RS-X Youth Worlds - Title claimed at the last gasp + Video

by Rory Ramsden on 28 Oct 2012 On day six of the 2012 RS:X Youth World Windsurfing Championships, Saskia Sills [GBR] went into the medal race with a narrow four point lead. She had to finish in the top three to secure her second world championship title for 2012. Considering her form all week and her coolness under pressure, expectations were high. She finished fourth. Game over.

The chasing Neomi Cohen [ISR] was not going to let such an opportunity pass. She pressed home her late charge for the title and took the medal race gun and in so doing snatched the title at the last gasp.

Saskia has exploded on to the RS:X Youth Racing scene this year. She won the RS:X Youth European Windsurfing Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. Then jumped a plane to Dun Laoghaire, Ireland for the ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships. She won that two. To cap a sparkling season she has also been nominated for the Rolex ISAF World Sailor of the Year Award too.

So I asked her if she was disappointed with her silver medal here in Penghu...

'No' she said with a big smile on her face 'I have won a silver medal. That is a good result.'

And she is right it is a great finish to a tremendous first season at this level. Oh, and she has actually picked up a gold medal too because believe it or not, she is still under 17 years of age so she is the 2012 Penghu RS:X U17 Class Windsurfing Champion too.

Jeanne Dantes [FRA] takes home the bronze medal having finished 10th in the medal race which included four U17 racers. Two from Israel and two from Great Britain.

Well done to them...

Thanks must also go to Neil Pryde Windsurfing for providing the charter equipment free of charge. Without this generous support and stalwart service provided by this legendary company Olympic windsurfing would not now be in more than 60 countries worldwide.

Attention now switches back to Ireland, this time for the ISAF Conference and General Assembly. The whole of Asia and small sailing nations round the world have high hopes that Council will chose to do the right thing and re-open the discussion on the 'boards' events and vote to reinstate windsurfing and the RS:X for RIO 2016.

Ladies and Gentlemen... It's time to take action. It is time to do the right thing. It's time to vote windsurfing...

2012 RS:X Youth World Women's Windsurfing Championships Final Results:

1. Neomi Cohen [ISR] - 43
2. Saskia Sills [GBR] - 45 (U17)
3. Jeanne Dantes [FRA] - 61
4. Anastasiya Valkevich [BLR] - 63
5. Shahar Tibi [ISR] - 64 Full results here

2012 Penghu RS:X U17 Class Windsurfing Championships:

1. Saskia Sills [GBR] - 45
2. Shahar Tibi [ISR] - 64
3. Imogen Sills [GBR] - RSX Class website