JP Tobin takes Bronze Medal in RS-X Worlds in Spain

by Sail-World on 29 Mar 2012
2008 Olympic silver medlaist, Julien Bontemps has taken the 2012 RS:X Mens World Championship, sailing on the Bay of Cadiz, Spain.

New Zealand's 2012 Olympic representative in the RS:X class, JP Tobin finished third overall, after racing was cancelled for another day. Second overall was Nick Dempsey (GBR) with JP Tobin (NZL) seven points adrift.

Although Tobin did not win a race, and he was able to discard a 13th in Race 2, all his other placing were a consistent string of places in the top five overall. He also beat his training partner, and 2011 World Champion, Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED) by just .6 of a point.

The only other New Zealander in the fleet, 2008 Olympic Gold medalist and World Champion, Tom Ashley had a disappointing series by his standards to finish 29th overall, his best placing was a fifth in the opening race.

In the Womens fleet, Natalia Kosinska was the top New Zealander finishing 19th overall. Her best placings were single digit performances in the qualifying rounds. Steff Williams was 33rd overall with Justina Sellers 36th.

The regatta was plagued by extreme weather conditions which cancelled racing for three of the four race days. Both the Mens and Women’s gold fleets were able to sail only 10 of 13 scheduled races, and neither were able to race the final double point medal race. The early staging of the regatta, was in part, due to the ISAF requirement for the event to be the final Olympic Qualifier in the Mens and Womens Windsurfing events, and 25% of the 2012 Olympic places were allocated at this event, with the other 75% being allocated from the 2011 ISAF World Championships in Perth in December, 2011.

JP Tobin’s next major event is the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta in early June, in Weymouth at the Olympic sailing venue. He is coached by Sydney 2000 windsurfing bronze medalist, and triple world champion in the Mistral windsurfer, Aaron McIntosh, who is also the coach of Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED).


Men's Fleet
1. Julien Bontemps (FRA) 24pts
2. Nick Dempsey (GBR) 26pts
3. JP Tobin (NZL) 31pts
4. Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED) 31.6pts
5. Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) 32pts

Women's Fleet
1. Lee Korzits (ISR) 17pts
2. Zofia Klepacka (POL) 21pts
3. Alessandra Sensini (ITA) 27pts
4. Bryony Shaw (GBR) 48pts
5. Maja Dziarnowska (POL) 55pts

With the wind gusting to 50kts, the Race Committee pulled the pin on racing in the World Championship and set up for the Winner Takes All Speed Session, which was organized inside the sea wall. 18 guys and six women went out to see what they could lay down over the 100 meter course. The strongest gust registered on the race committee boat was 50 knots plus as the sailors showed some impressive board handling skills.

The rules are simple. Sailors had to use RS:X Class legal equipment to make two runs. The fastest run scoops the prize money. Men E1000. Women E1000

Peak speed for the guys was 31.86 knots and the girls was 25.92 knots

RS:X Men Speed Session

1. NED8 Dorian van Rijsselberge – 31.86 knots
2. RUS4 Dmitrii Polishchuk – 29.97 knots
3. NOR7 Sebastian Wang-Hansen – 29.70 knots

RS:X Women Speed Session
1. POL1279 Hanna Zembrzuska - 25.92 knots
2. POL09 Agnieszka Bilska – 25.38 knots
3. POL8 Zofia Klepacka – 24.30 knots