Controversial end to Tornado Worlds

Black flags and video evidence hand title to Spaniards

Controversy surrounded the final day of the 2005 Tornado World Championships in La Rochelle France. The disqualification of Spanish sailors Echavarri and Paz in what proved to be the final race of the day left Team GBR sailors Leigh McMillan and Will Howden taking the gold.

However, three hours of deliberation by the International Jury, including the review of video evidence saw the Spaniards reinstated to take the gold, McMillan and Howden taking the silver and French sailors Xavier Revil and Christophe Espagnon taking the bronze.

The controversy centred on Fernando Echavarri and Anton Paz’s protest against their disqualification due to a Black Flag in Race 9. Race 10 was cancelled due to a lack of wind.

A small amount of current at the start line had led to 2 general recalls, followed by two Black Flags. The Black Flags caught 21 boats in total over the line including, Revil and Espagnon and the Spanish sailors and both were disqualified from the race as a consequence.

However, Echavarri and Paz lodged a protest, which was backed by video evidence, claiming that they were not over the line at the start and that they should not therefore have been disqualified from the race. After three hours the International Jury decided to uphold the Spaniards protest and reinstate them for Race 9. This put them firmly in first position overall with 43.90 points, and McMillan and Howden in second position with 48.00 points.

La Rochelle, the proposed venue for the Paris 2012 Olympic bid, had challenged the competitors with some tricky sailing conditions. Winds were light to medium throughout the week but proved to be shifty across the course and tested the competitors’ ability to respond swiftly to the changing conditions.

Coach Rob Andrews said that the key to McMillan and Howden’s success was "their ability to sail consistently throughout the Championship despite the changing conditions”. He added that the conditions meant that competitors were forced to push the start harder in order to get that all important good position and that this had contributed to the problems in the final race.

McMillan and Howden were “very pleased with their overall performance throughout the Championship despite the tricky conditions and were happy to be bringing back a silver medal”.

Andrews added that Team GBR sailors Andrew Walsh and Edward Barney had sailed well throughout the Championship gaining 15th.position.

Overall results:

Pos	Sail	Competitors	Pts Net	Pts tot	r.1	r.2	r.3	r.4	r.5	r.6	r.7	r.8	r.9
1	ESP 1	ECHAVARRI Fernando (M1972)	43.9	79.9	1	36	4	2	2	17	6	3	RDG
		PAZ Anton (M1976)
2	GBR 436	MC MILLAN Leigh (M1980)	48	63	10	1	10	15	5	3	2	15	2
		HOWDEN William (M1977)
3	FRA 1	REVIL Xavier (M1972)	76	139	7	7	17	8	3	9	3	22	BFD
		ESPAGNON Christophe (M1976)
4	GER 1087	T-SYSTEMS / RS	78	120	2	9	7	11	9	20	16	42	4
		POLGAR Johannes (M1977)
		SPALTEHOLZ Florian (M1977)
5	FRA 2	GUICHARD Yann (M1974)	83	106	23	3	11	22	21	1	10	10	5
		GUYADER Alexandre (M1981)
6	ARG 1	MCINTOSCH Aaron (M1972)	86	134	48	5	5	5	26	29	4	5	7
		ESPINOLA Carlos (M1971)
7	GRE 7	PASCHALIDES Iordanis (M1967)	90	122	19	19	3	10	8	2	32	9	20
		TRIGONIS Konstantinos (M1970)
8	USA 808	LOVELL Johnny (M1967)	90	125	35	26	14	3	19	7	5	6	10
		OGLETREE Charlie (M1967)
9	NED 1	BOOTH Mitch (M1963)	105.4	147.4	3	42	RDG	4	33	4	20	12	13
		DERCKSEN Herbert (M1973)
10	RUS 97	KIRILYUK Andrey (M1968)	106	142	36	20	9	12	13	14	9	21	8
		USHKOV Valery (M1971)
11	AUT 380	HAGARA Roman (M1966)	107	170	17	11	12	19	1	11	8	28	BFD
		STEINACHER Hans peter (M1968)
12	GBR 434	STYLES Hugh (M1974)	108	143	14	2	16	17	35	26	11	19	3
		VIALS Graham (M1974)
13	DEN 1	RONHOLT Peder (M1974)	110	137	5	27	8	13	11	18	24	14	17
		HANSEN Mads moller (M1976)
14	AUS 967	BUNDOCK Darren (M1971)	117	180	24	32	1	1	7	16	29	7	BFD
		WORRALL Aaron (M1970)
15	GBR 430	WALSH Andrew (M1982)	120	154	16	15	6	16	16	25	34	8	18
		BARNEY Edward (M1982)
16	PUR 1	FIQUEVOA Enrique (M1964)	126	156	12	8	25	28	23	30	1	18	11
		HERNANDEZ Jorge (M1965)
17	ESP 23	RIVAS Toni (M1974)	140	180	9	40	22	24	4	38	38	4	1
		ESCUDE Fabia (M1974)
18	NED 162	HUNTELMAN Vincent (M1974)	143	206	21	14	24	14	18	5	15	32	BFD
		HEEMSKERK Mischa (M1974)
19	AUS 2	ASHBY Glenn (M1977)	147	190	43	18	19	23	31	31	14	2	9
		WILLIAMS Andrew (M1976)
20	POR 1	CAYOLLA Diogo (M1974)	147	210	27	23	34	DNF	10	6	7	17	23