| MIAMI, FL. USA-(17-1-2006) Nic ASHER and Elliot WILLIS (GBR) and Ingrid PETITJEAN and Nadege DOUROUX (FRA) topped the men and women's fleets respectively at the 2006 ISAF Grade C1 470 North American Championship sailed on Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, USA from the US Sailing Centre.
Both fleets were very international with nations represented in the men's fleet and seven in the women's fleet, including the top three women's teams from the 2005 World Championship, and the leaders of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings PETITJEAN and DOROUX. The men's fleet included the top ranked teams from France, Ireland, Israel, United States, Canada, and Austria.
ASHER and WILLIS, victors at the 2005 ISAF Grade 2 Princess Sofia Trophy in Spain, were three points better than Americans Mikee ANDERSON and David HUGHES, the winners of the ISAF Grade 1 Kieler Woche last year. 2003 ISAF World Sailing Champions Gabrio ZANDONA and Andrea TRANI were one point back in third.
In the women's fleet PETITJEAN and DOROUX, were just one point better than Americans Amanda CLARK and Sarah MERGENTHALER with Pippa WILSON and Sheena CRAIG of Great Britain in third. Current World Champions Marcelien DE KONING and Lobke BERKHOUT (NED) were eighth, just behind the silver medal team from the 2005 Worlds, Christina BASSADONE and Saskia CLARK of Great Britain.
Mother Nature served up some extreme conditions for the event. The first day's competition was cancelled when a post frontal breeze suddenly built to 30 knots minutes before the start of the first race of the series. On day two of the three day event four excellent races were sailed in seven to twelve knots with numerous shifts. Day three was supposed to feature a Medal Race, with double weighting of the final race, but again Mother Nature vetoed the plan in the opposite extreme. Biscayne Bay was glassy all day and no races were started.
Virtually all of the competitors will remain in Miami for the week in preparation for the ISAF Grade 1 Rolex Miami OCR which will be sailed in the same waters from 22-27 January.
Amongst the sailors joining the fleets that fought the North Americans next week will be the number one team in the Men’s ISAF World Sailing Rankings Alvaro MARINHO and Miguel NUNES (POR).
Top Ten
Men
Pos Nation Skipper Crew R1 R2 R3 R4 Pts
1 GBR Nic ASHER Elliot WILLIS 1 2 2 (4) 5
2 USA Mikee ANDERSON David HUGHES 3 (5) 3 2 8
3 ITA Gabrio ZANDONA Andrea TRANI (6) 1 5 3 9
4 IRL Gerald OWENS Sam HUNT (15) OCS 9 1 1 11
5 AUT Matthias SCHMID Florian REICHSTAEDTER 7 4 (10) 6 17
6 FRA Benjamin BONNAUD Romain BONNAUD 2 (15) OCS 11 5 18
7 USA Justin LAW Michael MILLER 8 3 7 (12) 18
8 USA Stuart MCNAY Graham BIEHL 4 (10) 6 9 19
9 ISR Gideon KLIGER Gal UDI (9) 7 4 8 19
10 USA Adam ROBERTS Nick MARTIN 5 6 9 (10) 20
Women
Pos Nation Skipper Crew R1 R2 R3 R4 Pts
1 FRA Ingrid PETITJEAN Nadege DOUROUX 1 4 1 (8) 6
2 USA Amanda CLARK Sarah MERGENTHALER 3 2 2 (7) 7
3 GBR Pippa WILSON Sheena CRAIG (7) 1 4 6 11
4 AUT Sylvia VOGL Carolina FLATSCHER (6) 3 3 5 11
5 GBR Christina BASSADONE Saskia HUNT (16) OCS 6 6 2 14
6 DEN Henriette KOCH Lene SOMMER (9) 9 5 1 15
7 CAN Jen PROVAN Carol LUTTMER 4 (7) 7 4 15
8 NED Marclein DE KONING Lobke BERKHOUT (8) 5 8 3 16
9 USA Carisa HARRIS Isabelle KINSOLVING 5 8 (11) 9 22
10 USA Erin MAXWELL Alice MANARD 2 (16) OCS 16 DSQ 11 29
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