In 200 days 380 sailors will be set-up at the Marina da Gloria in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, finalising their preparations for the greatest sporting spectacle, the Olympic Games.
On 5 August the Rio 2016 Olympic flame will be lit, signalling the start of 17 days of sport. For sailors to get to an Olympic Games they have to play their cards right, qualify their country, qualify themselves and fine tune their physique and boats so they’re fully optimised for the stresses and strains an Olympic Sailing Competition provides.
In order to do exactly that, sailors go through the Sailing World Cup series and over 780 sailors will be using the first shuffle of 2016 in Miami, USA to deal a killer blow to their rivals in the Olympic year.
London 2012 gold medallists, World Champions and Rio 2016 medal hopefuls will be among the starters aiming for glory in the ten Olympic and two Paralympic events on show in Miami from 25 to 30 January 2016.
A World Cup podium position is not the only thing at stake in Miami. As a Rio 2016 Continental Qualification regatta for North and South America, several nations will be vying for an Olympic berth. One spot in each of the fleets for both continents will be up for grabs with two available in the Men’s RS:X.
The Laser Radial fleet will be the one to watch in Miami with a special trio facing off in the 80-boat fleet. London 2012 gold medallist Lijia Xu (CHN) will be joined by silver medallist Marit Bouwmeester (NED) and bronze medallist Evi Van Acker (BEL).
Alongside Ireland’s Annalise Murphy, Xu, Bouwmeester and Van Acker had a famous four way battle for gold at London 2012 with the Chinese racer coming out on top. Xu stepped away from the Laser Radial in 2013 but after a two-year hiatus she returned to Olympic sailing at the 2015 Laser Radial World Championship.
The rivalry with Bouwmeester and Van Acker resumed instantly as she finished sixth to their second and third. With more miles and training in the bag, Xu, who stole the hearts of the sailing world in 2012 will be aiming to make an impression in Miami.
Denmark’s Anne Marie Rindom continues to excite in the Laser Radial and returns to Miami to defend the title she won 12 months ago. Rindom also comes into the American World Cup regatta off the back of a world championship victory last year and will be aiming for the medals once again.
Much like the Radial, the Laser fleet will feature many of the leading lights of sailing and is set to be a hot contest.
World #1 Tom Burton (AUS) and #2 Matt Wearn (AUS) will spearhead a fleet that includes key players on the road to Rio. Five-time Olympic medallist Robert Scheidt (BRA), 2014 world champion Nicholas Heiner (NED), Rutger van Schaardenburg (NED), Andy Maloney (NZL), Jesper Stalheim (SWE) and Charlie Buckingham (USA) will be amongst the front runners looking to capture top honours.
Miami will welcome strong windsurfers in the Men’s and Women’s RS:X fleets. London 2012 Olympic gold medallists Dorian Van Rijsselberge (NED) and Marina Alabau (ESP) will be on their respective start lines come Monday 25 January.
Joining Van Rijsselberge in the men’s pack of 59 racers will be World #1 Ivan Pastor (ESP), World #3 Mattia Camboni (ITA), London 2012 silver medallist Nick Dempsey (GBR) and bronze medallist Przemyslaw Miarczynski (POL).
In the 39-boat Women’s RS:X fleet, Alabau will be up against the world’s top four sailors, Defending champion and World #1 Bryony Shaw (GBR), World #2 Lilian de Geus (NED), 2015 Youth Worlds Champion and World #3 and Italian World #4 Flavia Tartaglini.
Racing is set to commence at 10:00 local time on Monday 25 January across the ten Olympic and two Paralympic fleets. Medal Races on Saturday 30 January will bring Sailing World Cup Miami to a close with the races to be broadcast live on the World Sailing TV YouTube Channel – http://www.youtube.com/worldsailingtv
Australia’s Mat Belcher and Will Ryan led the gold rush as the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final reached its conclusion in Abu Dhabi today.
The defending champions underlined their dominance by winning the Medal Race to score a comprehensive second successive Men’s 470 World Cup triumph at the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club.
On this occasion, Belcher and Ryan got home by just a second from the young Spanish pairing of Jordi Xammar and Joan Herp to finish 11 points ahead of Sweden’s Anton Dahlberg and Fredrik Bergström who finished second on the last day of the regatta, sponsored by ADS Securities and Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority
The result underlines the Aussies’ position as firm favourites to strike gold at next year’s Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro and adds to Belcher’s haul of six world titles, three won in tandem with Ryan.
Swede-Josefin-Olsson
After racing Belcher commented, “It’s been a long week with difficult conditions to sail in, but it’s been great to race in the morning. We have had some tough competition and there hasn’t been much rest since the worlds. We knew everyone was in top form and highly motivated so we are happy to get the win.”
It also added to the reputation of their Ukrainian-born coach, Victor Kovalenko, known as “The Medal Maker,” who has guided the winners of nine Olympic medals – six golds – and 18 world championships. Americans Stuart McNay and David Hughes, 6th on the day, took the 470 bronze.
Third position in the Women’s 470 medal race was enough to leave Britain’s Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark celebrating gold from last year’s World Cup winners in Abu Dhabi, Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar.
The Austrians were second on the day in a race won by Akiyo Yamaguchi and Eri Hatayama, although it was another Japanese combination, that of Ai Kondo Yoshida and Miho Yoshioka, who collected bronze medals.
2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final, Abu Dhabi, Credit Pedro Martinez/Sailing Energy/ Isaf
There was consolation for Austria in the 49er as Nico Delle-Karth and Nikolaus Resch won the Medal Race following back-to-back race victories the previous day to land the gold with six points to spare over Stefano Cherin and Andrea Tesei.
“It feels amazing to win,” Delle Karth exclaimed. “It has been really tricky all week with the offshore morning breeze, which made the racing super close. We have had really good fun all week. There was a bit of pressure in the medal race and it was open for a number of people to win so it was great to go out and execute under pressure. It was a valuable experience.”
Finishing second on the day, just ahead of the Italian silver medallists, were Frenchmen Gabriel Skoczek and Yann Rocherieux who won bronze.
Croatia’s Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic is the new World Cup champion in the Finn, clinching gold with a 4th place in the Medal Race. Turkey’s Alican Kaynar finished third to claim silver, while victory on the day saw Spain’s Pablo Guitian Sarria edge ahead of Britain’s Edward Wright to take bronze.
With an offshore breeze of 8-13 knots switching to a sea breeze later on, Australian Tom Burton was always in control in the Laser, taking third place in the Medal Race to comfortably secure gold ahead of Cypriot winner on the day, Pavlos Kontides.
2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final, Abu Dhabi, Credit Pedro Martinez/Sailing Energy/ Isaf
A closing sixth place finish was enough to see another Australian, Matthew Wearn, squeeze past five-time Olympic medalist Robert Scheidt to take the bronze after the Brazilian closed with a disappointing ninth.
The battle for gold in the Laser Radial was one of the most intriguing of the World Cup final, and ultimately it went to Sweden’s Josefin Olsson who had trailed Holland’s Marit Bouwmeester by a single point overnight. “This is my first World Cup win so it feels great,” said Olsson, “It’s always good to win the final. It means a lot to be up there and fight it out with the top girls and get a podium position in the end.”
While Olsson finished fourth on the day, Bouwmeester slipped to eighth in the Medal Race. Denmark’s Anne-Marie Rindom, first to finish, subsequently collected a penalty but was still able to beat Belgium’s defending champion Evi Van Acker to the bronze medal.
The Men’s RS:X was another which brought a last-day turnaround, with Spain’s Ivan Pastor Lafuente taking the RS:X medal race victory to snatch gold from Brazil’s overnight leader, Ricardo Santos, who slumped to seventh on the day for silver. Great Britain’s Tom Squires won the bronze medal.
Arguably the most impressive performer of the regatta was Britain’s Bryony Shaw who successfully defended her World Cup crown in the RS:X women’s class, winning the medal race for her seventh victory out of 10. Second place on the day gave Italy’s Flavia Tartaglini the silver medal while Brazilian Patricia Freitas finished third to secure the bronze.
2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final, Abu Dhabi, Credit Pedro Martinez/Sailing Energy/ Isaf
Britain’s Oliver Bridge won the decisive medal race to retain his open kiteboarding title and round off the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final at Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club.
Spain’s Florian Trittel collected the silver medal while the bronze went to fellow-countryman Alejandro Climent Hernandez.
Attention now turns to the start of the 2016 ISAF Sailing World Cup series that commences in Melbourne, Australia in the middle of December later this year.
The battle for gold in the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final is turning into a classic contest of skill and concentration in Abu Dhabi, with the sport’s top athletes turning on a spectacular display in near perfect conditions.
The second day of the Sailing World Cup grand finale brought offshore breezes of 9-13 knots at Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club (ADSYC), and the cream of the Olympic sailing classes were in their element.
It was another good day for Great Britain’s Bryony Shaw, defending champion in the Women’s RS:X, who followed up her second place in the first of the three races with victory in the last to hold a two-point overall lead from Italy’s Flavia Tartaglini, the second race winner.
Shaw commented on here day saying, “It’s about keeping everything simple and minimising mistakes, as I made a few today. We might have a different breeze tomorrow so I will be racing smart and keeping my energy levels as good as they can be.”
This is proving to be one of the most competitive of the eight Olympic sailing classes being contested in the UAE capital’s World Cup regatta, which is sponsored by ADS Securities and Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.
Brazilian Patricia Freitas is another with her sights still on the World Cup gold after a win in the opening race helped her to third at the end of the day.
Australian Tom Burton, leading the 20-boat Laser fleet overnight, once again showed his liking for conditions in Abu Dhabi, and second place in the day’s opening race won by German Philipp Buhl saw him extend his advantage to 3 points over Robert Scheidt, the five-times Olympic medalist.
The Netherlands Marit Bouwmeester At the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate. Credit Jesus Renedo / Sailing Energy /ISAF
Brazilian Scheidt immediately discarded his eighth place finish while Britain’s Nick Thompson completed the top three after finishing third behind another Aussie, Matthew Wearn, who was fifth overall.
In the Laser Radial Netherland’s Marit Bouwmeester won the first of two races from Josefin Olsson and, after discarding her 8th position in race two, ended the day leading the Swede by three points.
Second race winner Tatiana Drozdovskaya of Belarus was down in 7th overall, while Belgium’s defending champion Evi Van Acker continued to have a difficult title defence, her 3rd and 11th positions on the day leaving her in 5th overall.
Austria’s defending champions Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar are having a great battle with Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark in the Women’s 470 class, and there is nothing between them after two days of fleet racing.
The first day of the regatta had been a mixed one for Vadlau and Ogar, as their opening win was followed quickly by disqualification for a false start in race two.
They reclaimed the outright lead by winning today’s opener from Mills and Clark who were placed third. But the British girls reversed the positions in the second race to draw level with last year’s gold medalists. Japan’s Ai Kondo Yoshida and Miho Yoshioka are third after a 4th and 2nd place.
Ogar described her thoughts on the early starts and her class competition by saying, “The wind was really nice today but it’s the hours we struggle with, we don’t like sailing so much in the morning. The wind conditions were perfect with some great waves. The GBR girls are a good team and it’s good to be so close to them – we like them.”
Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate. Credit Pedro Martinez/ Sailing Energy/ Isaf
Great Britain’s Tom Squires stayed on course for gold in the Men’s RS:X when he snatched victory in the last of the day’s three races after earlier 7th and a 2nd place finishes.
He leads by four points from Spain’s Ivan Pastor Lafuente who followed his opening race win with a pair of 5th place finishes, with Brazilian Ricardo Santos in third after a run of 3rd, 4th and 2nd. After an opening second position, Byron Kokkalanis of Greece, last year’s silver medal winner, slipped to 7th and 9th to finish the day in 5th.
Another intriguing contest for gold is developing in the 49er class, with Poland’s Dominik Buksak and Szymon Wierzbicki tied at the end of the day with Italy’s Stefano Cherin and Andrea Tesei.
The Poles followed their first race win with two 4th positions, while Cherin and Tesei fitted a race victory in between two 2nd places. British brothers Rory and Neil Hunter climbed to third by taking the third race of the day.
There are still two days of racing left, but already multiple world champions Mat Belcher and Will Ryan are looking good for another pair of Men’s 470 World Cup gold medals in Abu Dhabi.
Finishing second in today’s first of two races to Sweden’s Anton Dahlberg and Fredrik Bergström, the Australians won race two to earn a four-point advantage over Americans Stuart McNay and David Hughes who’s opening 4th place was followed by a disappointing retirement. Dahlberg and Bergström are another point away in third.
Croatia’s Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic is clearly enjoying conditions in Abu Dhabi, scoring victory in both of today’s races in the Finn class to take a 4pt overall lead from Britain’s Edward Wright and Turkey’s Alican Kaynar who are tied in second. Consistency seems to be the theme in this class, as Wright was third in both of today’s races while Kaynar collected a couple of second places.
The open kiteboarding event was continuing through the afternoon off the Corniche in Abu Dhabi as defending champion Oliver Bridge of Great Britain looked to add to his hat-trick of race victories from the previous day.
After tomorrow’s third day of fleet racing, the top ten athletes from each of the eight Olympic sailing classes, as well as the open kiteboarding competition, will move forward into Sunday’s Medal Races to decide who leaves Abu Dhabi with World Cup gold, silver and bronze.
The 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final produced a fascinating opening day in Abu Dhabi, and it was business as usual for several of the defending champions setting out again on a gold medal course.
Great Britain’s Bryony Shaw made the perfect start in her pursuit of a second successful World Cup Final title at Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club (ADSYC), taking the first race win in the Women’s RS:X ahead of Brazilian Patricia Freitas and France’s Hélène Noesmoen.
Shaw followed up with a second place and another victory to lead by one point at the end of the day from Flavia Tartaglini of Italy who recorded finishes of 4th, 3rd and 2nd, and last year’s champion looks determined to hold on to her crown.
“It was fun sailing out there, nice offshore, windy conditions,” said Shaw. “It was great to get some speed in the wind but still there was pressure to not get stuck in the light winds. I feel like I had a good day’s sailing today. I’m here to try and win the gold medal so it’s great to already be ahead.”
Australian Tom Burton is another who clearly enjoys the conditions in Abu Dhabi. The defending champion scored one race win and a second place to lead the 20-boat Laser fleet from five-times Olympic medalist Robert Scheidt of Brazil who picked up a pair of third places.
Lying fourth is first race winner Jesper Stalheim from Sweden, and there is plenty of racing ahead in the Laser class as the chance for the athletes to discard their worst race result kicks in tomorrow. In the Laser Radial Holland’s Marit Bouwmeester leads on four points after one race win and a third place finish. The day’s other race win went to Great Britain’s Alison Young, but a 12th in the second race leaves her in 7th overall.
Sponsored by ADS Securities and Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final sent 144 competitors from 37 countries into action at ADSYC to contest eight of the ten classes chosen for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, as well as an open kiteboarding competition.
With a strong breeze blowing in from the land from early morning, the organisers brought the start of the first day’s racing forward by two hours to take advantage of excellent sailing conditions.
There was also an opening race victory for the defending champions in the fiercely contested Women’s 470 class. Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar led from start to finish and took the first race win by 17 seconds from London 2012 Olympic silver medalists Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark and the gold medal winners from the World Cup qualifying regatta in Qingdao, China, Ai Kondo Yoshida and Miho Yoshioka.
But fortunes can change quickly and in the second race Vadlau and Ogar were disqualified after making a false start and finished the day down in fourth overall. Leading the class are Kondo Yoshida and Yoshioka who won the second race of the day.
In the men’s RS:X class Great Britain’s Tom Squires won the first of the day’s three races by 28 seconds from Byron Kokkalanis of Greece, last year’s silver medal winner in Abu Dhabi, with Italy’s Daniele Benedetti a close third.
Squires followed up with a third place in race two as Kokkalanis finished runner up again – this time to Britain’s Joe Bennett – and the pair completed the day sharing the lead in the class on four points each. Italian Mattia Camboni won the third race and is third overall.
Squires said, “It’s been a really good day, nice and windy. We’ve had up to 15 knots, it’s really been quite lovely actually. I have to play my cards right tomorrow. It will be a good day of sailing. I’m favouring windy conditions so I hope for the best for tomorrow.”
Local sailing school and olympic sailors together sailing optimist. 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final, Abu Dhabi, Credit Pedro Martinez/Sailing Energy/ Isaf
In the 49er, the Polish combination of Dominik Buksak and Szymon Wierzbicki snatched two second places and discarded their 7th position in the third race to lead on two points from ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami gold medallists Nico Delle-Karth and Nikolaus Resch of Austria. Ending the day in third place were the first race winners, Italy’s Stefano Cherin and Andrea Tesei.
There are no bigger favourites for gold in the UAE capital than multiple world champions Mat Belcher and Will Ryan, although the Australian duo had to come from behind to land the opening race in the men’s 470 class. Down in third at the first mark, they eventually came through to victory by 29 seconds from Austrians Matthias Schmid and Florian Reichstädter, with Americans Stuart McNay and David Hughes in third.
In race two the Aussies were beaten into second place by McNay and Hughes but lead the Americans by a single point at the end of the day. In the Finn class Great Britain’s Edward Wright leads the way on four points following a first and a third position in today’s two races, heading Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic of Croatia who won one of them.
The open kiteboarding event continued through the afternoon off the Corniche in Abu Dhabi as defending champion Oliver Bridge of Great Britain aims to defend his title.
After three days of fleet racing, the top ten athletes from each of the eight Olympic sailing classes, as well as the open kiteboarding competition, will move forward into Sunday’s medal races to decide who leaves Abu Dhabi with World Cup gold, silver and bronze.
The 2015 Laser World Championship was the second opportunity for competitors in the Men’s One Person Dinghy to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition.
Of the 46 places available on the Rio 2016 Laser startline, nine were up for grabs at the 2015 Worlds which were held in Kingston, Canada from 2-8 July 2015. The first qualification regatta, the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships saw 24 nations secure a spot in Rio.
The nine nations to qualify for Rio 2016 from the 2015 Laser Worlds (in nation order) are:
1. Argentina
2. Chile
3. Estonia
4. Hungary
5. Korea
6. Montenegro
7. Peru
8. South Africa
9. Spain
Across a testing 13 race series in Canada, Nick Thompson (GBR) came out on top to take his first Laser world championship title. Philipp Buhl (GER) and Tom Burton (AUS) finished in second and third respectively.
Nine Laser Rio 2016 Spots Awarded At 2015 World Championship
As hosts, Brazil automatically receives a place on the start line. Eleven places will be awarded via a series of Continental Qualification Events sanctioned by ISAF, to finish by 1 June 2016 at the latest. The remaining two places in the Laser will be decided via the International Olympic Committee Tripartite Commission.
The inclusion for the first time by ISAF of Continental Qualification Events in the Qualification Pathway is an opportunity to develop sailing around the world and reflect the IOC Qualification System Principles. Key requirements of these Principles are to ensure the participation of the best athletes and ensure universality through continental representation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The ISAF World Sailing Rankings for 2 February 2015 have been released.
• Top 30 in each Olympic event receive ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères invitations;
• ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella, a 200-point regatta, ensures significant changes across the ten Olympic events;
• New World #1 in the Women’s 470. No change at World #1 across nine other fleets.
Laser
By his own standards, Tom Burton (AUS) was off the pace at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella, finishing down in 18th. However with a number of medal winning performances already behind him, he holds on to World #1.
Philipp Buhl (GER) claimed the World Cup Miami title but only after his nearest rival Nick Thompson (GBR) suffered an equipment malfunction that allowed the German to pass in the Medal Race. Buhl’s victory gave him the full 200-points and he leapfrogs up from World #30 to World #7.
Thompson meanwhile moves up to World #2 as Robert Scheidt (BRA) slips to World #3.
Miami was a vital regatta for all of the competitors with valuable ranking points up for grabs. A top performance would prove significant and that was certainly the case for the 14th placed Jesper Stalheim (SWE) and the eighth placed Rutger van Schaardenburg (NED).
Stalheim picked up 175 points whilst van Schaardenburg received 186. They move back into the top 30 at World #20 and #21 respectively, securing an invitation to ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères.
Alex Mills Barton (GBR) and Kristian Ruth (NOR) also sneak into the top 30 at World #29 and World #30.
Several 50-point regattas across the world also see chops and changes in the middle of the rankings.
Isaf Youth Worlds_Day 3_Laser-07 ISAF Media Library
Laser Radial
There is no change to the leading Laser Radial trio with the Miami podium finishers all solidifying their top position. Bronze medallist Marit Bouwmeester (NED) sits at World #1, silver medallist Evi Van Acker (BEL) is at World #2 and Anne Marie Rindom (DEN), Miami gold medallist, completes the top three.
There are plenty of movers and shakers below them with the 200-point ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami and several 50-point regattas ensuring so. With the top 30 receiving invitations to ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères, the fight for position in Miami was fierce.
Alison Young (GBR) moves back into the top 30 after a busy period of racing. Wins at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne and Sail Sydney combined with a ninth at the ISAF Worlds and a fourth at the Sailing World Cup Final had left her at World #38. A hard fought fifth in Miami pushes her back into the top places and she sits at World #18.
At the cut off point for Hyères invitations, Joyce Floridia (ITA) and Fernanda Decnop (BRA) both move into the top 30, counting the key points they secured at World Cup Miami. For Paloma Schmidt (PER), a 45th in Miami was not enough to solidify her position in the top 30 and she misses out by four points.
Finn
Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) retained World #1 in the Finn following a silver medal performance at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami. The Croatian has three consecutive second place finishes to his name, ensuring a sublime haul of points.
Giles Scott (GBR) holds a perfect ranking score of 800 points after he extended his winning streak in Miami. However, the Briton only counts five regattas to his ranking whilst those around him count six. Scott is positioned at World #7.
Zsombor Berecz (HUN) moves back into the top 30 after he won gold at the 50-point Palamos Christmas Race at the back end of 2014. The current World #30 takes the final Hyères invitation. Palamos silver medallist Milan Vujasinovic (CRO) also moves into the top 30. He is at World #20.
49erFX
Having dominated the 49erFX over the last 12 months, Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) comfortably sit atop of the rankings on 988 points.
North American gold and a World Cup Miami bronze ensured their position was solidified and they are 69 points clear of World #2 Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen (DEN).
Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) finished second at the Midwinters before sealing World Cup Miami gold with a day to spare. With the full 200 World Cup points coming their way they move up to World #3.
Interestingly, since the 49erFX’s first ranking release on 12 December 2012, there have only been two World #1s, the Brazilians and Kiwis. But as crews continue to master the equipment, they’ll look to spring some surprises on the road to Rio.
Tess Lloyd and Caitlin Elks (AUS) took the honours at the Oceanic Championship and continue to march up the rankings. They move up four places to World #14.
49er
ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami bronze was enough for Jonas Warrer and Anders Thomsen (DEN) to retain World #1 in the 49er. Joel Turner, sailing with Iain Jensen, picked up silver in Miami and as a result Turner moves from World #40 to World #18 and will receive a Hyères invitation for himself and usual crew Lewis Brake.
Turner came in for Nathan Outteridge who missed out on Miami competition for personal reasons. Jensen will revert back to sailing with his usual helm. Outteridge and Jensen sit at World #24 but only count four regattas to their point’s total.
Nico Delle Karth and Nikolaus Resch (AUT) put together a steady string of Miami results that ultimately handed them the title. They did not win a race across the series of 13 but 11 top ten performances gave them the edge. They remain at World #3.
A 23rd in Miami was enough for Federico and Arturo Alonso (ESP) to re-enter the top 30 at World #27. Jacapo Plazzi and Umberto Molineris (ITA) move to World #30 after a 31st in Miami. Both crews will receive invitations to ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères.
Men’s 470
Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) retain World #1 in the Men’s 470 after two medal winning performances in Miami, USA. They claimed the North American title in advance of ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami but were made to settle for silver at the main event. They sit 25 points clear of World #2 Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis (GRE).
Luke Patience and Elliot Willis (GBR) finished behind the Australians at the 100-point North American regatta but had their revenge by securing a seven point victory at World Cup Miami. As a result they shift up to World #3.
Japan’s Tetsuya Matsunago and Yugo Yoshida are the big movers this month. The Japanese pair picked up bronze at the 470 North Americans before sealing a tenth at World Cup Miami. As a result, they have moved up to a personal best of World #5 from World #19.
Palamos Christmas Race silver medallists Guillaume Pirouelle and Valentin Sipan (FRA) sneak into World #30, thus securing an invitation to World Cup Hyères. At World #31 Antonio and Joao Rosa miss out on an automatic invitation by 24 points. Their chance to qualify will come at Princess Sofia Trophy regatta in Palma, Mallorca, Spain.
New Zealand’s Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie move back to World #1 in the Women’s 470 having dominated ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella. Taking the full 200-points the Kiwis are 99 points clear of Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Luiza Barbachan (BRA).
Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) finished 27 points off the Kiwis in Miami, however with a silver medal coming their way they move up to World #7 from World #21.
Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar (AUT) took the gold at the 100-point North American Championship in advance of their ninth at the World Cup. They sit at World #11.
France’s Maelenn Lemaitre and Aloise Retornaz took 50-points away from the Palamos Christmas Race regatta at the end of 2014 and remain at World #24.
There are no shock entries into the top 30 after many of the leading teams used Miami to solidify their spot top 30 status.
Men’s RS:X
It was an up and down week in the Men’s RS:X, with consistency a rarity on Miami’s challenging track. Nonetheless, the form racers came to the forefront.
Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED) claimed gold which promotes him up to World #13 from World #29. Silver for Thomas Goyard (FRA) moves him up to World #3 a personal best and bronze medallist Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) retains World #1.
Sebastian Fleischer (DEN), Joan Cardona Bocarando (ESP) and Ivan Pastor (ESP) all move into the top 30 after solid Miami performances and subsequently qualify for ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères.
The 100-point RS:X African Championship title went the way of Algeria’s Hamza Bouras. The Algerian moves up to World #105, a personal best.
Women’s RS:X
Flavia Tartaglini (ITA) holds on to World #1 in the Women’s RS:X in spite of a disappointing final day in Miami. The Italian was on the course side in the Medal Race and dropped out of the honours. Nonetheless her fourth place was enough for her to retain her position at the top of the rankings.
The Netherlands’ Lilian de Geus and Russia’s Olga Maslivets were major benefactors of Tartaglini’s downfall. De Geus took silver which pushes her up to World #4, a personal best, and Maslivets’ bronze sees her climb up to World #25 from World #38 to secure a Hyères invitation.
Bryony Shaw (GBR) claimed a comprehensive Miami victory, solidifying her spot at World #2.
Nacra 17
Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) successfully defended their ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami title with a day to spare. By taking maximum points at the 200-point regatta they hold on to World #1.
Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves (GBR) took silver in Miami and remain at World #6. Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA) sneaked onto the Miami podium and sit at World #2.
Mandy Mulder and Coen de Koning (NED) finished fourth, moving them back into the top 30
At the turn of the year, Olympic sailors took to Instagram, posting a picture that states ‘2013 was practice, 2014 was the warm up, 2015 is game time.’
With Rio qualification regattas, national trials and a testing ISAF Sailing World Cup circuit throughout the year the heat is on. And at 10:00 local time on Monday 26 January, 2015’s ‘game time’ begins with the sounding of the starter’s gun at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella.
More than 800 sailors from 63 nations racing across ten Olympic and three Paralympic events will light up Miami, Florida’s glorious Biscayne Bay. With ISAF Sailing World Cup Final Abu Dhabi qualification spots and valuable ranking points available the game will heat up in the sunshine state.
Historically the Laser has always been the largest fleet in Miami and that is no exception to 2015 with a strong contingent of international sailors making up the 120 boat fleet.
2015 is a key year for many competitors with Rio 2016 Olympic qualification regattas fast approaching. For American Laser sailors the 2016 edition of the regatta will be their first internal qualification event, but the highest ranked American sailor, Charlie Buckingham at World #11, will want to lay down a marker one year in advance.
“Miami is always an important event for me personally,” said Buckingham, “so I am happy it serves as part of the OIympic trials. This year I will be aiming to perform my best at this event as I have in years past and as I will next year.
“I’ve had roughly two months of preparation, both training and racing, after a pretty big break post-Santander. This year is the strongest I’ve ever seen the fleet since I’ve done the regatta. Everyone will be here.”
Buckingham has been a familiar face in Miami, competing at the regatta a consecutive seven times from 2008. As one of 16 American sailors within the strong Miami fleet a performance that mirrors his third place in 2013 will leave him in a good place in advance of his national trials.
The Laser fleet is jam packed with talent from World Champions to Olympic medallists, all of whom are aiming for an Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final slot. World #1 Tom Burton (AUS) sealed his spot at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne so the pressure is off, but the determined Aussie will have his eyes on the prize after narrowly missing out on a Miami podium in 2014.
World #2 Robert Scheidt (BRA) will make his first international appearance since Santander 2014 in Miami whilst defending champion Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) will also return.
With 22 of the world’s top 25 Lasers heading to Miami, the competition will be one of the most hotly contested in recent times.
The Laser Radial fleet will see 80 competitors lock horns. World #1 and 2014 World Champion Marit Bouwmeester (NED) will be joined by World #2 and 2014 Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion Evi Van Acker (BEL) as well as Melbourne gold medallist Alison Young (GBR).
Paige Railey (USA) will attempt to take the title for the third year in a row whilst Railey’s ever improving compatriot, Erika Reineke, will be aiming to move up from her ninth place at the 2014 regatta.
The Men’s RS:X is set to be an exceptional competition with the leading racers making the trip to Miami.
In amongst a sea of experienced competitors is a young Frenchman who is mixing it up at the top. Louis Giard (FRA) picked up gold at the inaugural ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi and heads to Miami fully fired up with confidence sky high, “That put me in a good place and gave me a lot of motivation for 2015,” said Giard. “It was my first win in the senior fleet and it helped me a lot to look forward and to try to do the same in upcoming events.”
Giard put in a performance worthy of a champion in Abu Dhabi but knows he still has a lot to prove, “It would be good for me to show that Abu Dhabi was not a surprise. My goal is just to do the best I can. I have never been in Miami so it will be a bit new for me but it was the same in Abu Dhabi. A podium could be a good start for 2015 but my training is not at the top at the moment but I will try to do the best start for 2015.”
Like Buckingham in the Laser, Giard has an eye on his Olympic trials and just like the American he wants to put a good show on in Miami, “I’m expecting tough competition, as usual. Everybody wants to win and once again it will be the first event of the year for everybody. Miami is the best way to prepare for the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Hyères which will be the first step of the Rio trials.”
Giard’s compatriots Pierre Le Coq and Thomas Goyard will join him in Miami. As will World #1 Byron Kokkalanis (GRE), World #2 Ricardo Santos (BRA) and London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED).
Miami will also see a high level Women’s RS:X fleet take to the water. Bryony Shaw (GBR) started 2014 by taking the Miami title and wrapped the year up by claiming the Women’s RS:X ISAF Sailing World Cup Final title in Abu Dhabi. She will be gunning for another great start to her year in Miami.
Joining the Briton in the fleet will be World #1 Flavia Tartaglini (ITA), World #3 Laura Linares (ITA) and London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Marina Alabau (ESP).
ISAF Sailing World Cup Final Abu Dhabi gold medallists Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) will sail in a highly competitive fleet that features 2014 World Champions and 2014 ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA).
The Kiwis will be competing in a single fleet of 40 teams and will have to be on top form, ensuring mistakes are at a minimum, “It is exciting to have a smaller fleet here in Miami,” commented Meech, “as it will let us sail against the top girls the whole regatta rather than just through the final days. It will make the racing more exciting overall.
Maloney and Meech touched down in Miami early last week to compete at the 49erFX Midwinters where they finished three points off Grael and Kunze and Meech has liked what she’s seen, “So far Miami has given us good conditions. We were coming over here expecting light winds the whole time, but it looks like we are going to get a mixture which will be nice.”
World #2 Ida Marie Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen (DEN) will be within the Miami fleet, as will World #3 Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth (GBR) and World #4 Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA).
The 49er will also throw out some exciting competition with strong British, Canadian, Spanish, French, Italian and American teams in the mix. Other contenders include ISAF Sailing World Cup Final gold medallists Lukasz Przybytek and Pawel Kolodzinski (POL), Ryan Seaton and Matthew McGovern (IRL), Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER) and returning champions Jonas Warrer and Anders Thomsen (DEN).
Racing commences on Monday 26 January through to Saturday 31 January. Competitors in the Paralympic events will have five days of fleet racing from Monday 26 to Friday 30. Medal Races across the ten OIympic events will bring the regatta to a close on Saturday 31 where medals will be awarded to the top three boats.
The opening day of racing at the inaugural ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates has been described as spectacular, fantastic and perfect.
Smiles were present before racing at the Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club, on the waters off of the Corniche and around Lulu Island and back ashore upon the conclusion of racing.
A north westerly breeze that ranged between 9-14 knots greeted the sailors across the four race tracks. The outside courses saw big waves to add some spice to the sailors lives whilst the flat water on the inside Corniche course tested the sailors all round abilities.
Racing for the 270 sailors from 38 nations across the ten Olympic and open kiteboarding fleet commenced at 12:00 local time and wrapped up with a full complement of races in the Olympic events.
ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP
Finn
Slovenia’s Vasilij Zbogar was dominant in Abu Dhabi’s conditions, picking up a pair of race wins in the 19-boat Finn fleet.
After racing, ashore at the Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht, the Slovenian was visibly pleased yet shocked with his regatta opening, “I am a bit surprised with the two first places. It’s much better than I thought I would start. The conditions were perfect for my technique and weight and my boat speed was extremely good. The main issue was that I got a yellow flag in the first race which was a bit annoying but I still finished first.”
Zbogar’s victories came by different margins. A close encounter with Jake Lilley (AUS) in the opening race saw him take the victory by a narrow two seconds. He ramped it up in the second race, taking the gun by 30 seconds over Pieter Jan Postma (NED) and Zbogar wants to continue in the same way on the second day, “I hope we will have the same conditions. I will try to keep this first place until the end but I know it is going to be very hard. Today it was really nice sailing conditions and I’m looking forward to the next few days.”
Abu Dhabi is a new venue for the Slovenian and he has taken to it well, not only the sailing side but offshore as well, “Until now, Abu Dhabi has been a big surprise for me. Everybody was a bit sceptical at first, maybe the venue and the sailing conditions weren’t right but here we are and people are extremely helpful, everything is extremely well organised and the sailing is spectacular.
“I think all the sailors are really happy and they all see it’s a big step forward in Olympic classes.”
Lilley trails the Slovenia by five points in second place whilst Croatia’s Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic occupies third overall, a point behind Lilley.
image Credit Sailing Energy/ISAF.
49erFX
New Zealand’s Alex Maloney and Molly Meech started the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final with a bang by taking the opening race victory in the 17-boat 49erFX fleet.
The pair picked up a second victory in the third race of the day but a sandwiched tenth tarnishes their good start. Nonetheless the Kiwis had some great racing as Maloney explained, “It was beautiful conditions out there with a nice Abu Dhabi breeze and really nice waves. We were on Course C in front of the Emirates Palace and it was pretty nice out there. The first and last race we had 8-10 knots and it dropped down and got a bit interesting, it’s really nice racing out there.
“We were pretty disappointing with our performance at the Worlds but we had a good break and have had some good preparation for Abu Dhabi. We were in Rio for three weeks and we’re feeling a lot more confident again and a lot more focused.”
Whilst the Kiwis lead, it’s the Italian pairing of Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich who were the masters of consistency as they notched up a race win and a pair of seconds. They sit second overall by nature of the Kiwis discarding their tenth and Conti’s face was full of smiles after racing, “It was perfect, perfect conditions. There were 10-14 knots with good waves and we enjoyed it a lot. We had good results and that’s why we enjoyed it a lot.
“We felt very comfortable with the boat. It’s good to have a brand new boat as we used to sail with a pretty old one so there are a lot of differences in performance. It’s just perfect to escape from winter and to be here, we love it.”
Conti was also full of praise for everything she has seen thus far at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, “We are staying in such a beautiful hotel and the people here are just so gentle and kind. They’re so curious about sailing as well. The venue is just perfect. There is plenty of space so we can move around without having the problem of touching other boats. The weather is warm and there is a huge mall right here, it has everything. I would stay here the whole winter.”
Sweden’s Lisa Ericson and Hanna Klinga complete the podium after the opening day but it’s still early stages in the competition with six fleet races to follow ahead of the Medal Race.
49er
Captain America and Superman’s Polish alias’ Tomasz Januszewski and Jacek Nowak have swooped in to Abu Dhabi to take the 49er lead on the opening day of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.
The pair picked up two races wins and a 13th, discarding the latter to top the bill in the 18-boat 49er fleet. They lead Great Britain’s Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign by a single point, “It’s great to be here and race here with the best of the best,” commented Nowak. “We were on Course D so we were inside the bay and the wind was inshore so there was a lot of shifts and gusts. It was good to have great speed and to be able to read the shifty conditions. All the teams were very close to each other throughout the races.”
The Polish competitors are instantly recognisable on the race track with their superhero outfits and Januszewski explained the origin of their tops, “We are co-operating with under armour, so when the t-shirts went on sale our friend gave us a couple of them.
“He asked who we would like to be and I was just like, stop there, ‘I want to be Captain America’, because I love that superhero and Jack loves Superman.
“After we first wore them everybody has called us Superman and Captain America,” continued Januszewski with a beaming smile, “They’re defending someone’s honour and ambitions so we like those and they’re really friendly, they’re not bad guys.
“It’s a good way to show potential sponsors what we can do and how many opportunities we can give them.”
The racing on the 49er race course was exceptionally close with little separation of the fleet across three races. Fletcher and Sign picked up the first race victory before finishing second behind the Polish sailors in the second. The Brits did not sail the third race due to an equipment issue as the Polish sailors swooped through to take their second race win and the lead.
Januszewski and Nowak are in a good spot to progress with six fleet races and a Medal Race remaining and will be looking to draw on their super strength from within, “With any power you can achieve anything,” said Januszewski, “but if we were to have a power I think we’ll take super speed.”
image Credit Sailing Energy/ISAF.
Women’s RS:X
Great Britain’s Bryony Shaw stole the show in the Women’s RS:X taking three consecutive race victories to hold a steady lead over her rivals at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The British racer, who won bronze at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition, was in exceptional form, mastering the conditions and ruling the waves on one of the outside course areas.
“We were out on Course C today so we had quite a bit of swell and waves,” said Shaw. “The wind was between 10 and 13 knots and I was pleased to be sailing fast.”
Shaw proved to be a class above the rest as she read the conditions perfectly to lead at the first mark in all of the races as she explained, “I got a good start in the first race but not such a good start in the second race. The wind had just started flicking to the right so I made a gain from going to the right in that race. The first two races I rounded first and was able to extend my lead.
“In the last race we had lighter winds. I had a great start by the committee boat and really good height and speed and managed to round first again. It was quite a physical race that one. I kept it quite simple and stayed between my competitors and the mark and managed to win that third race. It was a really good day.”
With 270 sailors from 38 nations competing in Abu Dhabi, the British sailor is just one of many competitors who are revelling in the Emirati capital. With a blend of old traditions in a modern metropolis there is plenty for the sailors to learn and enjoy, both on and off the water, “I’ve tried to immerse myself in the culture and we’ve been going out for dinners and the people here seem really friendly,” added Shaw. “The conditions today were fantastic. To be sailing out there in board shorts and for it to be warm, sunny and to be sailing in planing conditions is the best for windsurfing. I’ve had a great time here so far. It’s been a short regatta for them to try and set up but it’s going well.”
China’s Qiaoshan Weng is second overall following a third, second and a discarded 14th. Charline Picon (FRA), 2014 Women’s RS:X World Champion, is third overall after an up and down day that included a second, a fourth and a discarded 14th place finish.
Men’s RS:X
Youngsters Pawel Tarnowski (POL) and Louis Giard (FRA) are showing their experienced counterparts how to race in Abu Dhabi as they top the bill in the Men’s RS:X fleet.
Tarnowski, 20-years-old, stormed into the lead following an exceptional day on the water. He amassed two race wins and a third and holds a two point advantage over Giard, 21-years-old, who took a pair of seconds and a third.
The youngsters lead their more experienced rivals but only time will tell if they are able to continue it through for a podium finish on Sunday 30 November.
image Credit Sailing Energy/ISAF.
Laser Radial
Tuula Tenkanen (FIN) is in control in the 18-boat Laser Radial pack. She picked up a fourth and a first to hold a five point advantage over Alison Young (GBR) going into the second day of competition.
Young has had some time away from the boat throughout 2014 and is happy to be back, competing against the best Laser Radial sailors in Abu Dhabi, “It’s been great fun racing against all the great sailors that are here this week. I’m here this week to learn as much as possible. There are 18 great sailors here so every race is really tight and every point counts.
“It was such tight racing today out on the water with boats crossing the line in packs and I expect that will be a similar story for the rest of the regatta.”
London 2012 bronze medallist Evi Van Acker (BEL) completes the podium at the early stage of the event.
Laser
World #1 Tom Burton (AUS) showed his worth in Abu Dhabi by grasping the Laser lead after the opening day of racing. Burton was strong on the race track and took a fifth and a bullet and was pleased after racing, “It was pretty solid day all around,” commented Burton, “The top guys are all here and with the 20 boat fleet you can’t afford to have a bad race because the guys that will win this regatta, won’t do that so you won’t have a chance to catch up.”
Pavlos Kontides (CYP) took the first race win but an 11th in the second race relegated him down to fifth overall.
ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao gold medallist Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) is tied on points with Burton in second whilst Nick Thompson (GBR) occupies third.
image Credit Sailing Energy/ISAF.
Men’s and Women’s 470
It was business as usual for World Champions Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) in the Men’s 470. The pair strolled into pole position following a 2-4 scoreline. Greece’s Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis are second on eight points with Austria’s David Bargehr and Lukas Mahr in third on ten points.
The day’s race wins went the way of Stu McNay and David Hughes (USA) who are sixth overall and fifth placed Matthias Schmid and Florian Florian Reichsteaedter (AUT).
China’s Shasha Chen and Haiyan Gao and Austria’s Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar shared places one and two in the Women’s 470 and are tied atop of the 11-boat fleet on three points.
Very little separated the two teams on the opening day and they will do battle once again on the second day with two more races scheduled.
America’s Anne Haeger and Briana Provancha are third overall on 10 points, seven off the leading duo but there is plenty of time for change.
Nacra 17
It’s an all French top three in the Nacra 17 with World Champions Billy Besson and Marie Riou leading the way. Besson and Riou are seemingly unstoppable in the Nacra 17 and amassed a steady scoreline that featured two seconds and a race win.
Their compatriots Audrey Ogereau and Matthieu Vandame follow in second with Moana Vaireaux and Manon Audinet in third.
Matias Buhler and Nathalie Brugger (SUI), Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) and Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank (AUT) are hot on the French teams heals, tied on nine points.
image Credit Sailing Energy/ISAF.
Open Kiteboarding
Riccardo Leccese (ITA) came out on top on the opening day of kiteboarding after he picked up a pair of bullets. He heads into the next stage as top seed. 2014 World Champion Maxime Nocher (FRA), European and Open Asian Champion Oliver Bridge (GBR) and 2013 World Champion Florian Gruber (GER) follow in places 2-4.
The 20 competitors will be divided up for Stage 2 heats on Friday and Saturday based on their seeding from Stage 1. The top ten boats will then progress to the medal stage.
Two semi-finals will be held with five racers in each. Places 1 and 2 will carry forward ten points, 3 and 4 seven points, 5 and 6 five points, 7 and 8 four points and 9 and 10 three points. Two races in each semi-final will follow with the top two placed sailors in each heading to the final.
From there, it’s a four way single race shoot out for the podium spots.
Racing across the fleets is scheduled to commence at 12:00 local time on Friday 28 November.
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