ISAF Youth Sailing Worlds - RS-X Medallists return to defend titles

by ISAF on 5 Jul 2012 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships, to be held from 12th to 21st July 2012 in Dublin, Ireland sees 2011 RS:X Boys gold medallist Cho Wonwoo (KOR) and RS:X Girls gold medallist Veronica Fanciulli (ITA) return to defend their titles.

Fanciulli was locked in a tense fight with Siripon Kaewduang Ngam (THA) throughout last year’s ISAF Youth Worlds in Zadar, Croatia with just three points separating the pair at the end of the regatta with the Italian coming out on top.

The pair’s rivalry began at the inaugural 2010 Youth Olympics Games in Singapore when Kaewduang Ngam took the Techno 293 gold medal ahead of Fanciulli. The 2012 Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth Worlds will once again give the girls the chance to face off in their hunt for supremacy.

Israel’s Naomi Cohen finished third in Zadar and fourth at the Youth Olympic Games. The Israeli has had a strong year finishing 17th at the RS:X European Championship in Cadiz, Spain and 31st at Semaine Olympique Francaise in Hyeres, France. With some good results in the senior fleet Cohen could be in contention alongside the Italian and Thai windsurfers.

If Blanca Alabau (ESP) is anything like her World Championship winning sister, Marina Alabau, in the RS:X then she will no doubt be competing for top honours in Dublin. Blanca recently finished 71st at the 2012 RS:X Worlds in Cadiz, Spain and heads to Dublin as the second youngest RS:X girls sailor. But with advice coming from Marina, one of the favourites for London 2012 Women’s RS:X gold, she’ll look to put in a good performance at her first ISAF Youth Worlds.

Korea’s Cho Wonwoo was the stand out ISAF Athlete Participation Programme sailor at the 2011 ISAF Youth Worlds as he won three races on his way to RS:X boys gold having picked up silver at Istanbul 2010. Wonwoo showed consistency in light and strong winds in Zadar and with good results on the senior circuit, including a sixth place finish at the RS:X Asian Windsurfing Championships in January, it would be no surprise to see him top the podium for the second year running.

Looking to overthrow Wonwoo will be Pawel Tarnowski (POL) who will be competing at his third ISAF Youth Worlds. The Polish windsurfer came third at Istanbul 2010 but narrowly missed out on a medal at Zadar 2011 by four points. Nonetheless the Polish windsurfer knows what it takes to win having won the RS:X Youth World Championship in 2011.

The RS:X boys fleet is also packed full of exciting talent that has come through from the Youth Olympic Games. Michael Cheng (HKG) picked up silver at Singapore 2010 and is heading to his second ISAF Youth Worlds following his 11th place in 2011, a position he will be looking to improve on in Dublin.

Great Britain’s Kieran Martin also put in a good performance at the Youth Olympic Games after he won bronze. The British sailor will be competing at his first ISAF Youth Worlds.

The RS:X boys fleet welcomes back several sailors from 2011 including Mattia Camboni (ITA), Daiya Kuramochi (JPN), Kiran Badloe (NED), Sigurd Kalvik (NOR), Matias Canseco (PER), Alejandro Monllor (PUR), Adam Holm (SWE) and Oleksander Tugaryev (UKR).

Racing at the 2012 Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship begins on 14 July in Dun, Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland running until 20 July.

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Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship website
ISAF Athlete Participation Programme website