2019 420 World Championship in Vilamoura, Portugal - Day 1
by International 420 Class Association 7 Jul 2019 14:50 AEST
6-11 July 2019
420 Open Fleet race start - 2019 420 World Championship © Osga - João Ferreir
Two races for all fleets on the opening day of racing at the 2019 420 World Championship in Vilamoura, Portugal saw favourites live up to form in two races of tight and intense racing.
Racing for the Open, Women and U17 fleets is run as a 3-day qualification and 3-day final series, with fleets split within each division. Teams tried to establish themselves in the game early on in today's 2 races in a breeze of around 13-16 knots.
Qualification contines until 8 July, with re-seeding at the end of each day to mix up the fleets for the next day's racing. Once qualification is complete, from 9-11 July the fleets will split into gold and silver as the battle for podium slots intensifies in the final 6 race showdown.
Racing takes place across two course areas, with racing scheduled to get under way at 1400 hours on Sunday 7 July with two races planned for all fleets.
420 Open
Defending 420 Open World Champions Seb Menzies/Blake McGlashan from New Zealand opened with a powerful performance to seize the points and deliver back to back wins to lead the 89 boat fleet.
Just behind in third on the leader board are team mates Mason Mulcahy/Andre Van Dam who seemed to surprised themselves, as Mulchay explained, "We didn't expect to do very well because we have been in the boat for very little time, but it was a good day to get out there and get some keepers under our belt.
"It was a pretty good day and nice wind. We are pretty happy but it is a long regatta so we are not getting too caught up about it."
420 Open - Top 10 Results after 2 Races:
1. Seb MENZIES/Blake MCGLASHAN (NZL 56674) - 2 pts
2. Martin WIZNER/Pedro AMENEIRO (ESP 56005) - 5 pts
3. Mason MULCAHY/Andre VAN DAM (NZL 56163) - 6 pts
4. Onan BARREIROS/Ana SANTANA (ESP 56579) - 8 pts
5. Tal SADE/Noam HOMERI (ISR 54121) - 9 pts
6. Conrad KONITZER/Fernando RODRIGUEZ (ESP 56259) - 10 pts
7. Riccardo SEPE/Ettore CIRILLO (ITA 56195) - 11 pts
8. Ricardo ALVES/Tiago ALVES (POR 53957) - 12 pts
9. Luís NIZA/Paulo BAPTISTA (POR 56741) - 12 pts
10. Diogo PEREIRA/Manuel MACEDO (POR 56184) - 12 pts
420 Women
Tiebreak at the top of the 73 boat 420 Women fleet, with the top two teams, Eleanor Keers/Faye Chatterton (GBR) and Marina Garau/Blanca Cabot (ESP), matching each others' scorecards of 1,2 in a gruelling battle of race track speed and strategy.
"It was pretty good and pretty consistent as well, we just had to get off the line and get the right first couple of shifts and then we were pretty set," commented Chatterton on the day's success.
Reviewing their battle with the Spanish, who won the first race, Keers added, "In the second race they rounded just in front of us and were a bit faster than us, but we managed to pip them on the downwind. It was pretty speedy on that leg and quite wavy, and really good.
"Game plan for tomorrow is to stay consistent with our results."
The Spanish are competing at their second World Championship, after finishing second and top women's team in the U17 fleet last year in the USA.
"It was difficult because we are very close rivals," said Blanca Cabot on their battle with the British pair. "But I have a very good partner in the boat and we are very strong and the wind was so, so good."
420 Women - Top 10 Results after 2 Races:
1. Eleanor KEERS/Faye CHATTERTON (GBR 56339) - 3 pts
2. Marina GARAU/Blanca CABOT (ESP 56762) - 3 pts
3. Paula VAN WIERINGEN/Maria Del Mar GIL (ESP 56417) - 4 pts
4. Amélie FLANDORFFER/Iona WYPER (FRA 55096) - 5 pts
5. Lucille FRASCARI/Arianna LANZETTA (ITA 56373) - 8 pts
6. Sophie STEINLEIN/Oda HAUSMANN (GER 56772) - 10 pts
7. Vita HEATHCOTE/Milly BOYLE (GBR 55244) - 11 pts
8. Patricia REINO/Isabel LAISECA (ESP 56490) - 11 pts
9. Gabriela CZAPSKA/Hanna RAJCHERT (POL 56805) - 12 pts
10. Giulietta LANG/Tess PROVENZAL (ESP 56283) - 14 pts
420 U17
Last year Odysseas Spanakis/Konstantinos Michalopoulos (GRE) picked up the bronze medals in the U17 fleet counting two wins on their scorecard. This year they have already matched that win count, by dominating both of today's races in the blue fleet.
"It was very nice, windy and everything went well," said Konstaninos Michalopoulos. "We enjoyed the weather and I hope tomorrow it will be the same wind conditions because it was excellent. We managed to work well with the waves and managed to come first in two races and we are very happy with this."
Their performance was equalled by France's Ange Delerce/Timothee Rossi who took out both wins in the yellow fleet. Top placed women's team in the 66 boat fleet is Vanessa Lahrkamp/Katherine McNamara (USA) in fourth.
420 U17 - Top 10 Results after 2 Races:
1. Odysseas SPANAKIS/Konstaninos MICHALOPOULOS (GRE 56478) - 2 pts
1. Ange DELERCE/Timothee ROSSI (FRA 56650) - 2 pts
3. Florian KRAUSS/Jannis SUEMMCHEN (GER 56437) - 5 pts
4. Vanessa LAHRKAMP/Katherine MCNAMARA (USA 56364) - 5 pts
5. Neus BALLESTER/Andrea PERELLO (ESP 56769) - 6 pts
6. Federico FIGLIA DI GRANARA/Riccardo FIGLIA DI GRANARA (ITA 56335) - 11 pts
7. Ben TRESKY/Yannick KUSTER (SUI 54614) - 12 pts
8. Sacha BARAZ/Yannic FLANDORFFER (FRA 55095) - 13 pts
8. Fernando FLETHES/Carlos FLETHES (ESP 56693) - 13 pts
10. Alberto MORALES/Miguel BETHENCOURT (ESP 56600) - 14 pts
Full results available here.
For more information visit 2019worlds.420sailing.org