2019 420 World Championship in Vilamoura, Portugal - Day 5

Waiting for wind on day 5 at the 420 World Championship © Osga - João Ferreir

A day of patience was asked of the 456 sailors competing at the 2019 420 Worlds in Vilamoura, Portugal as the wind played a waiting game on race day 5.

So far, the second half of the 2019 420 World Championship has been in total contrast to the first half, as the 3-day qualification series featured exceptional breeze and waves, compared to the final series which delivered light breeze yesterday and 'nada' today.

To make up for today's lack of racing, the final day of the Worlds on Thursday 11 July will feature a packed programme, with 3 races scheduled in order to achieve an 11 race series. Racing is scheduled to start at 1200 hours on the two course areas.

Thursday will determine the gold, silver and bronze medals in each of the World Championship fleets. The leading teams though have nailed the race track whatever the weather, and tomorrow is make or break with a light day forecast in the morning, building to a breeze between around 1300-1600 and then dying off in the late afternoon.

Waiting for wind on day 5 at the 420 World Championship - photo © Osga - João Ferreira

Follow our Live Race for all the updates.

In the battle for the top placed nation, Spain is looking strong. The Francis Mouvet Trophy is awarded to the nation who has the highest placed 3 boats in the Worlds, across the Open Women and U17 fleets. Spain has a long-standing pedigree in the 420, winning the Trophy every year since 2012, except 2015 when Japan took the honours.

The overnight top 10 leaderboard remains for the Open, Women and U17 fleets.

420 Open

Seb Menzies/Blake Mcglashan (NZL) have dominated the 89 boat fleet from the outset, so hard not to predict these two defending their 2018 420 Worlds title and scooping the gold medals. They won last year's 420 World Championship comfortably, and so far this year hold wins in 5 out of 8 races and a 10 point advantage over the second placed team. The door looks open for the gold medals, but anything can happen in a three back to back race day and the pair is well aware of their 20 point discard score.

Behind Spain's Nacho Davila/Javier Mestre (ESP), the third and fourth placed teams are on a 36 point tiebreak, with Martin Wizner/Pedro Ameneiro (ESP) and Luís Niza/Paulo Baptista (POR) neck and neck sitting on the same total points and net points as each other, and both have a 46 point discard.

The next three teams, placed 5th to 7th are also on tiebreak. It's going to be an exciting final day.

420 Open - Top 10 after 8 Races

1. Seb MENZIES/Blake MCGLASHAN (NZL 56674) - 20 pts
2. Nacho DAVILA/Javier MESTRE (ESP 55836) - 30 pts
3. Martin WIZNER/Pedro AMENEIRO (ESP 56005) - 36 pts
4. Luís NIZA/Paulo BAPTISTA (POR 56741) - 36 pts
5. Mason MULCAHY/Andre VAN DAM (NZL 56163) - 41 pts
6. Jonathan STEIDLE/Leonardo HONOLD (GER 56773) - 41 pts
7. Tal SADE/Noam HOMERI (ISR 54121) - 41 pts
8. Conrad KONITZER/Fernando RODRIGUEZ (ESP 56259) - 44 pts
9. Jacobo GARCIA/Antoni RIPOLL (ESP 56675) - 52 pts
10. Pablo RUIZ/Miguel MARTINEZ FORTUN (ESP 56187) - 59 pts

420 Women

Great Britain's Vita Heathcote/Milly Boyle edged into the series lead after day 4 and sit in a strong position as the only team with an all top-10 finish scorecard and a safe discard of 7th.

Only 10 points separate the teams placed 2nd to 7th and behind there are plenty of teams who have already proved their form with front of fleet racing, so plenty of opportunity to buck the leader board line-up.

There is plenty of unfinished business in the 73 boat Women's fleet and plenty of talent capable of seizing the points in Thursday's podium deciding three races.

420 Women - Top 10 after 8 Races

1. Vita HEATHCOTE/Milly BOYLE (GBR 55244) - 17 pts
2. Paula VAN WIERINGEN/Maria Del Mar GIL (ESP 56417) - 33 pts
3. Irene CALICI/Petra GREGORI (ITA 56571) - 36 pts
4. Gabriela CZAPSKA/Hanna RAJCHERT (POL 56805) - 38 pts
5. Marina GARAU/Blanca CABOT (ESP 56762) - 41 pts
6. Patricia REINO/Isabel LAISECA (ESP 56490) - 43 pts
7. Melina PAPPA/Maria TSAMOPOULOU (GRE 56340) - 43 pts
8. Jess LAVERY/Rebecca COLES (GBR 54480) - 47 pts
9. Carlotta SCODNIK/Camilla SCODNIK (ITA 56272) - 48 pts
10. Lucille FRASCARI/Arianna LANZETTA (ITA 56373) - 52 pts

420 U17

The Greek partnership of sixteen year old Odysseas Spanakis and 15 year old Konstaninos Michalopoulos established themselves as favourites from the start, eating up the leaderboard with six race wins to date.

Behind the Greeks, Ange Delerce/Timothee Rossi (FRA) have been locked in second place, with a points gap to the third place German team of Florian Krauss/Jannis Suemmchen, and the rest of the top 10 all close in points.

Leading the charge in the women's U17 is Neus Ballester/Andrea Perello (ESP) in 5th overall, with Elena Sotiriou/Eleni Giannouli (GRE) in 9th overall and Vanessa Lahrkamp/Katherine Mcnamara (USA) in 12th.

420 U17- Top 10 after 8 Races

1. Odysseas SPANAKIS/Konstaninos MICHALOPOULOS (GRE 56478) - 8 pts
2. Ange DELERCE/Timothee ROSSI (FRA 56650) - 20 pts
3. Florian KRAUSS/Jannis SUEMMCHEN (GER 56437) - 33 pts
4. Alberto MORALES/Miguel BETHENCOURT (ESP 56600) - 37 pts
5. Neus BALLESTER/Andrea PERELLO (ESP 56769) - 43 pts
6. Kerem ERKMEN/Berke Burhan GUNDUZ (TUR 56494) - 48 pts
7. Rosa DONNER/Sebastian SLIVON (AUT 56761) - 49 pts
8. Lampis GIANNOULIS/Simos MICHALOPOULOS (GRE 54484) - 51.9 pts
9. Elena SOTIRIOU/Eleni GIANNOULI (GRE 56073) - 52 pts
10. Oscar POUSCHÈ/Luca COSLOVICH (ITA 56771) - 53 pts

For more information visit 2019worlds.420sailing.org