RS Feva World Championships at Hayling Island Sailing Club Overall
by Bill Tucker 28 Jul 2012 00:15 PDT
21-27 July 2012
Exuberant end to vibrant event
On day six one forecast had sailing being possible and one not. The latter was the correct one as it transpired. Latest start possible was 3pm and the race team led by Greg Wells and Mike Dawe tried their hardest. But with 3 different wind directions at 3 different buoys and 3 different speeds getting just a fair start would have been a feat. Games of pirates and Feva Flipping could only last so long. So when the plug was pulled at the point that the start sequence couldn't be completed a new World Champion was found.
Leonardo Stocchero & Gianluca Virgenti were the deserving winners from Italy. This was their third tilt at the title and it couldn't have been won by two nicer kids. The exuberance of the event was matched and more by the exuberance of the Italians at the prize giving. 14 Italian kids brought the house down by belting the anthem out. The closing ceremony had the Abarth Stunt plane put on a hearstopping performance. Airplanes really shouldn't be able to do what it did. Jon Patridge from RS Sailing spoke eloquently and movingly about passion, sailing, family and friends.
A couple of thoughts before the list of winners: 4 different nations in top 4, Adriatic Weather conditions, feeling sorry for missing those moving on and up, feeling proud of the sailing skills and sportsmanship displayed, pleased for Leo and Gianluca and Italy, sorry for the big boys and girls who didn't get to burn up the race track, amused at the Nations Cup (actually more like nearly died laughing!), loved the professionalism flexibility and friendly can do of HISC and all the volunteers.
So where did the choccies go? The top 10 in Gold, Top 6 in Silver and Top 3 in Bronze as well as top 3 Ladies, Juniors (U13), (U15) and Families.
Overall Results:
1st Leonardo Stocchero & Gianluca Virgenti (ITA)
2nd & 1st U15 Robbie King & Josh Atherton (IRL)
3rd & 1st U13 Jamie Smith & Piers Nicholls (GBR)
4th & 2nd U13 Albert Gelpi & Marti Serra (ESP)
5th & 1st Ladies Jemima Lawson & Jenny Cropley (GBR)
6th Matt Whitfield & James Taylor (GBR)
7th James Hutton-Penman & Tom Jayasekaya (GBR)
8th & 1st Family Chris Allen & Jamie Allen (GBR)
9th Louis Chambet & Lucas Tissot (FRA)
10th & 2nd U15 Tom Darling & Will Dolin (GBR)
11th & 2nd Ladies Anna Prescott & Jess Eales (GBR)
12 & 3rd U15 Harvey Martin & Will Ward (GBR)
13th & 3rd U13 Arthur Brown & Niamh Davies (GBR)
15th & 3rd Ladies Jess Hammet & Hattie Lucas-Clements (GBR)
2nd Family Tomas & Mads Mathisen (NOR)
3rd Family Gillies & Katie Munro (GBR – SCO)
Silver Fleet
1st Delanie Rutter & Eve Townsend (GBR)
2nd Emma Baker & Isabella Black (GBR)
3rd Coen Minderhoud & Louisa Coxson (NED-GBR)
4th Eirik Lundberg & Regine Tronstad (NOR)
5th Andrew & Michela Mifsud (MLT)
6th Tom Joesbury & Will Creaven (GBR)
Bronze Fleet
1st James Eales & Jack Lewis (GBR)
2nd Jourdan Swindon & Zak Bermon (GBR)
3rd Alice Kidd & Remi Pfister (GBR)
www.rsfeva.org/worlds