EUROSAF Youth Sailing, European Championship day 3

by John Friend on 8 Aug 2013 At the EUROSAF Youth Sailing, European Championship, following three days of exciting racing, the leaders are beginning to emerge from the fleets. The event is now passing the halfway stage as France edges into the lead in the Nations’ Cup Team Trophy.

A third day of perfect sailing conditions is making this championship one to be remembered not just by the competitors, but also by the volunteers who are organising the racing. Today the winds have been in the region of 10 – 15 knots and the sunshine continues to pour down from wonderful clear blue skies. A fantastic advertisement for Portugal and the Algarve.

A slightly different order of starting saw the RS:X sailboards released from shore at the same time as the 29er class, so they were ashore at much the same time as well. In the girls fleet Imogen Sills (GBR) continues to lead, but she has lost her perfect record by finishing the day with one first place and two thirds. Maelle Guilbaud (FRA) consolidated her second place with a 4,2,2, while Pilar Lamadrid Trueba (ESP), in thirrd place, closed the gap on Guilbaud very slightly, with a 2,3,1. The gap back to Lucie Belbeoch (FRA) in fourth place is now nine points, so the top three are just beginning pull away. The present points score after nine races is Sills 10, Guilbaud 21 and Trueba 23.

In the boys sailboard fleet the early leader, Evgeniy Ayvazyan (RUS), strengthened his position with two first places and a third in today’s three races. He is followed by Danate Chiapello (FRA), who sailed consistently for a 3,2,2 and Michelle Cittadini (ITA), who consolidated his third place with a 2,7,6. As with the girls fleet, there is a nine point gap back to the chasing pack led by Giuseppe Zerillo (ITA), so once again the leading three sailors are beginning to establish themselves as the ‘top dogs’. The overall scores in the boys sailboard discipline is Ayvazyan 11, Chiapello 18 and Cittadini 26 points.

Tom Carissan, crewed by Loic Guillou (FRA), is leading the 29er fleet after nine races, pursued by Fritz Wassner and Linov Scheel (GER) in second place and Brice Yrieix and Tom Garcia (FRA) third. Fourth place is taken up by Niclas Kath and Ole Kuck, after whom there is quite a large gap in points scored. The overall series points are Carissan 13, Wassner 16, Yrieix 21 and Kath 25.

The consistency seen in some other classes also extends to the boys double-handed fleet, in the 420. Yesterdays’ leader, Hippolyte Macchetti, crewed by Sidoine Dan (FRA) recorded a splendid 2,1,2, putting him in a strong position, 12 points ahead of his closest rivals, Tommaso Ciamolini and Cesare Mass (ITA), who finished with a 5,9,1 in today’s three races. He, in turn, is followed by his fellow countrymen, Ruggiero Di Luggo and Luca Giamatt, who currently occupy the bronze medals position. After nine races Macchetti has 12 points, while Ciamolini and Di Luggo both have 24 points, so we can expect some close racing in this fleet tomorrow.

The two Italian crews of Caralotta Omari crewed by Francesca Ciril and Sara Di Vettimo, sailing with Vittoria Barbi, are beginning to dominate the girls double-handed discipline, also being sailed in 420’s. They have established a substantial lead over third placed French sailors Mathilde Portal and Marine Riou, who in turn leapfrogged from fifth to third overall, after finishing with a creditable 2,3,6 in the racing today. The points between third and fifth remain close, so we could well see some place changes after the three races scheduled for Thursday. The current scores are Omari 12 points, Ciril 14, with Portal and the German team of Fanny Poken and Julia Vitek, both on 38 points.

In the single-handed discipline, Agata Bardwinska continues to show the way, finishing with a strong 2,1,2 today. She is still being pursued by Line Flem Host (NOR), closely followed by Annika Matthiesen (GER), but Agata enjoys a comfortable lead over her closest rivals. The story of the day was 10th placed Celine Herud (NOR), who having finished 12th in race 7, went on to finish fifth in race and then won the ninth race. Unfortunately, this did not push her up in the overall placings, where she remains 10th, but it is an excellent example of the importance of consistancy in fleet racing. The top three sailors in this fleet are Bardwinska 11 points, Flem Host 31 and Matthiesen 35.

There were a few place changes in the boys single-handed fleet, with Filip Ciszkiewicz taking the top spot from yesterdays leader Loic Queyroux, who now lies in second place. Another Pole, Adrian Raczkowski moved into third place, ahead of Dane Martin Aamann Jessen in fourth, with yesterdays third placed Antonio Coronilla (ESP) dropping to fifth overall. There are less than six points between third and fifth places, so with another three races tomorrow, plus the medal races on Friday, the competition in this fleet is hotting up. The current points scores are Ciszkiewicz 25, Queyroux 37, Raczkowski 46, Aamann Jessen 47 and Coronilla 51.

Full results here