Yngling Womens Worlds at Miami, Florida - Overall

Sunshine Medal Race

Sarah AYTON (GBR) and her team secured the Yngling World Championship title already yesterday and could go into the medal race relaxed. The race was going to be about the Silver and Bronze and the other top results.

Fourth ranked crew Sally BARKOW, Carrie HOWE and Debbie CAPOZZI were fighting for a medal and had the possibility of winning silver if they could out manoeuvre their opponents the right way.

The race was started in a building sea breeze with relatively small shifts, but more important, difference in pressure that were difficult to see in the sun glittering water. On the short course of a medal race the start is crucial and there is very often a big fight for the committee boat end or the pin end so that you quick get to the side you think is favoured.

At this Medal Race most teams choose to fight for the pin end and the start was extremely tight. Siren SUNDBY, Lise FREDRIKSEN and Alexandra KOEFOED (NOR) were called OCS. Because of how close it was they could not judge that they were the boat over the line. They did not restart and were scored OCS for the race.

Anne-Claire LEBERRE, Marion DEPLANQUE and Alice PONSAR (FRA) got a fine start and they were the first boat at the top marked and then lead the fleet down to the gate. At the second upwind the French were overtaken by Silja LEHTINEN, Maria KLEMETZ and Livia VARESMAA (FIN). It was very close between the two teams and your mind went to Match Racing when the French team finally won, after a gibing duel at the finish line.

Going around the top mark to the final run team Sally BARKOW had the Bronze medal however Ulrike SCHUEMANN, Julia BECK and Ute HOEPNER (GER) overtook two boats close to the finish to hold on to the bronze. Krystal WEIR, Karyn GOJNICH and Angela FARRELL (AUS), the surprise team of the regatta secured the silver.

Overall Results: