RS Feva World Championships at Hayling Island Sailing Club - Day 5
by Bill Tucker 27 Jul 2012 06:49 BST
21-27 July 2012
The outline results are slowly coming into focus. With a maximum of 2 races to go and an iffy forecast, of the low and rotating speed variety, the endgame is beginning to play out. Much can change but looking at the quality of the leaderboard and the steadiness of some those in it the picture is emerging. But that is only the championship racing – man was there more on today! The nations cup made me split my sides and the blow up games and Hog Roast went down superbly.
But the championship first. Bet none of the racers spotted the Commodores Cup (unofficial offshore world championship) going on at the far side of the bay towards Bembridge. But there I digress again. It is probably fair to say that the current medal positions have established a breakaway. With the peleton led by the defending world champ you can’t rule anything out. Outstandingly none of the top 3 are currently counting a score outside of top 5 in the final series (the discard maybe but not a scoring race). We’ll have to check but we think that the championship leader Leonardo Stocchero & Gianluca Virgenti is attending his 4th worlds (last year he was 8th). They have carved out a 5pt lead over Robbie King & Josh Atherton (IRL) who in turn have the slimmest of 1pt over Jamie Smith & Piers Nicholls. The buffer to Matt Whitfield & James Taylor is a more substantial 22pts.
These light conditions have been the lighter guys best friend so it is no surprise to find that the U13 trophy is also being hotly contested. Jamie & Piers are the leaders of that with Albert Gelpi & Serra next in 5th overall and Arthur Brown and Niamh Davies following in 13th (But what is it with the Browns? - big sis in 9th at the 29er worlds after day1 of Gold fleet!) The ladies are equally fierce in their combat. Jemima Lawson & Jenny Cropley in 6th have a 23pt gap over Anna Prescott & Jess Eales in 11th while Jess Hammet & Hattie Lucas-Clements are next in 15th.
Daan & Roos are leading the Dutch charge in 22. Norwegian Brothers Tomas & Mads Mathisen in 24th are also second family (Chris and Jamie Allen leading that in 8th). Johanna Frisk & Sofia Lewerin are top Swedes in 30. Tavo Annus & Mikael Rismets are in charge of the Estonian effort. Scots Gillies & Katie Munro are 3rd family at present. Although the Edmonds Nick & Alice (she’s the boss at age 7) are by a margin top Canadians!
Silver fleet is currently a girls tie break fest. Coming out on top overnight Emsworth heroines Delanie Rutter & Eve Townsend from Itchenor’s Emma Baker & Isabella Black. But both are just the 1pt ahead of Coen Minderhoud and Louisa Coxson. 4th and 5th Brit and Maltese are also tie broken only six points adrift. Bronze has James Eales (and don’t give me a hard time as I know it’s not Hector but the paper is at the club and it’s 20 past midnight). Jourdan Swindon & Zak Bermon are 2nd with Alice Kidd & Remi Pfister 3rd.
The other stuff? Nations Cup (sponsored by LDC Chandlers) sailed on a knockout basis sort of, was won by the French duo Louis Chambet & Lucas Tissot in what was pretty fiercely fought over a 6 minute course right in front of the club. We died laughing though when in the penultimate race (anonymity might be best here) the leader hooked up on the leeward mark and dragged it 25 yards into the beach. The others trying to get around them ran aground and into each other. A general Le Mans style running (in the water) restart then followed. The hundreds of spectators on the beach and rocks all needed some form of resuscitation after that. Priceless. The blow up games – well watch the website for pictures.
Results can be found here.
Thanks to our great sponsors: Allen, Sekonda, Bollé, Magic Marine, Kingfisher Ropes, Havant Borough Council, LDC Chandlers and RS Sailing.