Sam Gilmour and Team Australia have won the ISAF 2015 Youth Match Racing World Championships held out of Swinoujscie, Poland.
With the Petit Final and Final held on the last day of competition it was a hard fight for the race to the title as well as occupying the final podium spot.
There were a few concerns about accuracy of weather predictions as only 7 knots were expected but thankfully there were 8-9 knots of breeze with the Race Committee setting courses in the channel in Swinoujscie.
The top four teams, Joakim Aschenbrenner (DEN), Gilmour, Marcus Ronnberg (FIN), and Nevin Snow (USA), assembled at the briefing in the morning and picked their boats. Competing in the Petit Final – Match 1 were Ronnberg and Snow with the first to two wins taking the final podium spot.
Aschenbrenner vs. Gilmour was Match 2 racing in the Final with a best of five, first to three wins.
Petit Final – Match 1 started first with Ronnberg vs. Snow. In the Qualifiers Snow finished second with nine points and Ronnberg was fourth with eight points. Both began by taking penalties at the start line for being over early but that didn’t hinder either team. Ronnberg held control of the match all the way around the course. Snow kept up and sailed well but never managed to get out from under Ronnberg. This continued in Match 2 as Team Finland took the race win and third overall and meaning Team USA had to settle for fourth.
Final – Match 2 Aschenbrenner vs. Gilmour was the second start of the day.
Aschenbrenner was first in the Qualifiers with 10 points and Gilmour was third with nine points. As in the Petit Final, the pre-start for the Final was tight and aggressive with both Aschenbrenner and Gilmour over the start early. Gilmour won Flight 1 and Flight 2.
Flight 3 ended abruptly at the top mark when Gilmour deliberately failed to give Aschenbrenner room at the mark, the boats made significant contact, and Aschenbrenner was not only squeezed into the mark but got tangled in it causing the boat to stop completely. Gilmour, having already received two penalties in the pre-start with one outstanding, was given a double penalty and a black flag by the Umpires giving the Danish sailor the win.
In the fourth flight Gilmour did not make the mistakes he had made in the prior flight to confirm himself and Team Australia as the 2015 ISAF Youth Match Racing World Champions.
The event was completed with a closing ceremony and prize giving at the town square where teams and locals alike gathered to congratulate the winners and an amazing week of match racing.
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