ISAF Youth Worlds 2011 - Australians in medal hunt

by Craig Heydon on 15 Jul 2011 Australia’s youth sailors are set to battle it out for medals on the final day of the ISAF Youth Worlds in Zadar, Croatia.
 
With just one race left to contest on Friday, Australia’s 420 boys crew of Angus Galloway and Alex Gough, and 29er sailors Josh Franklin and Lewis Brake have the opportunity to bring home medals at the most prestigious youth sailing regatta in the world.
 
Galloway and Gough head into the final day of racing in third overall after finishing in the top 10 in seven of the 10 races so far this week, finishing with a fourth and 13th on Thursday.
 
Unfortunately the Gold medal is just out of reach for the Queenslanders but Silver is well within their sights.
 
The pair is 13 points behind the second placed Japanese crew with one race remaining but will have to watch their backs with the fourth place pair from France two points further behind.
 
In the 29er class Josh Franklin and Lewis Brake went into the penultimate day of racing second overall but an 11th and an eighth saw them slip slightly to be fourth.
 
Franklin and Brake still have a great opportunity to bring home a Silver or a Bronze medal as they are just five points behind the second placed Dutch crew and three off their American competitors in third.
 
'The final day is set up nicely for Angus and Alex, and Josh and Lewis,' said Australian head coach Belinda Stowell. 'There is plenty to play for in the final race and both crews are looking forward to the challenge.
 
'We finally had a bit of breeze today with it getting up to 22 knots at one stage during the 420 girls race which was a welcome change,' she said. 'All of the sailors really enjoyed getting a bit of breeze as it really mixed up conditions and the finishing order in a number of races.'
 
Australia’s 420 girls crew of Carrie Smith and Ella Clark kicked their day off in spectacular style, winning their first ever race at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships.
 
'it was really important to get a good start and we enjoyed going fast again in the 20 knots,' said Clark. 'We were so excited to win our first race at a World Championship and it was so good to be in the top three and fighting to win.'
 
Smith and Clark finished 10th in race two to end the day fourth overall, 14 points off third, but with the third placed crew are currently dropping an 11th place finishing, meaning that even if the Aussies win on Friday they won’t be able to reel them in.
 
In the RS:X boys class West Australian Eamon Robertshaw currently sits sixth overall following a seventh, a 12th and a third in the day’s three races.
 
Paul Darmanin and Aleks Vucic are ninth in the multihull open class with a seventh and a sixth on Thursday.
 
Laser Radial boys sailor Matthew Wearn had a great start to his day, winning the opening race, before unfortunately having to retire from race two due to receiving a third yellow flag for pumping, leaving him 26th overall.
 
Fellow Laser Radial sailor Ashley Stoddart is 35th in the girls class, having a strong fifth in the opening race and crossing the line 23rd in race two.
 
Annalise Gilbert is 17th in the RS:X girls class with her best finish of the regatta in race one on Thursday, with a 12th, then finishing 16th and 13th in races two and Australian Youth Sailing Team