RS-X Youth World Windsurfing Championships now underway

by Rory Ramsden on 23 Oct 2012 The 2012 RS:X Youth World Windsurfing Championship is now underway. Penghu has an awesome reputation for howling wind but naturally the wind gods are somewhat contradictory at least they chose to be today. The fleets went out for a 1030hrs start as scheduled and had to wait in the starting area for a while whilst the gods decided where to stabilize the breeze... 10 knots.

Pawel Tarnowski [POL] came here to win his last world championships as a youth but has given himself a mountain to climb already. A 10th in the first race, he could just about live with if it was going to be his worst score in the series.

Trouble was his second race of the day was a disaster... 31st. Undoubtedly his discard. There is only one way to go from here and that is consistently top three from now on.

Meanwhile, Kieran Martin [GBR] and Maxime Labat [FRA] got down to business. Kieran won the first and popped in a third in the second to come in happy with his day in the office.

Maxime, Mr. Consistency, posted a pair of twos. So these two lead the RS:X Youth Men's Fleet for now with Goni Tzur [ISR] two points behind in third.

The duel for top honours in the Under 17 category is between Goni and Mattia Camboni [ITA]. After Day one, these two have a 27 point lead over Sirichai Phusiri [THA].

Over in the Youth Women's fleet, Saskia Sills [GBR] is in fine form. Two bullets gives her a six point cushion already. Clidane Humeau [FRA] had a good result in race 1 [second] and then dropped off the pace in the second of the day with a sixth. She is going to have to do better than that to stay on terms with the 2012 ISAF Youth World Champion and Rolex ISAF World Sailor of the Year Nominee.

No doubt Clidane will have her hands full fending off Neomi Cohen [ISR] with whom she is tied on points and Noga Geller [ISR] just two points back.

Factoid: There are four under 17 year olds in the top five women.

So there we have it. A good first day at the 2012 RS:X Youth World Windsurfing Championships but not great...

RS:X Youth Men's Results

1. Kieran Martin [GBR] - 4
2. Maxime Labat [FRA] - 4
3. Goni Tzur [ISR] - 6
4. Mattia Camboni [ITA] - 8
5. Ignacio Berenguer [MEX] Full results here

RS:X Youth Women's Results

1. Saskia Sills [GBR] - 2
2. Clidane Humeau [FRA] - 8
3. Neomi Cohen [ISR] - 8
4. Noga Geller [ISR] - 10
5. Imogen Sills [GBR] – Full results RSX Class website