First races of Laser Radial and Standard U-21 Worlds have been sailed

by segler-zeitung.de on 11 Aug 2016 The first two races of the Laser Youth World Championships (U-21) have been sailed in Kiel - the favourite sailors are in the lead. Joel Rodriguez (Spain) is dominating the men's fleet of the Laser Standard by finishing in first and in second position, followed by Jonatan Vadnei (Hungary) and Santiago Sampaio (Portugal, both with seven points).

The best German sailor is Nik Aaron Willim (Norddeutscher Regatta-Verein) on rank seven with the places four and five (nine points). In the women's fleet, Monika Mikkola from Finland is leading as expected, having crossed the finish line in fourth and first position (five points) in front of the Swiss sailor Maud Jayet and Maité Carlier (Belgium, both with six points).

Kiel did present itself more friendly today in the morning of the first race day of the U-21 World Championships of the Laser Standard (men) and the Laser Radial (women). The round about 200 participants did make their way from the Olympic marina Schilksee to the Kiel lighthouse in bright sunshine and a moderate breeze.

At nine o'clock, short after the meeting of the coaches and the race committee, the flag D was set as a signal for the boats to leave the marina and follow the starting vessel. Just in time at eleven o'clock, the three groups started - two groups for the men, and one for the 57 women. 'We did start with flag U', explained race officer Robert Niemczewski. Only three boats in the 'yellow group' were too early across the start line - and were punished for this race with the full point score. The others did start well. Around 50 minutes later, the first boats crossed the finish line: Joel Rodriguez (Spain) in front of Patrick Doepping from Denmark in the yellow group - but Doepping was one of the early-starters and punished with 73 points. The duly second was Jakub Rodziewicz from Poland. The first race of the blue group was won by Jonatan Vadnei (Hungary), followed by Ignacio Rodriguez from Uruguay.

Even the starts for the second race for the two groups of male sailors were done without problems or early starts. The first ones of the groups were Maxim Nikolaev (Russia) and Paul Castagnedoli (France). The fleet of women did push so much across the start line, that the race comittee had to recall the whole fleet. In the next run - with black flag for sharpened punishments for early starters - the race officers did cancel the starting procedure short before the signal, because the wind had shifted slightly. Only the third attempt worked well without objection.

The impressions from the race course were completely different. 'The wind did pick up quite a bit during the day. In the first race, it was important to go over the left side. In the second race, you had to rather go with the wind shifts', said Soeren Leinert from the sailing club Circonia Storkow in Brandenburg/Germany (positions 12 and 45). Max Wilken (Rechlin/Germany), winner of the German Junior Championship 2016, did finish in 20. and 16. position on the first day. 'I had hoped to be a bit better. But it's okay for the first day. We still have five days, a lot can still happen', said Wilken. 'The wind was good today, it was fun', stated the 17-year old with a height of 1.91m and 81 kilos of weight. Christian Demleitner did make completely different experiences that day, with moderate results in the end: 'Too much wind or not enough weight', sumed up the sailor from Northern Bavaria. The French sailor Gaston Morvan, who had one good run and one less good one today (places 14 and 30), would like to get into the top ten. 'The road is very long ahead of us. I hope to start better tomorrow and to do a better race.“

Maud Jayet from Switzerland and Monika Mikkola from Finland did win the two races in the women's fleet of the Laser Radial. The Finnish sailor (third overall in last year's U-21 Worlds) is leading and thus satisfied with the day. She was also concentrating on the left side in the first race today. 'It was really tricky today. The wind was gusty and shifty.' The women are starting as the third group and are thus 30 minutes later on the race course. On the second leg, the wind decreased. 'I had a good upwind leg, came in front and defended the lead.“

The next races are scheduled for Friday, 11 o'clock.

U-21 World Championship in the Laser Standard (men)
Interim ranking after two races
1. Joel Rodriguez (Spain), places 1, 2; 3 points
2. Jonatan Vadnei (Hungary), 1, 6; 7 p.
3. Santiago Sampaio (Portugal), 3, 4; 7 p.
4. Juan Cardona Mendez (Spain), 5, 3; 8 p.
5. Ignacio Rodriguez (Uruguay), 2, 7; 9 p.
6. Romain Simonnot (France), 6, 3; 9 p.
7. Nik Aaron Willim (NRV, Germany), 4, 5; 9 p.

U-21 World Championship in the Laser Radial (women)
Interim ranking after two races
1. Monika Mikkola (Finland), places 4, 1; points
2. Maud Jayet (Switzerland), 1, 5; 6 p.
3. Maité Carlier (Belgium), 2, 4; 6 p.
4. Vasileia Karachaliou (Greece), 5, 2; 7 p.
5. Elli Cumpsty (Great Britain), 6, 7; 13 p.
6. Martina Reino Cacho (Spain), 12, 3; 15 p.
22. Laura Bo Voss (Germany), 23, 24; 47 p.