SPA Regatta at Medemblik, Holland - Day 2

Ainslie on form for day two of SPA Regatta

Great Britain’s Ben Ainslie made up for a slightly disappointing first day at the SPA Olympic Classes Regatta in Holland, after scoring two first places in the racing today.

Ainslie started well in both races and finished the first race in front of team mate Andrew Simpson and the second in front of rival and fellow Olympic champion Mateusz Kusznierewicz of Poland. This result sees him move up from 34th overall to third after four races. A fourth and a second for Kusznierewicz, gives him the overall lead by five points from Sebastien Godefroid of Belgium.

Ainslie commented, “I sailed a better day today, starting on the right side of the line and with better boat speed, so I am pleased.”

In the tricky morning breeze the Star class completed a further two races which resulted in a change at the top. World champions Fredrik Loof and Anders Ekstrom scored a sixth and a twelfth which was enough to see them take the lead from Team GBR sailors Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell. The points are very close at this early stage and the British pairing are just one point behind the Swedish sailors after scoring an eleventh and an eighth.

Percy commented, “The conditions were very unstable and there were a lot of ups and downs on the race course. We didn’t come off too badly and are pleased to be where we are as the standard of the fleet is so high with all the best guys competing.”

Team GBR sailor Natasha Sturges had a mixed day scoring an OCS (on course side) for starting prematurely in the first race of the day which she followed up with a third, placing her third overall. Amelie Lux of Germany leads the fleet by four points from Jessica Crisp of Australia.

In the 23 boat Yngling fleet, German sailors Kristin Wagner, Anna Hoell and Veronika Lochbrunner sailed the most consistent day scoring a fourth and a fifth to maintain the overall lead. Team GBR sailors Shirley Robertson, Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb had a mixed day, but a twelfth and a sixth places them fourth overall.

A further three races were sailed in the 49er fleet and the racing continues to be close with just five points separating first and third. Athens 2004 sailors Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks continue to be consistent in the fleet and a 2-6-10 score line places them fifth overall, tied on equal points with team mates Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes. Pietro Sibello and Gianfrano Sibello of Italy currently lead the fleet with the 2004 world champions Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez of Spain third.

Tomorrow will see the third day of racing at SPA Regatta and the forecast is for lighter winds. The event concludes on Sunday 30 May. Further information can be found on the event website www.sparegatta.com

Team Percy & Mitchell Update: (from Skandia Set Sail)

A similar day to yesterday, except a bit lighter - our normal poor condition. The wind was very unstable, and was changing very quickly in strength and direction so you had to have your wits about you. We ended the day with an 11th and an 8th, which was 3 feet away from being a 5th as we finished in a group at one end of the line all overlapped. Bromby/White (BER) won the second race, and we dropped overall to 2nd one point behind Loof with a discard. Grael/Ferraria (BRA) have had a poor event so far, getting 2 bad ones yesterday and an OCS today.

Lighter winds forecast tomorrow, so we will be trying another development sail, to try and find more speed in this condition.

Results after day 2:

Yngling
1, Kristin Wagner/Anna Hoell/Veronika Lochbrunner, GER (2,1,4,(5)) 7 pts
2, Ekaterina Skudina/Tatiana Lartseva/Diana Krutskikh, RUS (4,4,(21),1) 9 pts
3, Karianne Eikeland/Beate Kristiansen/Lise Birgitte Fredm NOR (3,6,2,(22)) 11 pts
GBR
4, Shirley Robertson/Sarah Ayton/Sarah Webb, GBR (1,5,(12),6) 12 pts
22, Dominica Lindsey/Annie Lush/Penny Mountford (21,(22),20,17) 58 pts

Star
1, Fredrik Loof/Anders Ekstrom, SWE (2,5,6,12) 13 pts
2, Iain Percy/Steve Mitchell, GBR (4,2,11,8) 14 pts
3, Ross Macdonald/Mike Wolfs, CAN (9,6,10,2) 17 pts

Europe
1, Siren Sundby, NOR ((1),1,1,1,1,1) 5 pts
2, Petra Niemann, GER (2,2,(5),3,2,2) 11 pts
3, Blandine Rouille, FRA (5,3,2,(8),2,3) 15 pts
GBR
14, Laura Baldwin (6,8,4,(24),16,8) 42 pts
39, Andrea Brewster ((29),7,19,25,22,12) 85 pts
43, Lizzie Vickers (16,22,(30),11,20,19) 88 pts
63, Katie Mapplebeck (28,(31),31,31,24) 145 pts

Mistral Men
1, Julien Bontemps, FRA (4,1,2,(10)) 7 pts
2, Joeri Van Dijk, NED (1,(15),4,2) 7 pts
3, Marcos Galvan, ARG (5,2,8,3) 10 pts
GBR
6, Nick Dempsey ((10),3,9,7) 19 pts
27, Leo McCallin (25,(26),16,23) 64 pts

Mistral Women
1, Amelie Lux, GER (3,(14),5,1) 9 pts
2, Jessica Crisp, AUS (5,6,(7),2) 13 pts
3, Natasha Sturges, GBR (10,1,(OCS),3) 14 pts

49er
1, Pietro Sibello/Gianfrano Sibello, ITA (5,1,(11),3,1,1) 11 pts
2, Michael Hestbek/Dennis Dengsoe, DEN (2,2,4,(OCS),3,2) 13 pts
3, Iker Martinez/Xavier Fernandez, ESP (6,(14),2,1,4,3) 16 pts
GBR
5, Chris Draper/Simon Hiscocks, GBR (4,5,2,2,6,(10)) 19 pts
6, Stevie Morrison/Ben Rhodes, GBR (3,4,3,6,3,(13)) 19 pts
35, John Wilson/James Barker (20,7,17,12,(OCS),19) 75 pts
41, Jonny Coates/Charlie Muir ((21),13,18,19,21,18) 89 pts

Finn
1, Mateusz Kusznierewicz, POL (1,(7),4,2) 7 pts
2, Sebastien Godefroid, BEL (3,5,(6),4) 12 pts
3, Ben Ainslie (14,(OCS),1,1) 16 pts
Other GBR
9, Andrew Simpson (9,(17),2,15) 26 pts
17, Matt Howard (22,13,10,(DNF)) 45 pts

Laser
1, Zbogar Vasilij, SLO (2,1,(3),1,1,1) 6 pts
2, Karl Suneson, SWE ((OCS),9,2,1,3,1) 16 pts
3, Gareth Blanckenberg, RSA (6,(OCS),8,2,1,2) 19 pts
GBR
10, Keir Clarke (10,4,1,20,2,(30)) 37 pts

Tornado
1, Roman Hagara/Hans Peter Steinacher, AUT (2,2,3,(9),1,6) 14 pts
2, Santiago Lange/Carlos Espinola, ARG (1,6,(14),6,4,1) 18 pts
3, John Lovell/Charlie Ogletree, USA (8,1,4,1,(14),8) 22 pts
GBR
8, Leigh McMillan/Mark Bulkeley (3,12,(17),8,6,4) 33 pts
22, Jonnie Hutchcroft/Marcus Lynch ((DNF),18,21,16,22,22) 99 pts
23, Andrew Walsh/Edward Barney (17,24,23,22,24,25) 110 pts
27, Chris Field/Mark Field (DNF,DNF,17,27,27) 129 pts
28, John Ready/Dan Taylor (25,26,25,26,(DNF),DNF) 131 pts

470 Men
1, Paul Foerster/Kevin Burnham, USA (6,1,(11),1,1,1) 10 pts
2, Gabrio Zandona/Andrea Trani, ITA (4,2,5,7,3,(15)) 21 pts
3, Alvaro Marinho/Miguel Nunes, POR (5,7,(OCS,2,9,3) 26 pts
GBR
26, Guy Tipton/Chris Tattersall (25,16,OCS,(DNS),22,16) 112 pts

470 Women
1, Lisa Westerhof/Margriet Matthijsse, NED (1,2,(OCS),1,1,2) 7 pts
2, Vlada Ilienko/Natalya Gaponovich, RUS (2,(6),1,2,5,4) 14 pts
3, Sylvia Vogl/Caroline Flatscher, AUT (3,4,(OCS),3,3,1) 14 pts

RYA Team GBR thank their sponsors and suppliers for their support: UK Sport Lottery Funding - Henri-Lloyd - Concept 2 - Hill Hire - Activator – Marlow – Alfred McAlpine Business Services – Solent Refrigeration Ltd – Hubbard Ice Systems