ISAF World Sailing Rankings

by ISAF on 1 Jun 2007
The Netherlands was the latest destination for the Olympic Classes as the world’s top dinghy and keelboat sailors hit Lake IJsselmeer for the ISAF Grade 1 Breitling Regatta. After a practice week of big winds and plenty of rain, the regatta was dominated by light and shifty conditions which made for highly tactical and highly taxing racing. Along with Britain’s five medals, the Italians proved themselves masters of Medemblik, picking up gold medals in the Men’s 470, Star and 49er classes. However whilst the Brits’ success is reflected with one #1 spot, three #2 spots and two #3 sports across the eleven Ranked events, the Italians only hold one #3 spot courtesy of the SIBELLO brothers in the 49er.

Of the four changes to the top spots in this release, Przemek MIARCZYNSKI (POL) gets his reward for a great start to the season in the Men’s RS:X, Mateusz KUSZNIEREWICZ and Dominik ZYCKI (POL) in the Star and Nicolas CHARBONNIER and Olivier BAUSSET (FRA) in the Men’s 470 both profit from a combination of podium finishes in Medemblik and the no-show of their nearest rivals, whilst in the Laser Radial, Evi VAN ACKER (BEL) falls off the top spot to be replaced by Anna TUNNICLIFFE (USA).

Next stop for the Olympic Classes is the ISAF Grade 1 Kiel Week in Germany, taking place this year from 16-20 June. Following on shortly after is the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Cascais, Portugal – which is all set to be the biggest-ever event for the Olympic Classes and one of the highlights of ISAF’s Centenary year. Not only are eleven World Championship titles up for grabs, but Olympic qualification is also at stake, with 75% of national places for Beijing set to be decided.

With the Louis Vuitton Cup Final and 32nd America’s Cup Match also just around the corner, Europe looks set for a fantastic summer of sailing.

About The Rankings:
The ISAF World Sailing Rankings rate skippers based on their performances over the last two years. Skippers score points by competing in ISAF Graded events. The top finishers at all ISAF Graded events score Rankings points, with the highest points awarded to the event winner and then decreasing down relative to position.

Mens Windsurfer ISAF World Sailing Rankings:
There is a new leader of the Men's RS:X Rankings and it is a sailor who is no stranger to the leading his fleet! Przemek MIARCZYNSKI (POL) did not compete in Medemblik but the rolling points calculation system puts him in the #1 position. Previous leader Ivan PASTOR (ESP) also did not compete but he slides down to #5 leaving Nicolas HUGUET (FRA) to shift up one place to #2 and Nick DEMPSEY (GBR) to return to the #3 spot.

There were no Medal Races for the RS:X fleets at the ISAF Grade 1 Breitling Regatta in Medemblik due to the wind dying away completely, marking a difficult end to a difficult regatta. The gold medal was clinched by Ricardo SANTOS (BRA) and he climbs two places up to #10 whilst silver medallist Chi Ho HO (HKG) moves up one place to #24. Third overall was DEMPSEY.

Ertugrul ICINGIR (TUR) sailed his best regatta of the season to finish fourth overall and move up four places to #14 and 2006 ISAF Youth Worlds silver medallist Fabian HEIDEGGER (ITA) rounded out the top five. HEIDEGGER now teeters on the edge of the world top 20 at #21.

Women's Windsurfer ISAF World Sailing Rankings:
The top three are unchanged in the latest release of the Women’s RS:X Rankings, with Marina ALABAU (ESP) still leading the way from Bryony SHAW (GBR) and Romy KINZL (GER). With ALABAU and SHAW both taking a break from racing at the ISAF Grade 1 Breitling Regatta, Jannicke STALSTROM (NOR) took centre stage, posting five bullets on her way to the gold medal. STALSTROM’s first ISAF Graded event victory since 1994 boosts her up two places in the Rankings to #6, whilst runner up in Medemblik and another of the RS:X fleet’s veteran competitors, Jessica CRISP (AUS), also climbs up two places from #51 to #49.

Back in the top 20, Olympic Champion Faustine MERRET (FRA) is rapidly making a return to the top of the windsurfing world and climbs up eight places to #13 after picking up the bronze medal in Medemblik. A little further back Japan’s Yasuko KOSUGE also make good gains moving from #37 to #27 and Carol BORGES (BRA) climbs from #45 to #37 after both posted strong finishes at the Breitling Regatta.

Despite a small fleet of just 26 competitors in the Netherlands, the Women’s RS:X Rankings gains another two sailors in this release to make a total of 91. With the ISAF Sailing World Championships to come, that number looks set to hit three figures before the year is out.

Men's One Person Dinghy - Laser:
There is no shifting Paul GOODISON (GBR) from the top of the Laser Rankings, with the British star holding the world #1 spot for the tenth consecutive Ranking release. GOODISON came in a solid fourth at the ISAF Grade 1 Breitling Regatta, but still saw his lead shrink as world #2 Tom SLINGSBY (AUS) again proved himself master of Medemblik, winning his third consecutive gold medal on the IJsselmeer.

With SLINGSBY winning by a country mile, Gustavo LIMA (POR) proved himself best of the rest to take second place, a result which lifts him up five places to the world #3 spot. With less than a month remaining until the ISAF Sailing World Championships on his home waters in Cascais, LIMA appears to be coming into his top form at just the right time.

Apart from LIMA’s climb up, the other major move in the top 20 sees Michael BULLOT (NZL) gain eight place up to #14. With David WEAVER (NZL) also gaining one place up to #20, New Zealand and Croatia both hold the distinction of having three skippers in the world top 20. A little further back 19 year old Rutger VAN SCHAARDENBURG (NED) climbs up from #93 to #60 after an impressive ninth in Medemblik and a sixth place at the ISAF Grade 2 Europa Cup in Hoorn, won by Alexander SCHLONSKI (GER).

The top 29 nations at ISAF Sailing World Championships will qualify for the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition. Impressive performances in Medemblik from Allan JULIE (SEY) and Kemal MUSLUBAS (TUR) bode well for their prospects in Cascais.

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Women's One Person Dinghy - Laser Radial:
Despite winning her fifth event of the year at the ISAF Grade 1 Breitling Regatta Evi VAN ACKER (BEL) drops from the top spot in the Laser Radial Rankings, replaced by Anna TUNNICLIFFE (USA). Whilst the two sailors enjoyed contrasting fortunes in Medemblik – VAN ACKER winning overall and TUNNICLIFFE failing to make the top ten – the American takes the top spot thanks to her consistency over the two-year Ranking period. Tania ELIAS CALLES (MEX) is at #3, with Breitling Regatta runner up Petra NIEMANN (GER) moving up two places to #4.

Behind VAN ACKER and NIEMANN, the Brits monopolized the rest of the top places, taking third, fourth, fifth and sixth. Penny CLARK (GBR) led the way and moves up one place to #15, but the honour of top Ranked Brits goes to Andrea BREWSTER (GBR), whose fifth in Medemblik helps her climb up four places to #6. Other moves in the top 20 see Sari MULTALA (FIN) climb three places to hit the top 10 for the first time and Tina MIHELIC (CRO) climb seven places up to #16.

Looking ahead to the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Cascais and the battle for Olympic qualification, up and coming Swiss star Nathalie BRUGGER impressed in Medemblik and consequently climbs up from #53 to #41 in the Rankings, whilst Singapore’s 19 year old Manyi LO also posted a promising result and gains 13 places up to #69.

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Men's Two Person Dinghy - 470
Nicolas CHARBONNIER and Olivier BAUSSET (FRA) move into pole position in the Men’s 470 Rankings, following a fantastic start to their European season. After victory at Hyères in April the pair put in a bronze medal performance at the ISAF Grade 1 Breitling Regatta to hit