EUROSAF Youth Sailing, European Championship at Tavira - Day 3

by John Friend, EUROSAF 7 Aug 2013 22:49 BST 5-9 August 2013

After three days of exciting racing, the leaders are beginning to emerge from the fleets, as the EUROSAF Youth Sailing, European Championship passes the halfway stage and France edge into the lead in the Nations' Cup Team Trophy.

A third day of perfect sailing conditions is making this championship one to be remembered not just by the competitors, but also by the volunteers who are organising the racing. Today the winds have been in the region of 10 – 15 knots and the sunshine continues to pour down from wonderful clear blue skies. A fantastic advertisement for Portugal and the Algarve.

A slightly different order of starting saw the RS:X sailboards released from shore at the same time as the 29er class, so they were ashore at much the same time as well. In the girls fleet Imogen Sills (GBR) continues to lead, but she has lost her perfect record by finishing the day with one 1st place and two 3rds. Maelle Guilbaud (FRA) consolidated her 2nd place with a 4,2,2, while Pilar Lamadrid Trueba (ESP), in 3rd place, closed the gap on Guilbaud very slightly, with a 2,3,1. The gap back to Lucie Belbeoch (FRA) in 4th place is now 9 points, so the top three are just beginning pull away. The present points score after 9 races is Sills 10, Guilbaud 21 and Trueba 23.

In the boys sailboard fleet the early leader, Evgeniy Ayvazyan (RUS), strengthened his position with two 1st places and a 3rd in todays 3 races. He is followed by Danate Chiapello (FRA), who sailed consistently for a 3,2,2 and Michelle Cittadini (ITA), who consolidated his 3rd place with a 2,7,6. As with the girls fleet, there is a 9 point gap back to the chasing pack led by Giuseppe Zerillo (ITA), so once again the leading three sailors are beginning to establish themselves as the 'top dogs'. The overall scores in the boys sailboard discipline is Ayvazyan 11, Chiapello 18 and Cittadini 26 points.

Tom Carissan, crewed by Loic Guillou (FRA), is leading the 29er fleet after 9 races, pursued by Fritz Wassner & Linov Scheel (GER) in 2nd place and Brice Yrieix & Tom Garcia (FRA) 3rd. 4th place is taken up by Niclas Kath & Ole Kuck, after whom there is quite a large gap in points scored. The overall series points are Carissan 13, Wassner 16, Yrieix 21 and Kath 25.

The consistency seen in some other classes also extends to the boys double-handed fleet, in the 420. Yesterdays' leader, Hippolyte Macchetti, crewed by Sidoine Dan (FRA) recorded a splendid 2,1,2, putting him in a strong position, 12 points ahead of his closest rivals, Tommaso Ciamolini & Cesare Mass (ITA), who finished with a 5,9,1 in todays 3 races. He, in turn, is followed by his fellow countrymen, Ruggiero Di Luggo & Luca Giamatt, who currently occupy the bronze medals position. After 9 races Macchetti has 12 points, while Ciamolini and Di Luggo both have 24 points, so we can expect some close racing in this fleet tomorrow.

The two Italian crews of Caralotta Omari crewed by Francesca Ciril and Sara Di Vettimo, sailing with Vittoria Barbi, are beginning to dominate the girls double-handed discipline, also being sailed in 420's. They have established a substantial lead over third placed French sailors Mathilde Portal & Marine Riou, who in turn leapfrogged from 5th to 3rd overall, after finishing with a creditable 2,3,6 in the racing today. The points between 3rd and 5th remain close, so we could well see some place changes after the three races scheduled for Thursday. The current scores are Omari 12 points, Ciril 14, with Portal and the German team of Fanny Poken and Julia Vitek, both on 38 points.

In the single-handed discipline, Agata Bardwinska continues to show the way, finishing with a strong 2,1,2 today. She is still being pursued by Line Flem Host (NOR), closely followed by Annika Matthiesen (GER), but Agata enjoys a comfortable lead over her closest rivals. The story of the day was 10th placed Celine Herud (NOR), who having finished 12th in race 7, went on to finish 5th in race and then won the 9th race. Unfortunately, this did not push her up in the overall placings, where she remains 10th, but it is an excellent example of the importance of consistancy in fleet racing. The top three sailors in this fleet are Bardwinska 11 points, Flem Host 31 and Matthiesen 35.

There were a few place changes in the boys single-handed fleet, with Filip Ciszkiewicz taking the top spot from yesterdays leader Loic Queyroux, who now lies in second place. Another Pole, Adrian Raczkowski moved into third place, ahead of Dane Martin Aamann Jessen in 4th, with yesterdays 3rd placed Antonio Coronilla (ESP) dropping to 5th overall. There are less than 6 points between 3rd and 5th places, so with another 3 races tomorrow, plus the medal races on Friday, the competition in this fleet is hotting up. The current points scores are Ciszkiewicz 25, Queyroux 37, Raczkowski 46, Aamann Jessen 47 and Coronilla 51.

Full results at tavirasailing.org/uk/nextevent/theevent/19/eurosaf+2013.html

Photographs at www.rspinto.com/Galleries/Live/26153253_dWt4Rg