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Men’s Gold Fleet Bulges on the first day of the finals
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| RS:X World Championships - Men’s Gold Fleet Bulges on the first day of the finals |
TORBOLE, ITALY-(29-9-2006) Enthusiasm gave way to experience in the women’s fleet. Alessandra Sensini(ITA25) and Faustine Merret(FRA9) dominated in inconsistent planing non-planing races. Whilst the Men’s gold fleet bulged. An 82 strong fleet, all squeezing onto a mass port start to gain the advantage from the cliffs. With 164 male competitors some clarification of the split from gold to silver fleets had to be discussed.
As the Championship rules stipulate the top 50% competitors go through to the gold fleet. If there are any sailors on equal points, right on the cut off point. Both sailors will advance forward.
If there is an uneven number, the gold fleet will have one more than silver. So with this in mind this means that 82 men advance. The women also had a 50% split with 41 sailors going through to the gold fleet. Being on the inner course the women found the wind to less of an advantage. With breeze fluctuating it was centreboard conditions upwind, and planing down wind. Faustine Merret(FRA9) fell in at the start giving a very unwanted advantage to the rest of the fleet. She went into “fight back” mode and by the second outer loop had pulled back everybody excluding Alessandra Sensini(ITA25). Alessandra and Faustine then proceeded to pull out from the rest of the fleet finishing first and second respectively. Marina Alabau(ESP5) and Jannicke Staalstrom(NOR3) backed them up with 3 rd and 4 TH , followed closely by Jessica Crisp(AUS15)in fifth. The second race and Faustine continued in full race mode and had the race completely to her self. Zofia Klepacka(POL8) slipped to a 22 nd in race one, and was determined to not let that happen again. Cracking back with a second place, and in third place, Alessadra who moves into 1st place over all. 23 points separate the top 4 women from the rest of the pack.
The Gold Men’s fleet was a true spectacle. Lots of gold and reflective grey monoflim, bouncing light off the water and back again. Getting off the line with clear air and no obstacles was paramount. The sailors that achieved that, could only capitalise. Maxim Obermenko(UKR19) was one who did, he shot off the line closest to the pin, clean breeze and made a direct line for the cliffs. Tom Ashley(NZL181), Joeri Van Dijk(NED1), Miarczynski Przemek(POL172), and Casper Bouman(NED52) were all in this group. The lead changed constantly, but at the end it was Maxim who was in the commanding position. The wind was dying a little by the last mark, Miarczynski just squeezed into the second before Joeri.Very lucky indeed. The second race was all Miarczynski. Who had the legs to take it to the end. Locked in and hanging on to his uphaul, full speed mode and just flying. Second was Nicolas Le Gal(FRA115) followed by Ricardo Santos(BRA1).
The Dutchies had a tough second race. Jeori dropped down to a difficult 28 th , whilst Casper did a bit better to come in at 17 th . Tom Ashley really fought back hard pumping pushing any one who got in his way. A complete show of strength and character. To get a well earned tenth. So Tom is in equal first with Casper, Joeri is still in 3 rd . To finish off, New Zealand delegate Ralph Roberts gave a presentation to a group of about 70 to pitch the 2008 RS:X Worlds in Takapuna New Zealand. After a video presentation, and a question and answer session with both Barbara Kendall and Paul Page. Everybody seemed quite fired up. A vote at the AGM will determine whether the Kiwi’s are successful or not. Korea was the only other submission.
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Source: Event Media |
