Palma medal races beckon for British crews

by RYA on 6 Apr 2007
British sailors have booked thirteen berths in Friday’s medal races at the Princess Sofia Trophy in Palma, with 49er sailors Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes heading in to the final day in pole position.

Rain showers and more light wind conditions blighted the penultimate day of racing, with just five classes able to see any action on Thursday. The 49er class managed just one of their scheduled two races, with European Champions Morrison and Rhodes posting a sixth to give them an eleven point advantage heading into the final ten boat, double points scoring showdown on Good Friday.

But, with seven boats from the final ten all within two points of each other – amongst them Skandia Team GBR’s Paul Campbell James-Mark Asquith and World Champions Chris Draper-Simon Hiscocks – the medals are still well and truly there for the taking in what will be a nail-biting final race.

Great Britain has also secured three boats amongst the final ten in Yngling class, with Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson well placed for a podium finish. The women’s keelboat class managed two races today – although the second one was on a shortened course – with Ayton’s team posting a second and a ninth to see them into second place overall, and with a 15 point lead over the third-placed Finnish boat.

'We’re pleased with what was another solid performance today,' said Sarah Webb. 'It’s been the trickiest of regattas for us as a team so far, with some really testing conditions, but we’ve continued to work on our teamwork and decision making throughout the week and it’s put us in a good position heading into the last day.'

Shirley Robertson, Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor remain in eighth place overall with a discardable 31st and a fifth from their two races today, while Skandia Team GBR development squad sailors Victoria Rawlinson, Emma Rawlinson and Sue Monson surged into the final ten with a 5,6 to show from Thursday’s races, ahead of Spanish World Champions Monica Azon, Sandra Azon and Graciela Pisonero.

With no racing in the RS:X classes possible today, Nick Dempsey enters the men’s windsurfing medal race in the bronze medal position, while Paul Goodison occupies the same spot in the Laser event. The 2004 Youth World Champion Nick Thompson joins European Champion Goodison in the medal race tomorrow – he’s currently in fifth place.

Development squad sailors Luke Patience and Chris Grube will be Skandia Team GBR’s sole representatives in the 470 class finals – they’re in fifth place, nine points off the French leaders Pierre Leboucher and Vincent Garos – while there was a disappointing end to the regatta for Athens silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield, and women’s 470 defending champions Christina Bassadone and Saskia Clark.

With the 470s unable to race on Thursday, the two top Skandia Team GBR crews had no opportunity to pull their way back through their respective fleets and into the medal races. Rogers and Glanfield end the regatta in 20th place, with Bassadone and Clark in 12th.

With a 26th from the Tornado fleet’s only race of the day, Leigh McMillan and Will Howden are down to eighth place, but just seven points away from the silver medal position in the class’s European Championship standings.

Howden summed up Thursday’s racing: 'A very frustrating day today, but we still have the medal race to be sailed, this is double points and everything can change. We are in a position with everything to gain so we are looking forward to the race!!'

European Champion Ed Wright has made the cut into the Finn medal race, improving his place one place to eighth today, while Charlotte Dobson goes into the Laser Radial final in ninth place – the women’s single-handed class saw no racing today.