420 & 470 Junior European Championships at Gdynia, Poland - Day 5
by International 420 Class Association 18 Aug 2014 07:58 BST
11-18 August 2014
470 gold medals sealed with a day to spare
A tense penultimate day at the 420 and 470 Junior Europeans marked a thrilling climax for Jordi Xammar/Joan Herp (ESP) and Anna Kyselova/Anastasiya Krasko (UKR) who claimed the 470 Men Junior European and 470 Women Junior European Championship titles.
An increase in breeze and choppy sea saw a few casualties in performance, as teams got to grips with the change in conditions today.
470 Men
Spain's Jordi Xammar/Joan Herp today won the only 470 Championship title which has so far eluded them, and secured 470 Men Junior European Championship gold from their solid 2,2 race performance.
Nothing is guaranteed behind the Spaniards, as teams prepare for a battle extrodinaire to unfold tomorrow with those placed 2nd through to 5th in contention for silver, and even the 6th placed team having a long shot at bronze.
470 Men - Top 10 Medal Race Line-Up
1. Jordi Xammar/Joan Herp (ESP-44) - 18 pts
2. Malte Winkel/Matti Cipra (GER-13) - 46 pts
3. Giacomo Ferrari/Giulio Calabro (ITA-757) - 58 pts
4. David Charles Vila/Alex Charles Vila (ESP-1) - 64 pts
5. Matthes Waack/Matthias Rummel (GER-31) - 66 pts
6. Fabrice Rigot/Guillauume Rigot (SUI-2) – 81 pts
7. Simon Diesch/Patrick Aggeler (GER-11) – 84 pts
8. Filip Florek/Dominik Janowczyk (POL-34) – 94 pts
9. Kristian Check/Maxim Cherenkov (RUS-10) - 97 pts
10. Francesco Rebaudi/Matteo Puppo (ITA-99) – 110 pts
470 Women
Three back to back races for the 470 Women saw defending Champions Anna Kyselova/Anastasiya Krasko (UKR) open the penultimate day of racing with a win in race 8. They thought they had won race 9 too, but scored a penalty for being over the line. Fortunately for them, they wrapped up the day's racing with a win in race 10 and with it secured their second consecutive Junior European Championship title.
With gold to Kyselova/Krasko, the battle is well and truly on for silver and bronze. Theoretically any of the teams in 2nd to 6th places could be on the podium, but the conditions tomorrow are set to play a major role in the outcome. A breezy day is forecast, with around 16 knots and gusts up to 25 knots, so the finishing positions of the heavy wind specialists, some of whom are out of medal contention towards the back of the top 10 leaderboard, are likely to still play a critical role in who wins medals.
For several of the teams, contesting a Medal Race will be a first, as Frederike Loewe/Anna Markfort (GER), Jeanine Speelman/Marchien Speelman (NED) and Cecilia Zorzi/Bianca Caruso (ITA) get to grips with the high pressure arena and short sharp format of the 25 minute windward/leeward format medal race.
470 Women – Top 10 Medal Race Line-Up
1. Anna Kyselova/Anastasiya Krasko (UKR-93) - 21 pts
2. Frederike Loewe/Anna Markfort (GER-26) - 42 pts
3. Noya Bar-Am/Rimon Shoshan (ISR-11) - 45 pts
4. Jess Lavery/Megan Brickwood (GBR-838) - 52 pts
5. Jeanine Speelman/Marchien Speelman (NED-75) – 58 pts
6. Cecilia Zorzi/Bianca Caruso (ITA-20) – 60 pts
7. Fabienne Oster/Alexandra Lauber (GER-95) - 67 pts
8. Eva Peterneli/Valentina Baruca (SLO-18) – 88 pts
9. Benedetta di Salle/Alessandra Dubbini (ITA-74) – 90 pts
10. Tsuf Zamet/Saar Tamir (ISR-77) - 90 pts
420 Open
Having led the Championship all week, a massive upset for Hippolyte Machetti/Sidoine Dantes (FRA) today as Switzerland's Kilian Wagen/Gregoire Siegwart made their attack on the penultimate day of racing and move in to take over the yellow leader bibs for the final day of racing. Points are close with just 1 point between the Swiss and French teams who look destined to be in a race of their own for the gold medal tomorrow.
Wagen/Siegwart finished 12th at the 420 World Championships earlier this month.
"We are indeed very happy to be in this position on the leaderboard, but we will keep our concentration for the last day. We know that nothing is finished and that a lot can still happen in two races, but we are ready for the final day," said Wagen and Siegwart.
Behind the leading teams, it continues to be an impossibly close leaderboard, with the second and third placed Max Clapp/Joseph Burns (GBR) and Ewa Romaniuk/Katarzyna Goralska (POL) neck and neck on 99 points each. A repeat scenario for the teams in 4th and 5th, with a matching 107 points.
Big leap up today for the USA's Russell Clarida/Forrest Thomas who now have every shot at the podium from their 19th and race win, leaping from 11th overall to sixth.
Prizes will be awarded to the Open fleet and also to the Ladies fleet, which is led by Romaniuk/Goralska. Clara Addari/Arianna Perini (ITA) have moved up into the leaderboard top ten and now sit as the second placed Ladies team, with Paula Barcelo/Margrita Alba (ESP) as third placed Ladies team from their 9th overall on the leaderboard.
Two races are scheduled for Monday 18 August, starting at 1030 hours, in what is set to be a tense and hard to predict conclusion to this year's 420 Junior European Championships.
420 Results after Day 5: (top ten, 10 races)
1. Kilian Wagen/Gregoire Siegwart (SUI-52967) – 68 pts
2. Hippolyte Machetti/Sidoine Dantes (FRA-55096) - 69 pts
3. Max Clapp/Joseph Burns (GBR-55242) – 99 pts
4. Ewa Romaniuk/Katarzyna Goralska (POL-55326) - 99 pts
5. Russell Clarida/Forrest Thomas (USA-54068) – 107 pts
6. Alexandre Demange/Maxime Roux (FRA-55288) – 107 pts
7. Clara Addari/Arianna Perini (ITA-55101) – 112 pts
8. Jan Borbet/Lea Borbet (GER-55233) - 124 pts
9. Paula Barcelo/Margarita Alba (ESP-53162) - 125 pts
10. Mattia Panigoni/Riccardo Mirra (ITA054901) - 128 pts
Racing Schedule for Monday 18 August
The 420 fleet will start racing first on Monday 18 August on Bravo Course with 2 races scheduled and a warning signal of 1030 hours for the gold fleet race 11, followed by Silver fleet. The 470 Medal Races will take place on Alpha Course, with the 470 Women on the track first for a 1330 scheduled warning signal, followed by the 470 Men Medal Race at 1415 hours. The Closing Ceremony will take place at 1700 hours.
Check out the Live Race for updates from the race course throughout the day.