Mistral World Championships - Day 2

BRITAIN'S PRE OLYMPIC REPRESENTATIVES EXCEL IN PACIFIC CONDITIONS

After the opening two days and four races at the Mistral World Championships, Christine Johnston and Nick Dempsey, RYA Team GBR's representatives at the recent IBM Sydney Harbour Pre Olympic Regatta, have excelled in the idyllic conditions of the Pacific's French Polynesian Islands, and go into the second phase of the championships in third and fourth overall in their respective fleets.

In a similar fashion to next years Olympic sailing venue, Sydney Harbour, the 155 strong fleet from over 40 nations (95 men and 60 women) are spilt between 'windy' outside and 'variable' inside course options.

The women started their regatta on the outer course where the stronger conditions, which place a premium on speed and fleet tactics, have suited Johnston (from Hampshire), who powered her way through to a second and fifth in today's two races, commenting: "Some good starts kept me in the frame and I was pleased with my downwind speed in the bigger waves on the outside course, hopefully the trade winds will continue as I'm enjoying the rougher conditions"

Today's result, coupled with her two tenth places in Sunday's two races moves Johnston up in third overall, one point ahead of Pre Olympic Bronze Medallist Jessica Crisp (Australia).

The lighter and more variable winds on the inside course, which are similar to the conditions competitors can expect at next years Olympic yachting regatta also suited Nick Dempsey (Cambridgeshire), who proved his world class potential with two clear race wins at September's Pre Olympic regatta.

He holds fourth place behind some of the classes leading names, including 1996 Olympic Gold Medallist Nikolas Kaklamanakis (Greece), three times World Champion Aaron McIntosh (New Zealand) and Pre Olympic champion Lars Kleppich (Australia).

Dempsey, 19, came from eleventh in the first race to finish second and then posted a fourth in race two after a similar recovery to move into fourth place overall, commenting: "Racing on the inside in the more tactical conditions and flat water really suited me today. After winning a couple of races in the Pre-Olympic regatta this year I thought I could be up there and now I know I can mix it with the best".

The Dominic Tidey (Bognor Regis), currently ranked fourth in the ISAF World Rankings, is also well placed in eighth in his fleet while Helen Cartwright (Liverpool) who led one race today, moves up to fourteenth position in the women's competition. The men's fleet will now split into Gold and Silver group while the women will continue as a single fleet.

NEW CALEDONIA: Mistral World Championships (after day 2):

Men fleet A (after 4 races, 1 discard)
 1, Nikolas Kaklamanakis (Gre) 20,2,1,1 -  4pts
 2, Aaron McIntosh       (Nzl) 1,1,3,2  -  4pts
 3, Lars Kleppich        (Aus) 2,2,14,3 -  7pts
British Placings:
 4, Nick Dempsey             - 17,4,2,4 - 10pts
 8, Dominic Tidey           - 9,18,5,10 - 24pts
26, Alan Jackson          - 30,11,25,30 - 66pts
29, Ben Proffitt          - 33,21,20,27 - 68pts
33, Matthew Wemms         - 34,22,38,26 - 82pts

Men fleet  B  (after 4 races, 1 discard)
 1, Przemyskaw Miarcynski (Pol) 2,7,1,1 -  4pts
 2, Tony Philip           (Fij) 3,1,7,4 -  8pts
 3, Jean - Paul Tobin     (Nzl) 1,8,9,3 - 12pts
British Placings:
12, Adrian Jones           - 7,OCS,19,6 - 32pts

Women's fleet (4 races, 1 discard)
 1, Natasha Sturges    (Aus)    2,1,4,1 -  4pts
 2, Barbara Kendall    (Nzl)    1,2,1,2 -  4pts
 3, Christine Johnston (GBR)  10,10,2,5 - 17pts
Other British Placings:
14, Helen Cartwright        - 25,23,8,9 - 40pts
50, Jessica Ash           - 52,45,43,54 - 140pts

For further information, please contact Nigel Cherrie on:
Email: nigel.cherrie@rya.org.uk
Website: www.rya.org.uk