Australia maintains it stranglehold

Thomas and Tuke soars away at the 29er Worlds on Lake Garda

Steven Thomas and Blair Tuke continued to dominate the competition at the 2009 29er Worlds by winning 3 of the 4 races held today on Lake Garda. With 2 more races to be held to complete the series, they have virtually locked up the championship with a lead of 31 points.

The fight now seems to be focused on a sibling rivalry between Haylee Outteridge with 49er World Champion crew Iain Jensen as her crew and big brother Nathan Outteridge, last weeks 49er World Champion skipper who is in the front of the boat this week sailing with girlfriend Lauren Jeffries. 5 points separate the pair. Australian teams currently hold 4 of the 5 top positions with David O’Conor and Rhys Mara in 5th.

The top youth team continues to be Max Richardson and Alex Groves of GBR who sit in 4th with 53 points; the only non-Australian team in the top 5. The top women’s team is Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen of Denmark who sit in 8th overall in the silver fleet.

Todays conditions were strong Ora winds of 20 knots and big lake chop that created havoc among the fleets, but nothing that could not be handled. Gold and silver fleets completed 4 races each while the bronze completed 3 and the emerald 2.

Racing continues tomorrow with the final races to determine the 29er World Champion.

Gold fleet results:

Pos	Name	Sailno	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Tot
1	Steven Thomas, Blair Tuke	AUS 1	1	-3	2	2	1	1	1	3	1	12
2	Haylee Outteridge, Iain Jensen	AUS 34	2	2	6	1	-21	12	10	1	8	42
3	Lauren Jeffries, Nathan Outteridge	AUS 1727	5	1	9	6	8	2	3	-14	14	48
4	Max Richardson, Alex Groves	GBR 3	9	5	10	8	2	10	-15	4	4	52
5	David O'Connor, Rhys Mara	AUS 12	15	16	7	7	11	3	2	2	-22	63
6	Kevin Fischer, Glenn Gouron	FRA 1634	4	12	1	-21	7	9	16	13	9	71
7	Tom Durham, George Hand	GBR 24	8	19	18	4	3	5	-24	9	5	71
8	Pepe Bettini, Fernando Gwozdz	ARG 1308	6	-21	5	17	10	22	4	6	13	73
9	Maxwell Fraser, David Liebenberg	USA 46	18	11	-22	12	5	7	5	11	12	81
10	Riccardo Camin, Lorenzo Franceschini	ITA 35	13	6	23	-24	4	4	6	10	16	82
11	Belen Tavella, Franco Greggi	ARG 1184	20	8	4	-25	18	13	14	5	3	85
12	Mark Walraven, Kaj Bocker	NED 1715	7	4	14	15	14	15	12	-18	7	88
13	Hannah Nattrass, Jamie Woods	AUS 11	10	9	15	10	9	20	7	(raf)	15	95
14	Bleddyn Mon, Nick Redding	GBR 4	16	23	13	3	12	(dsq)	20	8	2	97
15	Judge Ryan, Matt Noble	USA 28	3	7	3	23	(ocs)	18	17	16	10	97
16	German Billoch, Gaston Cheb Terrab	ARG 1183	14	13	8	5	23	24	8	12	-25	107
17	Oliver Toole, Hans Henken	USA 1734	19	14	16	20	16	6	-21	7	11	109
18	Nahuel Martinez, Damian Saponara	ARG 1319	12	-24	11	14	17	14	13	23	6	110
19	Micael Sielecki, Tomas Ocampo	ARG 25	25	15	17	16	6	8	9	-22	21	117
20	Mara Agustina Torre, Tomas Wagmaister	ARG 433	11	10	21	13	15	17	-22	19	17	123
21	Nicolas Chateau, Julian Chateau	FRA 1395	24	18	12	9	(ocs)	11	18	15	20	127
22	Justus Schmidt, Max Boehme	GER 1665	21	17	-24	19	22	19	11	17	18	144
23	Henry Lloyd Williams, Sam Batten	GBR 1702	22	20	19	11	13	23	23	-24	19	150
24	Helle arum Nielsen, Caspar Buettner	SUI 962	23	22	-25	22	19	16	19	21	23	165
25	Annemiek Bekkering, Miguel Karsters	NED 6	17	(dnf)	20	18	20	21	dnf	20	24	166