Australia leads the 470 Mens, Kiwis 20th

by Rob Kothe on 9 Sep 2006 The 2005 470 World Champions, Australian's Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page who won in the heavy breezes of San Francisco Bay, are proving their versatility in the soft winds and strong tides off the sandy beaches of Rizhao China this week.

Last week in Qingdao at the Pre-Pre-Worlds they finished a disappointing 14th, however they won the last two races showing they, along with Australian Head Coach Victor Kovelenko, considered by many the best 470 coach in the world, were beginning to figure out what was needed to win in the soft and shifty conditions. The team started this regatta, 160km further south in Rizhao, in similar weather with a 3,10 but yesterday was their day with two bullets - they lead the 2006 series.

Wilmot and Page lead the mens's event at the 470 Worlds with Yoshisako Yuka and Okuma Norik of Japan lead the women's event after day two, with five races completed.

Positions are very tight - in the men's Wilmot and Page only have a one point advantage over the next three teams - Gustavo Martinez/Dimas Woo ESP, Nick Rogers/Joe Glanfield GBR and Nic Asher/Elliot Willis GBR. The top twenty teams are covered by just 14 points.

In the women's Yuka and Norik have slightly more space, a three point lead over Marcelien de Koning/Lobke NED and then a further two points back Ai Kondo/Naoko Kamata JPN. Britain's Christina Bassadone and Saskia Clark are in 18 with 38 points.

The New Zealand crews have slid back with Geoff Woolley and Mark Overington now in 19th place overall after being sixth at the end of the first day. Racing is tight in this qualifying round, with overall placings being separated by literally a point a place after five races sailed. The Keen brithers from Christchurch have not had a good day of it either, dropping back to 30th overall, with the womens crew of Shelley Hesson and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher in 51st overall in a 60 boat fleet.

Report from the Int 470 Class website:

Reigning World Champions Nathan WILMOT and Malcolm PAGE (AUS) take over the lead in the Men’s Fleet by scoring two wins in the first two races of today. In the Women’s Fleet, Yuka YOSHISAKO and Noriko OKYMA (JPN) managed to retain their lead over title defenders Marcelien DE KONING and Lobke BERKHOUT (NED).

The Race Committee decided to run three races today in order to obtain a secure margin to finalize the Qualifying series of six races. This leaves the qualifying series with only one more race to go before the Championship moves into the finals.

Racing got underway at noon in light conditions with only 6 to 9 knots of wind and no current. Tide tables are major assets in this Championship event as the water started moving half way the first race with a speed of 18 cm/s, increasing in strength during the day reaching speeds up to 43 cm/s

Race two got started in a more favorable 17 knots breeze with the yellow flag hoisted. In the final phase of the race, the wind died as much that the Race Committee decided to limit the sailor’s advantages to use body and strength to speed up the boat by taking the flag out.

And there was still one race to go. With two races behind them already during day, and with the sailor’s awareness they were reaching the end of the Qualifying series in conditions of light winds and a strong current, sailing reached a high level of complexity.


Very close racing in the Men’s Fleet

In the men’s Fleet Australia’s Nathan WILMOT and Malcolm PAGE have taken the lead with an excellent performance during the first two races crossing the finish line in first position. In the third race they were less fortunate with a sixteenth position, which is now their active discard and loss off margin for another below average result.

Also Nick ROGERS and Joe GLANFIELD from Great Brittain, one of the predicted contenders for the Title at this Championship move up fast by two second places in the first two races today and now take a second place overall.

The current top fifteen can hardly fall out of the limits for the Gold Fleet. It needs at least one more race before any predictions for the outcome of this event can be made carefully.

Chinese 470 Men are not much involved in the shuffle of master positions yet. Best ranked are Deng DAOKUN and Wang WEIDONG as thirty-second. They still have good chances to reach the Gold Fleet and keep China in the Finals.

Flipping coins on bullets in the Women’s Fleet

In the 470 Women’s Fleet eyes are focused on the Japanese Ladies YOSHISAKO and Noriko OKYMA who make great efforts. After finishing in a relatively fair seventh position in race three, they improve during the day to finally score a third place in race four and a bullet in race five.

Title defenders Marcelien DE KONING and Lobke BERKHOUT from The Netherlands retained their second overall position, now in a Japanese sandwich between the leaders and Ai KONDO and Naoko KAMATA keeping the honors high of Japanese bullets in race three, the first race of today.

Sweden’s Therese THORGERSSON and Vendela ZACHRISSON demand their deserved position back on top of the leaderboard. Measuring strength in the same ground as the Dutch current Champs they cross the finish line as sixth, first and fifth at today’s races which takes them to a fourth overall position.

Also youth talents influence the 470 Women’s top ten. The winners of the 470 Junior Europeans Women held in Tavira last month, Emmanuelle ROL and Anne-Sophie THILO (SUI) currently take a seventh overall position.

Best home performers at the 470 Women are Wang XIAOLI and Huang XUFENG on ninth place overall. Until today they have quite a consistent serie of results and they may be China’s best hope for a medal.

A battle for decision making points tomorrow

Tomorrow there will be a strong battle for every single point that might be decision making whether a team will proceed the World Championship with chances for a medal in the Gold Fleet, or proceed the event in the secondary Silver of Bronze Fleets.

Racing resumes tomorrow at 12am