Trofeo Princesa Sofia – Winther off to solid start in Worlds quest

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 29 Mar 2016 Laser Radial sailor Sara Winther has got off to a good start in her build up to the 2016 World Championship in Mexico next month.

Winther is sailing on the opening day of the Trofeo Princesa Sofia in Palma, Spain. The former ISAF Sailing World Cup event is being used as a warm-up by several sailors who have been nominated as competitors for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Winther qualified New Zealand in the 2016 Olympic Laser Radial event in the first round of Qualification in Santander, Spain in 2014 where she was 10th qualifier of the 20 that made the cut for Rio 2016.

Winther finished seventh overall after the first two races with the 80 plus fleet split into two flights for the Qualifying phase of the regatta. Today Winther raced in the Blue fleet.

“The breeze was steady at 240 13-16 knots…slightly built as the day went on”, Winther told Sail-World.

“In the first race, I had a good upwind leg and rounded in first place with Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) hot on my tail. She got past me on the downwind and I then battled with French sailor Pernelle Michon on the second upwind leg.

“I played the right-hand side, and the breeze was shifted slightly with pressure coming my way to the right. Had a good reach and downwind and snuck into second place, which was my finishing place behind Anne-Marie Rindom and with Pernelle Michon in third place.

“It was a very solid race,” Winther added.

“In the second race, I started at the pin end, then quickly headed over to the favoured right-hand side of the course again.

“I was second again at the top mark, but third on the run to the bottom mark. On the second beat, I again worked the right and was in a group of four rounding the top mark covering second to fifth places.

“I didn’t have a very good reach, and took the high lane downwind and missed some pressure. So finished seventh. “

“It was a solid day, and I’m pretty happy considering I was a bit crook leading up to the event. But early days. Another day tomorrow. “

At the end of Day 1, Winther lies in seventh overall in the 80 boat fleet. She is positioned midway between a group of three sailors who qualified in the first round of Olympic Qualification in Santander and had been nominated by their countries to take up that place in the Rio Olympics. A further group of three sailors in a similar category are behind her. Winther is one of three sailors who finished the day with a point score of 9pts – just two points behind 2012 Olympic Bronze medallist in the Laser Radial, Evi Van Aker (BEL).

Winther is supported at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia by Singapore team coach Ian Clingan. A second New Zealand competitor in the Laser Radial event, Susannah Pyatt is in 24th place overall in the 80 boat fleet, after finishing 12th in each of her races in the Qualifying Round.