Australians Rechichi and Parkinson second in 470's

by Event media/Sail-World on 21 May 2006 Yesterday Ingrid PETITJEAN and Nadege DOUROUX (FRA) were the stars of the show on the 470 course, with a 1,2,1 day giving them a commanding ten point lead going into today’s Medal Races. PETITJEAN revealed their aim for today was simple, 'To stay close to the Australians'.

Elise RECHICHI and Tessa PARKINSON (AUS) were the only threat to French gold and the young Aussie pair were never able to escape the clutches of the World number one team. Meanwhile the battle for third place saw home sailors Sylvia VOGL and Carolina FLATSCHER (AUT) holding a five point advantage over Emanuelle ROL and Anne-Sophie THILO (SUI), with Ruslana TARAN and Olena PAKHOLCHYK (UKR) also in with a shout of gold, twelve points off the final medal spot. The Austrian pair were close to the Swiss at the start, with TARAN and PAKHOLCHYK going off to the right off the windward-leeward course.

An impressive start saw Katarzyna TYLINSKA and Marta KASZALOWICZ (POL) round the top mark first, with the Ukrainians fourth, ROL and THILO fifth and VOGL and FLATSCHER sixth. Following this trio were PETITJEAN and DOUROUX, always staying just ahead of the Australians. The three coloured spinnakers representing the three leaders made an impressive sight downwind, with VOGL and FLATSCHER coming between the French and the Aussies by the second mark.

With the Austrians rounding sixth, TARAN and PAKHOLCHYK had to up their game to challenge for bronze and again headed out way right on the second upwind. The move paid off for them and they rounded the top mark second behind Japan’s Yuka YOSHISAKO and Noriko OKUMA.

Meanwhile VOGL and FLATSCHER were still concentrating on tracking the Swiss team, but the strategy was costing them places. They past the top mark eighth and suddenly were out of the bronze medal position. With the fleet spread out on the downwind VOGL and FLATSCHER were unable to make up places, TARAN and PAKHOLCHYK meanwhile took second at the finish line to up the pressure. PETITJEAN and DOUROUX crossed in fourth to take the gold medal comfortably, RECHICHI and PARKINSON took sixth and silver, whilst seventh went to the Swiss and with it the bronze medal to TARAN and PAKHOLCHYK.

For number one team in the ISAF World Sailing Rankings, PETITJEAN and DOUROUX, victory on Lake Neusiedl is one better than the silver medal they achieved in Marseille four years ago, and is their fourth win of the year so far.

Women's 470 Top Ten Results

Pos Nation Skipper Crew R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 MR Pts

1 FRA Ingrid PETITJEAN Nadege DOUROUX 2 1 (18) 3 8 1 2 1 8 26

2 AUS Elise RECHICHI Tessa PARKINSON 5 8 6 1 3 4 1 (11) 12 40

3 UKR Ruslana TARAN Olena PAKHOLCHYK 12 9 1 4 5 (14) 13 5 4 53

4 AUT Sylvia VOGL Carolina FLATSCHER (18) 4 5 10 6 5 5 2 16 53

5 SUI Emanuelle ROL Anne-Sophie THILO 7 (12) 4 8 2 9 6 6 14 56

6 JPN Yuka YOSHISAKO Noriko OKUMA 10 6 11 2 (19) 17 7 7 2 62

7 RUS Vlada IJIENKO Natalia GAPONOVICH (20) DNC 11 2 14 1 7 11 15 6 67

8 POL Katarzyna TYLINSKA Marta KASZALOWICZ 6 7 3 7 (16) 15 15 13 10 76

9 CZE Lenka SMIDOVA Elisabeth KRATZIG 1 15 16 (18) 14 2 3 9 18 78

10 SLO Teja CERNE Alja CERNE 8 5 15 (17) 10 6 8 10 20 82