Railey pulls ahead

After a perfect second day of racing on the water at the Finn Gold Cup

After two races sailed in a moderate southerly, Zach Railey (USA) has taken the lead at the Finn Gold Cup in Vallensbaek, Denmark. Today's first race went to Giles Scott (GBR), leading from start to finish, while the second race in a stronger breeze was won by local hero Jonas Høgh Christensen (DEN) in the closing stages as the very tight leading group surfed to the finished line.

As usual both races started after one general recall under the black flag. Race three was sailed in a patchy 9-10 knots. Scott started near the committee boat and favoured the right hand side. He said: “Out of the start I tacked off and went right and took a small shift back into the middle and as I was coming across I tacked beneath the leading group and got across the right again. I then tacked on the layline and actually ended up overstanding the first mark when a big right hand shift came in.”

Behind him at the top mark were Michael Maier (CZE), Mark Andrews (GBR), Ed Wright (GBR), Deniss Karpak (EST) and winner of race one, Bryan Boyd (USA).

By the gate Wright had moved into second while Dan Slater (NZL) sailed a blistering leg to round third. Scott maintained his lead on the final downwind. He said, “From there it was pretty simple. I was going pretty fast down the run and covered the fleet up the second beat and I had a big enough lead to ease off towards the end.” He took the race win from Wright, Slater, Andrews and Karpak.

Race four got underway in a slightly increased wind of 12-14 knots after the course was changed to accommodate a significant change in the wind. Again the right side was favoured.

Race winner Jonas Høgh Christensen (DEN) tells the story. “It was a tough race but finally we had some decent wind with no 50 degree shifts up the first beat. So far I have been on the wrong side of every big shift. I got a good start and played the right side and tried just to stay in the top ten coming round the first mark.”

Giorgio Poggi (ITA) led round the top mark ahead of Tapio Nirko (FIN), Rafael Trujillo (ESP), Florian Raudaschl (AUT) and Andrew Mills (GBR).

Høgh Christensen rounded in seventh. “Down the run I sailed a little straighter to the bottom mark and had some good pressure and led through the gate," he explained. "I tried to stay in front up the beat and tacked for the windward mark ahead with a little group group got a 20 degree shift and just managed to pass me. I couldn't do anything about it but it was really close.”

Trujillo rounded the top mark in the lead with Zach Railey (USA), Slater, Nirkko, and Høgh Christensen right behind him.

Høgh Christensen continued: “I rounded in fifth and then tried to get in the grove again downwind and took the lead the final 100 metres to the finish.” He crossed the line surfing just seconds ahead of Ivan Kjlakovic Gaspic (CRO) who moved from about 12th to second on the final run, Tapio Nirkko (FIN), Trujillo and Slater.

The Dane added: “It was close racing for sure and finally all the top guys were up there and the leading group were all within 10 seconds at the finish. It was a real drag race and finally a proper Finn race. Everyone was fighting hard and laughing and having a good time fighting. It was perfect.”

The winner of race three had a different story. Scott said “I had a very bad start in the second race. I managed to get my tiller extension caught under the traveller on the start line. I was flapping around and in a right mess. I managed to dig myself out of that and went up the middle right, not as far right as the leaders did but I ended up 13th round the windward mark.

“In fact I was all over the place today. I was laying the final windward mark and a shift came through and I did a really bad tack and fouled the boat behind so ended up doing turns and lost more places. But it's only the second day.” He is lying second overall, while Slater had the best of the day to move up to third.

Yesterday's overnight leader Rafal Szukiel had problems. He said, “Most of the downwind was not good for me. I was not fast today. I lost a lot and just couldn't get going. But tomorrow is another day and another two races.”

Nirkko finally had a good race after a poor start to the series. He said, “I played the right corner on both beats. Downwind was free pumping which was really fun as you could really catch the waves. The last downwind was really exciting. Rafa [Trujillo] lost his lead half way down the leg. He took an angle away from some of the others and they closed up, but the wind was very patchy, and it was really easy to lose the pressure. We finished really tight. One wave could make all the difference. And that's what made the sailing really fun.”

Høgh Christensen won the Finn Gold Cup in 2006 and is currently lying in 14th place after posting a 17th in Tuesday's morning race to add to his afternoon race win. This is his first regatta since finishing sixth at the Olympics last year and he has yet to decide if or when he will return to full time Finn sailing. “I like the boat, I like the class and made a lot of friends from all over the world. A lot of them have stopped as well so it won't be quite the same coming back. London 2012 is very attractive but this Gold Cup is, for the time being, my last Finn event. I actually had my very first regatta in Vallensbæk in Optis so some would say that I have come full circle. As of this Gold Cup I have ended my Olympic campaign but I have decided to have a look at it three months before the worlds in 2011 to consider a comeback.”

After four races the leader is the 2008 Olympic silver medallist Zach Railey (USA). Railey claimed two sixth places today to take an eight point lead at the top, though with the discard coming in after the next race, things could change considerable.

“Today I just tried to get up there and get a good position," said Railey. "It's been really shifty so far. But they're running really good races here given the conditions. When the wind changes they are shifting the marks and changing the line really well. I don't know why it was so shifty today. Yesterday it was off the land but today it was from the sea so should have been steadier and it was also pretty clear. We have seven more races to go and the regatta is not even half way over. You just have to keep your head out of the boat and make the best of what you get.”

Two more races are scheduled each day at 11.00 until Friday, with the medal race and the final race for the rest on Saturday.

Results:

Pos	Helm	Nat	R1	R2	R3	R4	Tot
1	Zach Railey	USA	10	6	6	6	28
2	Giles Scott	GBR	6	16	1	13	36
3	Dan Slater	NZL	33	1	3	5	42
4	Marin Misura	CRO	3	21	10	11	45
5	Peer Moberg	NOR	2	13	15	22	52
6	Daniel Birgmark	SWE	17	2	13	20	52
7	Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic	CRO	31	3	21	2	57
8	Deniss Karpak	EST	9	28	5	15	57
9	Andrew Mills	GBR	7	5	32	16	60
10	Rafael Trujillo	ESP	22	19	16	4	61
11	Edward Wright	GBR	46	4	2	10	62
12	Thomas Le Breton	FRA	5	18	18	25	66
13	Rafal Szukiel	POL	4	7	25	33	69
14	Jonas Høgh-Christensen	DEN	20	35	17	1	73
15	Florian Raudaschl	AUT	27	23	14	9	73
16	Piotr Kula	POL	8	29	12	28	77
17	Mark Andrews	GBR	16	52	4	8	80
18	Giorgio Poggi	ITA	19	26	28	7	80
19	Bryan Boyd	USA	1	30	24	29	84
20	Riccardo Cordovani	ITA	24	22	9	31	86
21	Eduard Skornyakov	RUS	32	8	35	17	92
22	Tapio Nirkko	FIN	12	34	47	3	96
23	Michael Maier	CZE	28	47	7	18	100
24	Alejandro Muscat	ESP	37	32	8	23	100
25	Jorge Zarif	BRA	26	10	23	41	100
26	Timo Hagoort	NED	30	12	37	21	100
27	Pieter Jan Postma	NED	13	56	27	14	110
28	Tomas Vika	CZE	34	40	11	26	111
29	Jonathan Lobert	FRA	57	9	19	35	120
30	Nanno Schuttrups	NED	23	14	51	42	130
31	Wietze Zetzema	NED	18	39	50	24	131
32	Alex Selivanov	RUS	15	11	45	62	133
33	Björn Allansson	SWE	29	42	44	19	134
34	Gasper Vincec	SLO	21	17	88.0 DNC	12	138
35	Kaspar Andresen	DEN	39	24	20	59	142
36	Akif Muslubas	TUR	11	55	33	52	151
37	Karel van Hellemond	NED	49	33	39	30	151
38	Egor Larionov	RUS	48	27	38	43	156
39	Nachhatar Johal	IND	64	15	31	49	159
40	John Romanko	CAN	38	59	30	34	161
41	Thomas Mørup-Petersen	DEN	54	25	42	46	167
42	Alexandros Dragoutsis	GRE	41	57	22	48	168
43	Caleb Paine	USA	14	64	48	44	170
44	Rudolf Lidarik	CZE	44	50	34	45	173
45	Filippo Baldassari	ITA	65	53	26	38	182
46	Frederico Melo	POR	56	60	29	37	182
47	Andrew Casey	USA	50	67	59	27	203
48	Gert van der Heijden	NED	45	37	64	57	203
49	Lauri Väinsalu	EST	25	38	54	88.0 DNF	205
50	Henry Bagnall	GBR	53	43	70	39	205
51	Kenneth Bøggild	DEN	76	20	40	70	206
52	Ian Cook	USA	52	49	55	50	206
53	Anton Sadchykov	UKR	40	44	66	58	208
54	Mihail Kopanov	BUL	69	46	41	54	210
55	Gaszton Pal	HUN	85	41	36	51	213
56	Márton Beliczay	HUN	35	54	74	53	216
57	Jørgen Svendsen	DEN	47	69	43	61	220
58	Adam Nicholson	CAN	59	51	67	47	224
59	Peter Haidekker	HUN	58	45	46	77	226
60	Panagiotis Davourlis	GRE	36	68	65	65	234
61	Carlo Recchi	ITA	51	75	58	55	239
62	Marco Buglielli	ITA	67	31	79	63	240
63	Timothy Castles	AUS	87	58	63	32	240
64	Harles Liiv	EST	73	48	88.0 DNC	36	245
65	Henry Boening	BRA	82	74	49	40	245
66	Dirk Meid	GER	60	73	56	56	245
67	Claudio Bosetti	ITA	42	78	62	66	248
68	Dennis de Ruiter	NED	63	71	52	67	253
69	Lars Hall	DEN	61	63	72	60	256
70	R. Phillip Ramming	USA	86	36	61	74	257
71	Henk de Jager	NED	78	62	53	64	257
72	Hartmut Duisberg	GER	55	70	69	73	267
73	Thomas Gautschi	SUI	62	65	76	75	278
74	Patrik Deutcher	CZE	71	80	57	71	279
75	Jesper Petersen	DEN	70	79	68	69	286
76	Elemer Haidekker	HUN	43	83	81	81	288
77	Matthias Bohn	GER	74	88.0 DNF	60	68	290
78	Uwe Barthel	GER	72	72	73	79	296
79	Olof Lundqvist	SWE	75	76	75	72	298
80	Nikolai Ratzlaff	DEN	79	66	88.0 DNC	76	309
81	Peter Corbett	GER	77	82	71	80	310
82	Sverker Härd	SWE	84	61	78	88.0 DNC	311
83	Christian Qvist	DEN	81	77	80	82	320
84	Charles Heimler	USA	83	84	77	78	322
85	Oleksiy Borysov	UKR	66	88.0 DNC	88.0 DNC	88.0 DNC	330
86	Richard Hirschler	HUN	68	88.0 DNF	88.0 DNC	88.0 DNC	332
87	Richard Hart	GBR	80	81	88.0 DNF	88.0 DNC	337

The young blades

One of the surprise results from day one of the Finn Gold Cup, here at Vallensbæk Sailing Club on the outskirts of Copenhagen, was the 13th place in the 89 boat fleet of the event’s youngest competitor, 16-year-old Brazilian Jorge Zarif.

One of 13 ‘Junior’ Finn sailors here in Vallensbæk (they must have been born after 1 January 1988), young Zarif holds the advantage of having Finn sailing in his blood. His father Jorge Zarif Neto represented Brazil in the Finn at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984 and again in Seoul in 1988, finishing eighth and 13th respectively. He was Finn sailing all the way through until March last year when sadly he died from a heart attack, aged 50.

From Sao Paolo, Zarif junior says he came to his first Finn Gold Cup in 2002, but it was only when he saw his father win a race at the Finn Gold Cup in Rio in 2004 that he decided the Olympic men’s heavyweight singlehander was the boat for him.

“This is my third year sailing a Finn, but before that I was a Laser sailor,” he says. This is not his first time to Denmark. Zarif was here last year in Århus for the ISAF Volvo Youth Sailing World Championships in the Laser, where he admits he did well because it was a very strong wind regatta and even though he was only in his mid-teens even then he was still large for the boat. The Youth Worlds are in his native Brazil this year, but he isn’t taking part because he is definitely too big for the Laser Radial.

Unfortunately he is at present still not quite big enough for the Finn, even though he is a burly 16-year-old. “I am getting big, but I need to be a little bigger, because in big winds, I don’t have good speed. Today with strong winds I was a little worse than yesterday when it was light.”

Before his father died he got to compete against him and last year both Zarifs took part in the Brazilian Finn trials to go to the Beijing Olympics. He came second, just a point behind Eduardo Couto who ended up going, while his father was fourth.

Certainly Olympic prospects are on the cards and Zarif says he would love to go to Weymouth in 2012, although he suspects Couto will be hard to beat. “He will probably go. It will be difficult, but I will do it if it is possible. Ben Ainslie got his first medal when he was 19. So I would like to do that too.”

In Brazil funding from the national authority is hard to come by, although it paid for him to go to the Youth Worlds last year and he won the trials to compete at the Finn Gold Cup this year. But there is no shortage of top role models within Brazilian Olympic sailing and two of the greats have already helped him. “This year and last year at the Delta Lloyd Regatta I was in the same bungalow as Robert [Scheidt] and with Torben [Grael], my father was friends with him. So I talk a lot with him and I have got some things about racing and about the life from him.”

The path to this year’s Finn Gold Cup for 18-year-old American Caleb Paine also came from the Lasers, but the significant difference was that he was ‘the chosen one’. Recently the US arm of the Finn class has bought a Finn to try and get a youth development program off the ground. Paine is the first recipient of this leg up.

“It was just my size and sailing Lasers had really helped me a lot - I’d showed I was a decent Laser sailor,” says Paine of how he got the opportunity. “The [US] Finn class then approached me and asked me if I would sail a Finn. So that was pretty cool.”

Paine admits that he hasn’t won anything of great significance in the Laser but has frequently come second at major events such as the North American Youth Championship. “There was another guy, Luke Lawrence, who has been my competition the whole time in the Laser, but he decided to stay in the Laser. He is a little smaller than I am and he is doing really really well at that. So I decided to do this!”

The deal includes a heavily discounted charter of the US class’ Finn to use as and when he wants. “And it is really cool, because all the guys [the US Finn sailors] have been really really supportive, they have given me sails and things like that.”

The logistics of Finn sailing at Olympic level within a country as large as the US also has its own problems. Paine heralds from San Diego in southern California, while most west coast Finn sailing takes place up in Long Beach, Newport. However the most serious Olympic Finn contenders, such as Zach Railey and Brian Boyd, sail out of Florida. “Hopefully this next year I am going to go to Florida a lot where I will train with them. My whole philosophy is that if you hang around the best in the world, then hopefully some of it will wear off, even if you aren’t trying for it to.”

Like Zarif, Paine has Olympic aspirations, most probably for 2016 rather than 2012, and the Finn is better suited to his size than the Laser. Meanwhile he too is working on getting his weight up to the ideal Finn fighting weight of around 95kg and so at present he prefers it when conditions are light.

“This is like my fourth month in the boat, so I can’t really handle it in the breeze, I am not really fit enough, but it is good to experience it and learn what every one else is doing and it all goes to a better cause.”

Young Finn sailors are currently gearing up for their Junior Finn World Championship, know as the Finn Silver Cup, to be held on Lake Balaton, Hungary in early August. At present 45 are registered to take part.