Two bullets for China

Competition gets underway in the Laser classes at the ISAF World Sailing Championships

Day two of the ISAF World Sailing Championships in Cascais saw competition begin for the Laser classes and the second day of racing for the Stars and Tornados. Conditions were challenging on the four courses with a shifty breeze occasionally gusting up to 18 knots on the Tornado course.

Despite still being early days in the regatta, already some form is beginning to emerge with China's Lijia Xu, scoring two bullets in the Laser Radial and French veteran campaigners Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau eeking out a small advantage in the Star ahead of Brazilian Laser legend Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada. The scorelines at the top of the Stars and Tornados could not be more different with the latter already a high scoring regatta - there the mixed duo of Seb Godefroid and Carolijn Brouwer lead on 21 points after four races, compared to Rohart and Rambeau's 7. Chasing Godefroid and Brouwer hard are the Spanish 2005 World Champions Fernando Echavarri and Anton Paz.

Among the Brits, three-time Laser European Champion Paul Goodison is holding third place after two races, behind Croatia's Mate Arapov and German Simon Grotelschen. “It was a really shifty, tricky day but thankfully we were on an outer loop course where the breeze was more constant,” Goodison commented.

Iain Percy and Bart Simpson improved their standings in their Star class to fourth place overall.  They were involved in a close battle with th French leaders to finish second in their first race of the day, and managed to pick their way through the fleet back up to fifth in the second race after having to cross back over the startline for being over prematurely.



After scoring a disappointing 38th place in race one yesterday, so Tornado sailors Leigh McMillan and Will Howden pumped out a more re-assuring 4,2 today from their two races. "It’s a relief to have a good day - as I have always said this regatta will be about being consistent in the shifty conditions,” Howden commented.  “We need many more days like today to get us back in the medals, we are very happy with all aspects of our sailing at the moment so there is no reason this can’t happen. Tomorrow will be a very testing day on the course with big waves and big wind and we are looking forward to it!!”

Charlotte Dobson is the leading Brit in the Laser Radial event, in 15th place.  Dobson posted a 14,6, while Athens Olympian Laura Baldwin saw an impressive third in her first race before receiving a black-flag for a premature start in race two (read more on page 2).

Tomorrow will see the start of racing for the Finn and Yngling classes. For the Finn sailors, they will be racing sans-Ainslie who had to can the regatta due to his America's Cup commitments. For the Brits this is no matter since they have the defending World Champion, Ed Wright as their representative. Within Skandia Team GBR there will be an equally enticing battle for selection between Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson and double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson with her crew Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor.

“Shirley clearly has it all to do – Sarah has the on-form team at the moment, she’s been on the podium at every event this year and Shirley’s had a limited programme for a number of reasons,” said RYA Olympic Manager Stephen Park. “But Shirley’s always at her best, I think, when she’s got her back against the wall and she’s under a bit of pressure to deliver at the big event – and she’s got a record of doing that.  Two gold medals are the record and you’re certainly not going to bet against someone who’s got two gold medals in an experience sport like sailing. “It’s going to be interesting to see whether she’s going to come back here with a bang.”

See sailors accounts on page 2... More photos on following pages...

Results (top 20)

Pos	Nat	Helm	R1	R2	Tot
		Laser
1	CRO	ARAPOV, Mate	2	2	4
2	GER	GROTELüSCHEN, Simon	5	1	6
3	GBR	GOODISON, Paul	3	5	8
4	SWE	MYRGREN, Rasmus	6	3	9
5	CHI	DEL SOLAR, Matias	3	6	9
6	FRA	LE BRETON, Thomas	3	8	11
7	AUS	BLACKBURN, Michael	7	4	11
8	FRA	PRUVOT, Félix	6	5	11
9	CRO	RADELIC, Luka	2	11	13
10	FRA	PRUVOT, Corentin	7	8	15
11	GER	SCHADEWALDT, Tobias	9	7	16
12	CRO	VUJASINOVIC, Milan	12	5	17
13	BRA	COUTO, Eduardo	11	6	17
14	CAN	LEIGH, Michael	16	2	18
15	SEY	PAUL, Allan	12	6	18
16	POL	GRABOWSKI, Maciej	5	14	19
17	ARG	ALSOGARAY, Julio	16	4	20
18	CRO	KUZMANIC, Tonko	6	14	20
19	USA	CAMPBELL, Andrew	13	7	20
20	CRO	STIPANOVIC, Tonci	18	3	21
		Laser Radial
1	CHN	XU, Lijia	1	1	2
2	ISR	EDELMAN, Nufar	4	2	6
3	FIN	MULTALA, Sari	2	5	7
4	AUS	WEIR, Krystal	7	1	8
5	FRA	DE TURCKHEIM, Sophie	5	5	10
6	AUS	BLANCK, Sarah	7	4	11
7	BLR	DROZDOVSKAYA, Tatiana	6	7	13
8	MEX	ELIAS CALLES WOLF, Tania	3	11	14
9	NED	JUTJENS, Gea	2	14	16
10	NZL	WINTHER, Sara	14	3	17
11	GER	NIEMANN, Petra	9	9	18
12	POL	SZOTYNSKA, Katarzyna	15	4	19
13	GRE	MANTZARAKI, Eftychia	8	11	19
14	GBR	DOBSON, Charlotte	14	6	20
15	LTU	VOLUNGEVICIUTE, Gintare	1	20	21
16	SUI	BRUGGER, Nathalie	9	12	21
17	USA	TUNNICLIFFE, Anna	10	13	23
18	USA	RAILEY, Paige	11	12	23
19	NOR	SAMDAL, Elin Maria	8	16	24
20	GBR	CLARK, Penny	19	6	25

Stars - top 20:

Pos	Nat	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	Tot
1	FRA	ROHART, Xavier	PASCAL, Rambeau	3	1	1	2	7
2	BRA	SCHEIDT, Robert	BRUNO, Prada	2	4	3	1	10
3	ITA	NEGRI, Diego	LUIGI, Viale	4	2	2	5	13
4	GBR	PERCY, Iain	SIMPSON, Andrew
5	POL	KUSZNIEREWICZ, Mateusz	DOMINIK, Zycki	1	8	1	10	20
6	GER	PICKEL, Marc	INGO, Borkowski	2	7	3	8	20
7	SWE	LööF, Fredrik	ANDERS, Ekström	9	9	4	1	23
8	GER	STANJEK, Robert	MARKUS, Koy	4	11	6	7	28
9	NZL	PEPPER, Hamish	CARL, Williams	3	1	7	19	30
10	BRA	GRAEL, Torben	MARCELO, Ferreira	14	9	6	3	32
11	POR	DOMINGOS, Afonso	BERNARDO, Santos	12	3	5	13	33
12	ITA	BAROVIER, Alberto	FERDINANDO, Colaninno	15	2	13	7	37
13	IRL	O CONNELL, Maurice	BEN, Cooke	11	10	12	4	37
14	USA	DANE, John	AUSTIN, Sperry	7	11	14	6	38
15	USA	REYNOLDS, Mark	HAL, Haenel	5	6	17	11	39
16	SUI	MARAZZI, Flavio	CHRISTOPH, Christen	6	7	10	16	39
17	AUS	MURRAY, Iain	ANDREW, Palfrey	6	17	8	8	39
18	GER	HAGEN, Alexander	FRITHJOF, Kleen	10	6	8	15	39
19	ITA	BRUNI, Francesco	GILBERTO, Nobili	11	5	22	3	41
20	GER	MILLER, Matthias	MANUEL, Voigt	13	13	20	2	48

Tornados - top 20

Pos	Nat	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	Tot
1	BEL	BROUWER, Carolijn	SEBASTIEN, Godefroid	5	10	3	3	21
2	ESP	ECHAVARRI, Fernando	ANTON, Paz	9	8	1	11	29
3	NED	BOOTH, Mitch	PIM, Nieuwenhuis	15	13	2	5	35
4	FRA	REVIL, Xavier	CHRISTOPHE, Espagnon	20	11	5	1	37
5	USA	LOVELL, John	CHARLIE, Ogletree	23	2	9	8	42
6	FRA	BESSON, Billy	ARNAUD, Jarlegan	2	7	20	14	43
7	ARG	LANGE, Santiago Raú	CARLOS, Mauricio	4	5	11	28	48
8	AUS	BUNDOCK, Darren	GLENN, Ashby	19	19	6	4	48
9	ITA	MARCOLINI, Francesco	EDOARDO, Bianchi	16	4	13	19	52
10	GRE	PASCHALIDIS, Iordanis	KONSTANTINOS, Trigonis	17	9	19	7	52
11	GER	POLGAR, Johannes	FLORIAN, Spalteholz	21	3	18	13	55
12	UKR	KALYNCHEV, Pavlo	ANDRIY, Shafranyuk	8	31	10	9	58
13	GBR	MCMILLAN, Leigh	WILL, Howden	38	16	4	2	60
14	RUS	KIRILYUK, Andrey	VALERIY, Ushkov	24	12	14	10	60
15	FRA	GUICHARD, Yann	ALEXANDRE, Guyader	3	20	17	22	62
16	GER	MITTELMEIER, Tino	NIKO, Mittelmeier	1	22	16	26	65
17	ESP	RIVAS, Antonio	FABIEN, Escude	7	15	15	31	68
18	GBR	GIMSON, John	STUART, Bithell	6	32	12	21	71
19	CAN	JOHANSSON, Oskar	KEVIN, Stittle	13	6	23	29	71
20	GBR	WALSH, Andy	ED, Barney	11	29	7	24	71

Full results here