USA sailors 470 Women's World Champions

by Jodi Kelly/Clare Murray - Sail Melbourne Media Cen on 30 Jan 2008 American's Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving helped ease the bitter disappointment of missing Olympic selection with an emphatic 10 point world title victory ahead of World No.1 Italians Giulia Conti and Giovanna Micol.

'If there was ever a way to make me feel better about not being selected for the Olympics . this is it,' an ecstatic Maxwell said.

'I don't know what the future holds but we're going to savour today, that's for sure.

'We're going to campaign for 2012 but jobs, graduate school and marriages come before that,' Maxwell added.

Australian pocket-rockets Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson shortened as hot Olympic medal favourites after securing a bronze medal at the 470 Women's world championships at Mordialloc Sailing Club today.

Sydney based Perth girls Rechichi 22, and Parkinson 21, were delighted with their result and the kick start it has given them for the Olympic regatta in Qingdao next August.

Conditions for the top 10 double points medal race were perfect today for the lightweight combination, who overnight trailed triple world champions Marcelien de Koning/Lobke Berkhout (NED) by just one point.

In 7-10 knot shifty winds, Rechichi/Parkinson sailed a near tactically perfect race to set themselves up for a podium finish.

Knowing they had to beat the Dutch girls to have any chance of a bronze medal, they kept them in sight for the entire race.

'On the second up wind we got a little bit out of whack and we tacked back and saw that we were pointing behind the Dutch girls. We were patient and just had to wait for the right shift and then they all pushed each other too close to the left lay - that gave us the option to tack around the top of them on the lay line, they had no where to go and they lost about a 100m or so,' a very happy Rechichi explained.

Rechichi/Parkinson will now both take a well earned vacation before heading overseas in March to begin their build up for Beijing.

They won the Olympic test event in Qingdao last year and have now officially signaled their arrival on the international 470 sailing stage.

Conti/Micol managed to win the medal race to consolidate the silver medal position, with Maxwell/Kinsolving finishing fourth, Rechichi/Parkinson fifth and de Koning/Berkhout second last in the 10 boat fleet.

470 Women Gold - Medal Race (1 - 10)

Pl	Name	Sail Num	Bow Num	Club /Cty	Pts Carry over	1	Total Points	Net Points
1	MAXWELL, Erin KINSOLVING, Isabelle	USA1757	118	USA	46	8	54	54
2	CONTI, Giulia MICOL, Giovanna	ITA 23	101	ITA	62	2	64	64
3	RECHICHI, Elise PARKINSON, Tessa	AUS357	086	AUS	70	10	80	80
4	DE KONING, Marcelien BERKHOUT, Lobke	NED11	062	NED	69	18	87	87
5	PETITJEAN, Ingrid DOUROUX, Nadege	FRA4	045	FRA	75	14	89	89
6	VOGL, Sylvia FLATSCHER, Carolina	AUT431	106	AUT	96	4	100	100
7	BASSADONE, Christina CLARK, Saskia	GBR833	065	GBR	98	6	104	104
8	TORGERSSON, Therese SANTÉN, Vendela	SWE331	129	SWE	86	20	106	106
9	FERNANDA, Sesto CONSUELO, Monsegur	ARG108	094	ARG	95	12	107	107
10	KADELBACH, Kathrin ZIEGELMAYER, Friederike	GER21