Their discard is a 21 and they hold a comfortable advantage after nine races.

Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) are second overall on 62 points whilst Nina Keijzer and Claire Blom (NED) sit third on 90 points.

Maloney and Meech certainly won’t be resting on their laurels with six fleet races and Saturday’s Medal Race ahead of them but things are certainly going their way.

Women’s RS:X

Two wins and a second is a perfect day for some but not for 2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final gold medallist Bryony Shaw (GBR).

On the face of it, the Briton dominated the day but in her words, “It’s strange, it didn’t feel like a perfect day out there. I made a lot of mistakes actually. It was really shifty and puffy and I think it was my awareness, especially on the downwinds that really pulled me through.

“I made a couple of silly calls by going a bit too extreme at the start so I had to make some pretty big comebacks today.”

Shaw, the defending champion, is firmly in control. She is 17 points clear of the second placed Olga Maslivets (RUS) and is carrying a superb 2014 conclusion forward into the New Year, “I feel like this [leading in Miami] is momentum from winning in Abu Dhabi at the end of last year and the event we had in Rio. It’s nice to come out here and put on a good show.

“I really feel like 2015 is my year and it’s important for performance. I want to try and be selected for the games and win a medal in Rio, so I need to be performing at that level now.”

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Finn fleet in front of the City of Miami

Men’s RS:X

Consistency was at a premium for the first day of gold fleet racing in what was an up and down day for all.

Only the second placed Nick Dempsey (GBR) put together a trio of top ten finishes, 8-8-3, whilst those around him finished out of the top ten at least once.

It’s still France atop of the leader board, but with a new face lighting the path ahead. Overnight leader Louis Giard (FRA) has dropped to fourth whilst Thomas Goyard (FRA) claimed a 12-4-2 which is enough for a slender one point lead over Dempsey.

Dorian Van Rijsselberge (NED) took out the first bullet of the day and is third overall. The remaining victories went the way of Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) who is in seventh and the 14th placed Mattia Camboni (ITA).

Laser

If others demonstrated that it is possible to win two race back-to-back on a wacky race course, five-time Olympic medalist Robert Scheidt of Brazil demonstrated that the best can stumble. He won his first race of the day, then burned his throw-out race on a 27th.

Scheidt’s closest competition, Australian Matthew Wearn, went with him and burned his throw-out on a 20th.

Neither of the two leaders can afford another bad race. Scheidt has a seven-point cushion over Wearn, but Germany’s Philipp Buhl is only one point behind Wearn, and only four points separate him from Julio Alsogaray of Argentina and Nick Thompson of Great Britain.

At 106 boats in two divisions, the Laser is by far the largest class here and as hard as any when it comes to getting to the top. A few years ago, American Jensen Mctigh was acing it in the Snipe class. Here he’s paying his dues (“I’m probably the youngest person here”) with three-digit standings, but he’s seeing the racecourse as clearly as anyone. McTigh’s take from his end of the Laser fleet, “The shifts were bigger yesterday, but those blew evenly across the course. Today the shifts were smaller, but they never stopped. They never stopped.”

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP MIAMI 2015 Diego Botín Iago Lopez 900 49er Santander, Cantabria ESP, photo credit US Sailing

Laser Radial

Denmark’s Anne-Marie Rindom took two bullets today.

And, frankly, that ought to be enough said. Difficult. Shifty, Tricky. Challenging. Those are the sort of words used throughout ten Olympic and three Paralympic fleets to describe race day three and — Did we mention, Anne-Marie Rindom took two bullets today. She was 13th at the 2012 Olympics. She was seventh at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championship in Santander. Maybe something made her mad.

Allowing for a throw-out race apiece, Rindom is now in first with a four-point lead over Annalise Murphy of Ireland and a 12-point lead over the Santander winner from the Netherlands, Marit Bouwmeester.

Bouwmeester was the Radial silver medalist at the 2012 Olympics.

Murphy, known for liking a big breeze, took advantage of a big-breeze day at the Worlds in Santander to qualify Ireland for the Laser Radial class in the Rio de Janeiro Olympiad of 2016.

And Miami? It’s a long week.

Finn

It was Ioannis Mitakis day in the Finn fleet on Biscayne Bay today.

Mitakis, who represented Greece in the 2012 Olympic Games and won the European Finn Championship the same year—leading the Medal Race start to finish—today took back-to-back firsts. Fleet leader Giles Scott of Great Britain faded.

Faded, but not far enough to cost Scott the lead that he hopes will keep an 18-month winning streak intact.

With a worst score of sixth to discard, Scott now has finishes of 1-1-1-5-4-(6). Computing throw-out races, he has a five-point lead over Jake Lilley of Australia and a 12-point lead over Mitakis. Anything can happen, but Lilley is carrying a 22nd as his discard. Another bad race would probably sink him below the podium. It’s game faces all around.

Nacra 17

It’s a high scoring affair in the Nacra 17 with consistency a rarity in a highly competitive fleet.

Defending Miami champions Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) and Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves (GBR) share the lead on 50 points. The teams recorded two scores outside the top ten with one top ten finish.

Anything can happen in the 49-boat fleet and early front runners Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders (NZL) fell victim to a 29-14-28 day that sees them drop to seventh. Not helped by a late night disqualification after a jury hearing the pair count all three scores and are 36 points off the top. But as shown, anything can happen.

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP MIAMI 2015 Charlie Buckingham 206151 Laser, Newport Beach, CA USA

Paralympic Events

There’s a tussle at the top in the 2.4mR between Megan Pascoe (GBR), Helena Lucas (GBR) and Bjornar Erikstad (NOR) with one point of separation. An intriguing two days is ahead with four more races to decide the winner.

Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch (AUS) are on track to make it two ISAF Sailing World Cup Regatta wins in a row with a two point lead over Marco Gualandris and Marta Zanetti (ITA) in the SKUD18. Defending champions Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell (GBR) complete the podium after six races.

In the Sonar, Alphonsus Doerr, Brad Kendell and Hugh Freund (USA) and John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas (GBR) are tied atop on 11 points.

ISAF Sailing World Cup: Sunny And Bright. Storming And Raining Sideways

It’s easy to explain the opening day of racing at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, presented by Sunbrella.

It was sunny and bright. It was storming and raining sideways. It was sunny and bright.

Numerous challenges were posed to the competitors in wet and windy day of action. Racing commenced shortly after 10:00 local time with a confirmed number of 856 sailors from 63 nations competing across the ten Olympic and three Paralympic events.

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP

Laser

Robert Scheidt, winner of five medals in five Olympiads, two of them gold, described the series opener as, “Windy. Tough. What you have to do this early in the regatta is avoid the big problems.”

Which is not so easy when a squall is the takeaway.

“In the first race there was a time on the second weather leg where we couldn’t see through the rain, couldn’t find the marks,” Scheidt said. “Finally Bruno (Fontes) saw a bit of colour out there in the grey stuff, and we both went for it, and we made big gains.”

Figure the breeze at the moment was high 20s or perhaps even 30 knots, so a boat aimed the right direction – and on its feet – had a lot going for it. “After that,” Scheidt said “I didn’t have a special second race, but I didn’t need to. I was happy with a second and a fourth.” Those finishes left Scheidt second to Fontes, first, and New Zealand’s Andy Maloney, second at 4-1 in the other division of the split fleet.

The other piece of Laser class news happened in the other division of the split fleet, where the Aussie, Tom Burton, who has been on a winning streak, dug himself a hole with finishes of 18th and 20th.

Men’s 470

Perennial threats Luke Patience and crew Elliot Willis of the UK comfortably topped a fleet of 45 entries in the 470 class, on a challenging day, on scores of first and second.

As in other fleets, the people at or near the top of the leaderboard were grateful to be just that. Australian 470 skipper Mat Belcher figured, “The job was to get around the course. We were happy with a first and a fifth and a boat that was still working. We have the whole week to make points.” Perhaps it is fair to add, Belcher was busy gluing and screwing new parts onto his “still working” mast as he spoke.

And Belcher has earned whatever confidence he can muster. A five time world champion – all in a row – he and crew Will Ryan won the inaugural ISAF Sailing World Cup Final title in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in November.

Asenathi Jim and Roger Hudson of the Republic of South Africa stand second off a 4-6 day, followed by the French threat of Sofian Bouvet and Jeremie Mion, 3-8. They’re the defending champions. At this regatta one year ago, Bouvet and Mion broke a seventeen-regatta winning streak that Belcher and Ryan had been riding.

Stories stories, everybody had a story. The Japanese duo of Tetsuya Matsunaga (a second generation sailor) and Yugo Yoshida used both sides of the course, “sometimes” to good effect, said Matsunaga, “It was very shifty. It the second race, we went left and the wind came from the right. We rounded the top mark 20th or so. I really don’t know.” But that “20th or so” turned into a 10th for a 2-10 day and fifth in the standings.

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP MIAMI 2015 Nick Thompson 201402 Laser Mitcham, Surrey GBR, photo credit US Sailing

Women’s 470

In the Women’s 470 racing, London 2012 gold medalists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie of New Zealand, “had just made it around the gybe mark” of race one, Aleh said, when THE SQUALL hit.

“We looked back and the blast was fairly flattening the fleet. You wanted to ask, where did everybody go? But we got the kite down, we stayed on our feet and we made some nice gains.”

The day wrapped up with Aleh and Powrie leading the standings off a pair of seconds.

Two top British teams, Hannah Mills/Saskia Clark and Sophie Weguelin, won a race apiece and stand second and third, respectively.

“The team of the moment,” in the words of a close series observer, fared less well. That would be Austria’s Lara Vadlau and crew Jolanta Ogar The 2014 World and World Cup champions presently stand ninth off finishes of 15th and 16th – remarkably consistent, but.

Again, stories and stories. Americans Anna Haeger and Briana Provancha were gybing at the mark when squall’s blast arrived. It did not go well. Haeger and Provancha had an 11-10 day and some body pain to take home.

Men’s RS:X

Louis Giard (FRA), conqueror of the inaugural ISAF Sailing World Cup Final title, resumed in Miami from where he left off in Abu Dhabi – leading the way.

Although he sits pretty on two points at the top, he discards an 11th, which could prove deadly to his points total if he finishes lower than that as the week pans out. A scoreline of 3-1-2 is more of a solid foundation to build upon and second placed Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) is the proud owner of that run.

“All the races were good with lots of shifts and a lot of ups and downs,” commented Kokkalanis. “I managed to do well by finishing third, first and second. I had to catch up in the first and third race but the second race was really good. I had a good start and was fighting hard with Nick Dempsey, it was really fun and a good day.”

Solid foundations are key for a week long RS:X competition. Races are short, frequent, intense and compelling. Thirteen more are scheduled for the week with gold fleet racing commencing on Wednesday and Kokkalanis knows he has to be in top shape to defend his title, “Tomorrow I will take the same approach and try to do my best as always. That’s what everybody is trying to do.

“I’ll try to stay on top and then the real racing, gold fleet, starts on Wednesday. All the good guys will be together so until then I’ll try and get as few points as possible.”

Tom Squires (GBR) laid an equally impressive foundation, a 1-3-3, rounding off the top three after day one.

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP MIAMI 2015-Sunday prerace boat prep. US SAILING Center Miami

Women’s RS:X

In a field that features Olympic medallists, World Champions and an ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year, home nation sailor Marion Lepert had a dream start.

From two races Lepert notched up a fourth and a bullet to top the pack of 37. She holds off Flavia Tartaglini (ITA) and Olga Maslivets (RUS), who are second and third respectively.

A recent graduate from youth competition, Lepert made in-roads in the Techno 293 where she claimed a silver medal at the 2011 World Championship. She moved up to the RS:X and a fourth at the 2013 Sail First ISAF Youth Worlds confirmed her promise. Albeit a dream start, Lepert will have her work cut out to maintain such a performance it in amongst a field of seasoned professionals.

Nacra 17

Taming the Nacra 17 beast came as a challenge to many of the 49-boat Mixed Multihull fleet. With gusts hitting the 30 knot mark, thrills and spills were inevitable and that was certainly the case with as many as 26 boats either unable to finish the second race or deciding enough was enough in advance of the start.

A night of boat work and maintenance will be in order for several of the competitors whilst leaders Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders (NZL), Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) and Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA) will all rest easy after a job well done from three races.

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP MIAMI 2015 Charlie Buckingham 206151 Laser, Newport Beach, CA USA

49erFX

Like the Nacra 17 sailors, the Women’s Skiff competitors on the 49erFX also found the Miami breeze extremely tough to handle.

Of the 40 teams, just eight of them successfully worked their way around the course to complete the single race of the day.

Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) are two of the most experienced 49erFX competitors around, with well over two years of boat experience behind them. With a range of knowledge behind them they comprehensively claimed the day’s race win by more than a minute.

Nina Keijzer and Claire Blom (NED) came through in second with ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne winners Tess Lloyd and Caitlin Elks (AUS) in third.

49er

Spain’s Diego Botin and Iago Lopez got off to a flying start in the 49er, controlling the proceedings in the blue fleet. Right from the off they put in a composed performance in a competitive pack to take the opening race bullet.

They remained at the front for the next bout, coming through in second behind John Pink and Stuart Bithell (GBR) before they rounded off a superb day by taking the final race victory

Being at the top of the 49er leader board, after the opening day, is not uncommon ground for Botin. The young Spaniard had an outstanding start at the 2014 editions of World Cup Mallorca and Hyères. However, he was unable to convert that into consistent results over a gruelling six day ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta.

For now, Botin and Lopez lead, but with five days and 13 races remaining, time will tell if Botin can continue his form.

Results were mixed in the yellow fleet with no team taking the bull by the horns. Federico and Arturo Alonso (ESP) sit second after they recorded a discarded 20th and a second and a third. David Gilmour and Rhys Mara (AUS) occupy the final podium sport at the early stages.

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP MIAMI 2015 Diego Botín Iago Lopez 900 49er Santander, Cantabria ESP, photo credit US Sailing

Finn

Hand it to hardy Briton Giles Scott, who has taken over the throne of the longest-serving dinghy class in Olympic sailing. The Finn has been raced in 16 Olympiads. It is known as the boat in which Paul Elvstrom redefined the racing sailor as an athlete. And it is known as the boat that tests athletes as no other.

Scott has not lost in 15 months, and he didn’t do it through cherry-picking the easy stuff. He won seven ranked regattas in that time, and on Monday Scott won both races. His countryman, Ed Wright, has often come closest to unseating him, but following the opening day of racing here Wright stands fourth on scores of 3-7.

In second is Australia’s Jake Lilley, 2-3, with Croatia’s Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic third, 8-2.
American hope Caleb Payne retired from the second race.

Paralympic Events

It was a double bullet day for John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas (GBR) the Sonar. They dominant Brits top the leader board and are followed by Paul Tingley, Logan Campbell and Scott Lutes (CAN) who saw the back of the British boat on two occasions with a pair of seconds.

John McRoberts and Jackie Gay (CAN) started well in the SKUD18 with a second and a first. They lead on three points with Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell (GBR) second on five points.

2015 SWC Miami – Welcome To Miami
URL –
Embed – http://youtu.be/ZrsDDTQms9k

PRACTICE. WARM UP. GAME TIME

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.

Overall winner: Alison Young (GB) Racing – Day 7 / Laser Radial ISAF Sailing World Cup – Melbourne
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sunday 14 December 2014
© Sport the library / Jeff Crow

“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.

Tess Lloyd & Caitlin Elks (AUS)
Racing / Day 5 – 49er FX
ISAF Sailing World Cup – Melbourne
Sandringham Yacht Club
Friday12 December 2014
© Sport the library / Jeff Crow

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).

Tom-Burton at ISAF SWC Melbourne © Jeff Crow

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.