Finland leads Laser Radial Womens Worlds

by Jodie Bakewell-White on 16 Mar 2008
Sari Multala (FIN) and Evi Van Acker (BEL) have the early lead with a win and a second place apiece at the 2008 Women’s Laser Radial World Championships which got underway today, the second day of scheduled racing, on Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.

Charlotte Dobson and Lizzie Vickers are the best placed of the Brits, in sixth and tenth places overall. Dobson had a fifth and a third, and Vickers an 8th and a sixth. Penny Clark Penny is in 13th, Andrea Brewster in 17th and Alison Young and 22nd Laura Baldwin 25th overall.

It was a warm sunny day on Auckland’s North Shore and a 20 knot south westerly greeted sailors for race one of the regatta which kicked off on time at 11am this morning. Easing slightly for race two the fleet enjoyed excellent sailing conditions all day, after the wind failed to show yesterday.

Van Acker enjoyed being back on the water for some top level competition having spent recent months laying low with a virus. However the Belgian demonstrated today that she’s back in top form with a stunning start to the regatta. Despite traditionally being more of a light air specialist Van Acker’s recent training paid off and she won the first race in the blue fleet.

'I think it’s the first time I’ve won a race in strong winds,' she said after racing today. 'I’m usually more of a light wind sailor. But last month I’ve been training, and I’ve been getting better, and today was just great. I was so fired up because it’s been so long since I’ve done a real regatta'

'The first race I had a good start, good speed and I was far out in front from the start with an easy lead.'

'In the second race I had a bad start, in the beginning it didn’t work out for me, I was on the wrong tack. But anyway I tried to climb up, I was, I think seventh or eighth at the top mark. I made too many mistakes on the downwind; I think I could have won the race,' continued Van Acker.

'But woah, great day, great result – I was crying after the first race. I’m really happy.'

Sari Multala of Finland had an equally good start to the regatta placing 2nd in race one in the yellow fleet and then following that up with a win in race two.

Both Sarah Blanck of Australia and Paige Railey of the USA also started strongly and have a share of third place both just two points adrift of the leaders. Blanck had a win and a fourth in racing today while Railey was third and second giving them both five points in total and well placed in this world class fleet going into the second day of the five day series.

Behind them is Frances Sarah Stayaert with a sixth and a win on the water today she has 7 points in total and lays fifth overall on the leaderboard.

Jo Aleh is the best placed of the New Zealand contingent and sits in 11th place overall with two 7th’s on the water today. The light air specialist suffered with a capsize on the water today still managing a respectable result and is on equal points with Vickers (GBR) in 10th.

Women’s Laser Radial World Championship 2008 - overall standings after two races

1 FIN 193058 Multala Sari 2 1 3 pts
2 BEL 193004 Van Acker Evi 1 2 3 pts
3 AUS 193003 Blanck Sarah 1 4 5 pts
4 USA 193020 Railey Paige 3 2 5 pts
5 FRA 193009 Steyaert Sarah 6 1 7 pts
6 GBR 193006 Dobson Charlotte 5 3 8 pts
7 CHN 193008 Xu Lijia 3 5 8 pts
8 NED 193015 Bouwmeester Marit 4 8 12 pts
9 SUI 193113 Brugger Nathalie 7 5 12 pts
10 GBR 193013 Vickers Lizzie 8 6 14 pts
11 NZL 193001 Aleh Jo 7 7 14 pts
12 POL 193005 Szotynska Katarzyna 10 6 16 pts
13 GBR 193011 Clark Penny 10 7 17 pts
14 ISR 193076 Endelman Nufar 15 4 19 pts
15 GRE 193067 Mantzaraki Eftychia 11 9 20 pts
16 POR 193104 Carmo Sara 18 3 21 pts
17 GBR 193010 Brewster Andrea 9 12 21 pts
18 FRA 193062 Brain Solenne 2 22 24 pts
19 DEN 193050 Schutt Maiken 16 11 27 pts
19 PAR 193101 Cerutti Bogado Florencia 16 11 27 pts
21 GRE 193070 Kravarioti Virginia 20 8 28 pts
22 GBR 193063 Young Alison 14 17 31 pts
23 CHN 193041 Zhu Jiangyan 12 20 32 pts
24 CHN 193042 Shen Xiaoying 18 14 32 pts
25 GBR 193018 Baldwin Laura 23 10 33 pts
26 CRO 193043 Barbic Gea 13 20 33 pts
27 DEN 193047 Lindberg Alberte 25 9 34 pts
28 SWE 193115 Soderstrom Karin 24 10 34 pts
29 IRL 193072 Murphy Annalise 22 13 35 pts
30 BRA 193027 Kostiw Adrina 21 16 37 pts
31 CHN 193040 Shen Huanqi 17 21 38 pts
31 RUS 193105 Chernova Anastasia 17 21 38 pts
33 CZE 193046 Fenclova Veronika 20 18 38 pts
34 NZL 193099 Powrie Miranda 12 28 40 pts
35 IRL 193073 Murphy Claudine 26 14 40 pts
36 ESP 193053 Reyes Fatima 21 19 40 pts
37 NZL 193096 Hume-Merry Cushla 8 33 41 pts
38 CRO 193016 Mihelic Tina 31 12 43 pts
39 CAN 193035 Bertold Isabella 30 13 43 pts
40 POL 193103 Gladysz Zuzanna 14 29 43 pts
41 ITA 193078 Clapcich Francesca 27 16 43 pts
42 ESP 193052 Cebrian Alicia 19 24 43 pts
43 SUI 193112 Meyer Corinne 9 35 44 pts
44 AUS 193023 King Gabrielle 19 25 44 pts
45 IRL 193075 Hanna Debbie 27 18 45 pts
46 NZL 193014 Winther Sara 26 19 45 pts
47 AUS 193024 de Lange Megan 22 23 45 pts
48 ESP 193054 Reyes Lucia 31 15 46 pts
49 CAN 193037 Rasa Keamia 23 24 47 pts
50 AUS 193021 South Alexandra 33 17 50 pts
51 TUR 193117 Unver Ayda 28 22 50 pts
52 ITA 193080 Nevierov Larissa 25 26 51 pts
53 CAN 193038 Ross Lisa 38 15 53 pts
54 SIN 193110 Chan Victoria 30 23 53 pts
55 NED 193091 Bouwmeester Anneke 29 31 60 pts
56 FIN 193007 Tenkanen Tuula 32 30 62 pts
57 FRA 193017 de Turckheim Sophie 4 ocs 63 pts
58 LTU 193019 Volungeviciute Gintare 5 dnf 64 pts
59 DEN 193051 Gunni Sarah 24 40 64 pts
60 SIN 193109 Lo Manyi 39 25 64 pts
61 DEN 193049 Hall Cathrine 37 27 64 pts
61 ESP 193055 Romero Steensma Susana 37 27 64 pts
63 USA 193002 Tunnicliffe Anna 6 ocs 65 pts
64 IRL 193074 Peelo Ciara 34 31 65 pts
65 PER 193102 Schmidt Paloma 39 28 67 pts
66 USA 193118 Billing Emily 29 39 68 pts
67 JPN 193084 Hiruta Kanako 33 35 68 pts
68 VEN 193120 Saba Andria 40 29 69 pts
69 AUS 193022 Stoddart Ashley 35 34 69 pts
70 CRO 193045 Petronijevic Mateja 11 ocs 70 pts
71 BLR 193026 Drozdovskaya Tatiana 13 dnf 72 pts
72 RUS 193106 Kirilyuk Alisa 40 32 72 pts
73 GBR 193066 Williams Sarah 36 36 72 pts
74 GBR 193064 Martin Chloe 47 26 73 pts
75 NOR 193092 Samdal Elin 15 ocs 74 pts
76 SIN 193108 Yin Elizabeth 41 33 74 pts
77 FRA 193060 Le Sausse Fanny 34 42 76 pts
78 BRA 193029 Ginaid Odile 38 38 76 pts
79 NZL 193093 Hargreaves Amanda 32 45 77 pts
80 RUS 193107 Oblova Elena 42 37 79 pts
81 GRE 193069 Vlachou Maria 41 38 79 pts
82 BRA 193031 Rosa Borges Roberta 42 39 81 pts
83 JPN 193086 Sato Maiko 51 32 83 pts
84 NZL 193098 Monk Jane 46 37 83 pts
85 CAN 193039 Smutny Tanja 49 36 85 pts
86 NZL 193100 Tootill Sarah 45 40 85 pts
87 GRE 193068 Kolida Haidi 44 42 86 pts
88 CAN 193034 Dube Danielle 28 ocs 87 pts
89 JPN 193083 Ishikawa Ayumi 43 44 87 pts
90 JPN 193087 Saiki Yukiyo 54 34 88 pts
91 CRO 193044 Bello Marijana 45 43 88 pts
92 GBR 193119 Russell Suzanne dnf 30 89 pts
93 MAS 193090 Anuar Nurul 48 41 89 pts
94 BEL 193025 Maes Laura 44 46 90 pts
95 NZL 193097 Barrell Jessica 46 47 93 pts
96 NZL 193095 Dye-Hutchinson Briar 35 ocs 94 pts
97 ISV 193077 Roller Mayumi 53 41 94 pts
98 BRA 193028 Decnop Coelho Fernanda 48 46 94 pts
99 FRA 193061 de Kerangat Mathilde 36 dnf 95 pts
100 CAN 193032 Vittery Alanna 51 44 95 pts
101 NZL 193094 Hibbard Aevril 49 47 96 pts
102 LTU 193089 Mileviciute Ausra 55 43 98 pts
103 SWE 193114 Skarp Helena 43 55 98 pts
104 EST 193056 Randmaa Merili 50 48 98 pts
105 CAN 193033 Merry Rachael 47 54 101 pts
106 BRA 193030 Gatti Raulino Patricia 53 48 101 pts
107 DEN 193048 Livbjerg Anna 52 49 101 pts
107 LAT 193088 Aile Anna 52 49 101 pts
109 IND 193071 Rau Rohini 57 45 102 pts
110 ITA 193079 Valsecchi Giovanna 56 50 106 pts
110 ITA 193082 Graziani Maria 56 50 106 pts
110 SRB 193111 Dukic Milica 50 56 106 pts
113 JPN 193085 Takahashi Kaori 55 51 106 pts
114 FRA 193059 Antoine Corinne 54 5