Skandia Sail For Gold- Reports from the Medal races plus Video

by Richard Gladwell on 14 Aug 2010
Race reports from the Medal Races on Finals Day of the Skandia Sail For Gold Regatta

Mens Laser

Sailing in light winds of about 8-10kts inside Portland harbour.

David Wright from Canada, led after the start and took the early lead – but no matter as he was lying eighth overall.

New Zealand’s Bullot and Andrew Murdoch were together in third and fourth while the two top boats Goodison and Tom Slinghsby were locked together further down the fleet.

After match racing for the opening stages of the beat, Goodison and Slingsby came together, there was an incident, and Goodison was penalised – and forced to do an immediate turn letting Slingsby away to secure the Gold Medal

Andrew Murdoch of New Zealand was third around the top mark behind two boats – Canada and Sweden.

The two leaders were right at the tail of the fleet involved in a typical Medal race Match race non-event competition to avoid finishing last. Which is one reason why the General Media and Public can never understand yachting.

Murdoch slipped through into the lead on the first run and then swapped places with the top three.

As they closed down the end of the run David Wright (Canada) held a narrow lead chased by Andrew Murdoch and Michael Bullot, and with Julio Alsogaray (ARG) in between.

Michael Leigh CAN kept in contact with Murdoch, well within the three places required to win the Bronze thanks to the antics of the Gold and Silver medalists at the back of the fleet, and at the finish the results were unchanged as a result of the Medal race.

Laser Radial:

The race was sailed as a Medal race should be with all the focus on getting across the finish line as soon as you can with plenth of boats in betwen you and your competitors on the points table

Tenth overall, Albete Holm Lindberg (DEN) led around the first mark with Sarah Steyaert (FRA) in second and series leader Marit Bouwmeester (NED) in third, current world champion Sari Multala (FIN) in fourth and Sara Winther (NZL) in fifth place. Just seven points separated the top five overall going into the double scoring medla race.

With Winther wearing the blue top for second overall there was no lack of tension going down the run as the sailors tried to get every advantage possible in the 6-8kts breeze inside the harbour at Weymouth.

Sara Winther seemed to ease through on the run with series leader, Marit Bouwmeester (NED) firmly in her sights.

However at the finish Lindberg (DEN)proved to be the spoiler, taking the race and moving herself up from 10th overall into ninth. Sari Multari (FIN) showed her experience to move through into second place, assuring herself of the silver medal. Sweden's Josefin Olsson helped herself to third place, with Gold medalist Marit Bouwmeester (NED) in fourth - a place sufficient to give her the regatta win.

Winther did well to hold out Sarah Steyaert (FRA), with the NZer taking fifth place and the bronze medal, a very creditable result, and New Zealand's only medal of the regatta.



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Star

Fleet started beautifully on starboard on the second attempt at starting, before peeling away one by one to head across on port tack to the right hand side.

The wind oscillated between left and right all the way up the first beat.

The run became what the medal race should be about with the blue topped Irish crew being covered tightly by series leader Freddy Loof (SWE), keen to protect his three point, or two place, lead.

As they trundled down the first run, the blue shirted Peter O'Leary (IRL) got the edge he was seeking, and looked to have picked up the distance he required and more to take the Gold medal.

With crews hiking hard down the side of the near-century old two man keelboat in the 10 kt breeze, the fleet spread a little after rounding the the leeward gate.

The legendary Torben Grael (BRA), although lying 8th overall going into the Medal Race, led the 10 strong fleet by a comfortable margin, and extended w this lead as they rounded the windward mark for the second time.

Behind him all medals were on the table waiting to be grabbed. In the final stages of the beat, Mateuz Kusznierewicz (POL) who had been in third place on the points table moved through and made his challenge for the top spot, with Loof now well down the fleet in the double points scoring race.

Over the line, Robert Scheidt (BRA) was second with O'Leary (IRL) third Mateuz Kusznierewicz (POL) 4th,
Diego Negri (ITA) 5th, and Hamish Pepper (NZL) 6. Then came USA and GBR with series leader Freddie Loof (SWE) placing 9th with the French crew in 10th place.

That combination of placings was sufficient to lift Ireland up into the Gold medal sport with Loof (SWE) taking the Silver and Mateuz Kusznierewicz (POL) holding onto the bronze medal.

Mens RS:X

Started in a sensational manner with Nick Dempsey (GBR) pulling a fast move on the 2008 Olympic Silver Medallist Julien Bontemps (FRA) forcing the Frenchman over the line, and setting the scene for a match race for the lead in the competition between the two sailors who were tied on points at the top of the points table prior to the double scoring medal race.

The two split off to their left leaving the rest of the fleet to go up the right, making the fatal error of allowing the Dutch sailor Dorina van Rijsselberge to led around the mark, even though he was only one point behind the two leaders.

The points score leaders leaders slipped down the fleet to about eighth place allowing the Dutch sailor van Rijsselberge through for the Gold medal and costing Bontemps the Bronze medal. With Rodrigues (POR) slipping into contention.

At the weather mark POR rounded first with ITA second and JP Tobin NZL in third.

At the finish it was Fabian Heidegger to cross first, with Rodrigues (POR) in second, Ricardo Santos in third and JP Tobin (NZL) in fourth. The two series leaders were were well down the fleet - having died by their own hands. Dempsey finished seventh and Bontemps eighth.

The medal grab resulted in Rodrigues taking the Gold medal, van Rijsselberge second and Dempsey taking the Bronze.

Finn

The Finns got away to a clean start, with the fleet all on starboard before peeling off to port and going for the right hand side of the course inside the harbour at Weymouth.

Sailing in a pedestrian style the Finns had to endure a softening breeze. At the leeward gate, Zach Railey (USA) led. Ainslie struggled inside the Harbour and with just four points covering four boats overall, the triple Olympic Gold medallist was running out of options as the breeze softened and the passing lanes closed out and then end of the runway was in sight.

At the finish Ivan Klajkovic (CRO) came through followed by Jonathan Lobert (FRA). That was enough for series leader, Giles Scott (GBR) to be confirmed as Gold medalist with Lobert the Silver and Klajkovic the Bronze. Ainslie, the local hero who had been the subject of intense media interest all week slipped from second to fourth.