Laser 4.7 Youth Worlds Day Four
by Murillo Novaes amended Sail-World.com on 31 Jul 2009
Laser 4.7 Youth World Championship. Photo: Credit Gonzalo Arselli SW
Hermann Tomasgaard, from Norway, took the lead on Day 4 of the World Laser 4.7 Youth Championship.
In another day of light winds on the Brazilian ‘Sun Coast’, with men's fleet divided into gold and silver, two races were held today and the favorites for the 2009 world title began to show.
Wednesday was another unstable sailing day in Búzios. With fickle and weak winds from the east with speeds from four to six knots, another day of competition took place at the eighth Laser 4.7 World Championship. The Race Committee managed two races on the Manguinhos racecourse.
The fight is fierce between the Norwegian Hermann Tomasgaard, with 18 points, and the Ecuadorian Jonathan Martinetti, who won again today but counts a 15th place in the first race of the day. After that result he moves down from the top of the table, but only by one point. 'This winter here is the best I ever had. I usually spend the winter in -4 degrees Celsius', said the new leader of the tournament Tomasgaard.
Among the girls, Japanese sailor Tomoyo Wakabayashi won both races today and is now in third overall with 26 points, one less than the second placed Kim Pleitkos, from Slovenia. Another Slovenian, Urska Kosir, maintained her overall lead on the female fleet despite a fourth and a sixth place (discarded) today. 'I feel good sailing here, the weather is very good. I intend to keep the same strategy until the end of the competition', said Urska, who prefers winds up to 10 knots and is fifteen points ahead of her second placed compatriot.
Among the Brazilians, best placed is Rodrigo Mendonça in 25th, with João Pedro Oliveira in 26th. Despite having the largest number of competitors, only 12 athletes from Brazil are in the gold fleet and continue on the fight for the podium. In the female group, Claudia Mazzaferro remains the best placed local. With 57 points lost, the young yachtswoman who won less than a month ago the North American championship in Optmist Class, is in 11th place overall and third among the less than 16 years group.
After the four classification races were completed, the male fleet was split into two groups (blue and yellow) chosen by chance. The top 55 sailors formed the gold fleet and the remaining 55 the silver fleet.
The women's fleet remains unchanged with the 38 sailors gathered in one group.
Results:
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