Yngling & 470 decided at Delta Lloyd Regatta

by Diana Bogaards on 25 May 2008
Australian 470 sailors Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page won the medal race and therefore won the only missing Grade 1 event in their long list of victories. In the Yngling medal race, Dutch Yngling teams claimed the top three places with Groeneveld, Van der Werf and Kampen taking the overall Gold. Schuemann, Bleck and Hoepfner of Germany won silver and Britain's Ayton, Webb and Wilson the Bronze.

A crowd of spectator boats gathered on the IJsselmeer to watch the final battles, the evening sun was bright, the onshore wind about eight knots and the water was choppy.

Going into the 470 Medal Race, threefold Australian World Champions (2004-05 and 2007) Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page had a three point lead on the Italians Gabrio Zandona and Andrea Trani. The Aussies sailed on starboard tack from the start and were first to change course to the right. The Argentinean duo Conte/De la Fuente led at the top mark, followed by the Italians and the Australians.

Only the Argentineans, Italians, French and the Dutch Coster brothers chose the left side on the downwind and lost their lead on the Aussies, who were flying. They extended their lead and won Gold, Italy finished third and took the Silver and Nicolas Charbonnier and Olivier Bausset of France seventh, to take Bronze.

In the Yngling medal race the Dutch dominated the final, finishing in the first three positions, with Kooistra, Bes and Platteeuw getting the gun and with Groeneveld, Van der Werf and Kampen taking the overall Gold. The Dutch crew for Beijing have not been selected yet. Schuemann, Bleck and Hoepfner of Germany won silver and the British World Champions Ayton, Webb and Wilson bronze.

470 - Final leading positions
1 AUS Nathan Wilmot Malcolm Page 64
2 ITA Gabrio Zandona Andrea Trani 71
3 FRA Nicolas Charbonnier Olivier Bausset 82
4 ARG Javier Conte Juan de la Fuente 98
5 NED Sven Coster Kalle Coster 126
6 USA Stuart McNay Graham Biehl 150
7 FRA Pierre Leboucher Vincent Garos 171
8 SWE Anton Dahlberg Sebastian Östling 176
9 ITA Fabio Zeni Nicola Pitanti 194
10 NZL Carl Evans Peter Burling 197

Yngling - Final leading positions
1 NED Renee Groeneveld 64
2 GER Ulrike Schuemann 65
3 GBR Sarah Ayton 77
4 NOR Siren Sundby 84
5 RUS Ekaterina Skudina 87
6 NED Mandy Mulder 93
7 NED Marjon Kooistra 101
8 NED Annelies Thies 106
9 ESP Monica Azon 108
10 CAN Jennifer Provan 119


Besides from title sponsor Delta Lloyd, the regatta 2008 is also sponsored by Volvo Cars Netherlands, Infotec, Provincie Noord-Holland, AD Sportwereld Pro, Heuvelman Sound & Vision, WeerOnline, Spa mineral water and ARMA Verhuur.