EUROSAF Youth Sailing Championship - Sailors confident to win gold

by EUROSAF media on 9 Aug 2013 As fleet racing comes to an end and we move towards the medals races, some sailors are looking confident to win gold, while others still have a lot to do. It will be an interesting day on Friday.

Yet another glorious day greeted the athletes competing in the Eurosaf Youth Sailing, European Championship, but this time the wind was not so kind, initially blowing lightly from the north and then slowing coming around to the south west, at the same time increasing a little in strength. It was, however, not an easy wind to read, which was reflected in some of the results. Because of the changing wind, the start of racing was delayed a little, but not as much as was feared earlier in the day, when the forecast suggested it might be a late afternoon start.

Races 10, 11 and 12 were scheduled for today, the last day of fleet racing, before going on to the medal races tomorrow, Friday, which will be followed by the prize-giving and closing ceremony.

In the boys sailboard discipline, Evgeniy Ayvazyan (RUS) really consolidated his position with three straight wins, while his closest rival, Dante Chiapello (FRA), lost ground with a four,two,three in the racing today. Despite losing ground to the leader, Chiapello, increased his lead over third placed Michele Cittadini (ITA), so the top three in this fleet are Ayvazyan 14 points, Chiapello 27 and Cittadini with 38 points. The gap to next placed Adrien Mestre is a further 10 points, although he sailed well to record a two,four,two on the day, which leap-frogged him up the leader board from sixth to fourth place.

Imogen Sills still leads the girls sailboard fleet, although by her previously high standards she had a disappointing day, recording a seven,six,one in her three races. This gave second placed Maelle Guilbaud (FRA) an opportunity to close the gap, which she did, but not as decisively as she would have liked, scoring a two,three,two. This, however, was good enough for her to increase her lead over third placed Pilar Lamadrid Trueba (ESP), who finished the day with a six,one,four making the overall points scores, Sills 20, Guilbaud 28 and Trueba 34. Elena Vacca (ITA) is in fourth place with 42 points.

French sailors, Tom Carissan and Loic Guillou, continue to master the 29er fleet, scoring a perfect three wins in todays races. Their compatriots, Brice Yrieix and Tom Garcia, also enjoyed a good day, finishing with a four,two,two and regaining third place from German sailors Fritz Wassner and Linov Scheel, who with results of five,five,eight, drop to third place overall, but only by one point. Fellow Germans Niclas Kath and Ole Kuck are fourth, a further four points behind. After 12 races and including the one discard permitted, the overall scores are Carissan 16 points, Yrieix 29, Wassner 30 and Kath 34. Whilst Carissan’s position looks fairly strong, there is still much to sail for in the double-points scoring, non-discardable medal race for those placed two to fourth.

It was an up and down day for Hippolyte Machetti and Sidoine Dan (FRA), leaders of the boys double-handed, 420 fleet, who recorded a 10,1,4 in their three races. Having already scored an OCS, Machetti has to count the 10th place, so his lead of 12 points from yesterday, is now down to just four points. Tommaso Ciampolini and Cesare Mass (ITA) had a much more consistent day, finishing with a two,four,one, to help close that gap. In third place fellow Italians Ruggiero Di Luggo and Luca Giamatt lost a little ground on their countrymen rivals, recording a one,five,five, having been on an equal standing after the first nine races. The total points scores are Machetti 27, Ciampolini 31 and Di Luggo 35 points, so tomorrows medal race could be quite tense for these three crews.

The two Italian crews in the girls double-handed 420 fleet are clearly enjoying the conditions off the Tavira shores and are in a commanding position coming into the medal race. The leaders are Carlotta Omari and Francesca Ciril on 16 points, with Sara Di Vettimo and Vittoria Barbi on 20 points. Both crews enjoyed a dominant day on the race course, creating a gap of 30 points to third placed Fanny Popken and Julia Vitek from Germany. Spanish sailors Manuela Torres and Lucia Sanchez are within striking distance of Popken on 57 points, should they have a successful medal race tomorrow.

There were several place changes amongst the leaders of the boys single-handed, Laser Radial, fleet, although Filip Ciszkiewicz (POL) retains the overall lead. In second place now is fellow Pole, Adrian Raczkowski, followed by Spaniard Antonio Coronilla and then Frenchman Loic Queyroux, who by his previous standards had a disappointing day, dropping from second to fourth. Martin Aamann Jessen also lost one place and is now in fifth place. After 12 races the points scores are Ciszkiewicz 47, Raczkowski 53, Coronilla 63, Queyroux 65 and Jessen 75, so there is a lot to sail for in this fleet.

In what is turning out to be the performance of the week, Agata Barwinska from Poland won all her three races today in the girls single-handed, Laser Radial fleet, where she has never finished a race lower than second place. A commanding performance. The only place change in the top six of this fleet saw Claretta Tempesti (ITA) split the two French sailors who had been placed fourth and fifth, so now the standings are Barwinska 14 points, Line Flem Host (NOR) 39, Annika Matthiesen (GER) 54, Marie Barrue (FRA) 64, Tempesti 66 and Adele L’Hostis 70 points.

The medal races tomorrow will be taking place using what is known as the ‘theatre style’ course, which is a windward/leeward course, contained within a tight sailing area, with the perimeter marked by buoys, outside which the competitors are not permitted to sail. The top ten finishers from each fleet qualify to compete. The course will be laid as close as possible to the shore, in order to create a spectacle for spectators, prevailing weather conditions permitting. Double points are awarded for the medal race.

Immediately following the conclusion of the medals races the prize giving and closing ceremony will take place on the shore at the Tavira Sailing venue.