Australia medals at Holland Regatta

by Di Pearson on 30 May 2005 Australian competitors won two classes and medalled in all but one at the newly named Holland Regatta, which finished in Medemblik, Holland, Sunday local time.

In a semi-final and final sail-off situation in the Mens 470, Womens 470 and Tornado classes of the ISAF Grade 1 event, the Australians sailed well under pressure, with Mat Belcher/Nick Behrens winning their first European ranking event, the Mens 470.

Belcher, from Queensland and his crew, Nick Behrens from Tasmania, came from fourth place on day one and worked their way up the ladder as the series progressed. They beat Alvaro Marinho/ Miguel Nunes (POR) and brothers Sven Coster/ Kalle Coster (NED) who had led class for most of the series.

Belcher/Behrens had recently contested Hyeres, in which they finished fifth and the Expert Olympic Garda, with a fourth place.

In between events, the two put in plenty of practice on the water. Prior to Holland Week, Belcher had said he was looking forward to Yachting Australia head coach, Victor Kovalenko arriving, ‘to tell us what we are doing wrong.’ Kovalenko’s arrival obviously paid off.

Elise Rechichi/Tessa Parkinson took out second place in the Womens 470, as did Darren Bundock/Eduardo Bianchi in the Tornado. The former 420 world champions arrived at the regatta straight from their hometown Western Australia, where they had been training under the eagle eye of their coach and 470 Sydney 2000 Gold medallist, Belinda Stowell.

They produced a fantastic result. Neither has contested any European events this season, nor had they much time on the water in Europe prior to racing in their first adult Grade 1 event.

Ingrid Petitjean/Nadege Douroux (FRA) continue their outstanding performances of late, winning the Womens 470 with ease, with Marcelien de Koning/ Lobke Berkhout (NED) third, after commanding second place for much of the regatta.

The top end of the Tornado scoreboard change each day, as it did again in the semi-finals and finals; Darren Bundock/Edoardo Bianchi pipped at the finals post by Fernando Echavarri Anton Paz (ESP), but beat ex Aussie rival Mitch Booth/Herbert Dercksen (NED) who finished third.

As earlier reported, Bundock’s new crew, Victorian Aaron Worrall, was unable to make the regatta, so NSW north coast based Bundock, who is coached by yachting legend, Mike Fletcher, asked Italian sailor Bianchi to crew, making Bundock’s second all the more remarkable.

Further enhancing the Aussie assault, Tom Slingsby took out the Laser class, beating last year’s winner, Vasilij Zbogar (SOL) by eight points, with a further four points to third placegetter Luka Radeliæ (CRO).

Slingsby, a 20 year old from Gosford, has now won three events on the trot; Hyeres, Expert Olympic Garda and now the Holland Regatta. He has lifted his game up a notch this season and Michael Blackburn, should he return to the class, will have a serious challenger on his hands for the Olympic spot in Beijing.

Slingsby, with 111 rivals to beat, sailed in the largest entry list of the regatta against stiff competition.

Two of those were Paul Goodison (GBR) who finished fourth and triple Olympic medallist, Robert Scheidt (BRA), seventh placed at his first major regatta back in the class, hopping back across from the Star keelboat. Both were expected to finish top three.

In other Australian results, Lauren Jeffries/Rike Ziegelamayer will be very pleased with their ninth overall in the Womens 470, at the start of their Olympic campaign.

Young Laser entrant, Joshua Chant, finished 97th at his first Grade 1 adult competition, while Krystal Weir, Australia’s only entry in the Laser Radial, slipped down the leaderboard to finish 28th.

Contesting her first Grade 1 Olympic class regatta in Europe, the Victorian 20 year-old is a talented sailor who can look forward to the better results she is capable of.

The remaining Aussie combinations in the Tornado class, Glenn Ashby/Taylor Booth finished 31st and Victorians, Robbie Lovig/Glen Douglas, were 34th.

Final top five results:

Mens 470

1 AUS Mathew Belcher/Nick Behrens TOP

2 POR Alvaro Marinho/Miguel Nunes TOP

3 NED Sven Coster/Kalle Coster TOP

4 CRO Fantela Sime/Igor Marenic 5

5 ISR Gidon Kliger/Udi Gal 14


Womens 470

1 FRA Ingrid Petitjean/Nadege Douroux TOP

2 AUS Elise Rechichi/Tessa Parkinson TOP

3 NED Marcelien de Koning/Lobke Berkhout TOP

4 AUS Sylvia Vogl/Carolina Flatscher 2

5 NED Lenka Smidova/Kratzig Elizabeth 8

*9 AUS Lauren Jeffries/Rike Ziegelmayer 9

Laser

1 AUS Tom Slingsby 21

2 SLO Vasilij Zbogar 29

3 CRO Luka Radeliæ 33

4 GBR Paul Goodison 40

5 POR Gustavo Lima 44

*97 AUS Joshua Chant 273


Laser Radial

1 FRA Sophie de Turckheim 44

2 GBR Lizzie Vickers 47

3 DEN Signe Linbjerg 50

4 GRE Virginia Kravarioti 58

5 FIN Sari Multala 63

*28 AUS Krystal Weir 143

Tornado

1 ESP Fernando Echavarri/ Anton Paz TOP

2 AUS Darren Bundock/ Edoardo Bianchi TOP

3 NED Mitch Booth/ Herbert Dercksen TOP

4 GBR Leigh McMillan/ Will Howden OCS

5 FRA Revil Xavier/ Espagnon Christophe 3

*31 AUS Glenn Ashby/ Taylor Booth 6

*34 AUS Robbie Lovig/ Glen Douglas 21


Full results: http://hollandregatta.org