Another gold for the Sibellos

All to play for going into tomorrow's medal races at the Semaine Olympique Francaise in Hyeres

Italian 49er sailors, Pietro and Giancarlo Sibello have sailed to success in their second international 49er event since the Olympic Games. With a 22 point lead on Spain's Alonso brothers in second position overall, the Princesa Sofia Trophy winners have added a second victory since their disappointing fourth placed finish at the Olympic Games. But with only two points separating the Spanish from Austria's Nico Luca Delle Karth and Nikolaus Resch, tomorrow's battle for silver will be fierce, while the top six can still access the podium.

In the Star, France's Xavier Rohart and Pierre-Alexis Ponsot have increased their chance to keep Gold and only a disqualification at the start or an equipment failure could give gold to any of the next three teams.

Gabrio Zandona and Eduardo Mancinelli (ITA) are the new leaders in the 470 Men which have seen a different team at the top of the rankings on each day of this regatta. The Semaine Olympique Française is the first international regatta for the new Italian team. Experienced 470 skipper Gabrio Zandona has teamed up for his new Olympic campaign with young ex-420 sailor Edoardo Mancinelli. “This is my first international event in the 470! It is a long regatta with many hours on the water, it does make it hard to keep the rhythm,” said Mancinelli.

With the top teams scoring high points, the podium remains open to the top ten teams taking part in the medal race.

The 470 men are the only class to have changed leaders today. Meanwhile a second discard in all classes has opened up the chances for a podium in most fleets.

It will be a two boat battle for Gold in the Laser Radial Medal Race. ISAF Sailing World Cup leader Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) is getting closer to Fenclova, now four points adrift from the Czech sailor. Commenting earlier on the strong wind expected in the Medal Race, the Tunnicliffe said: “After these light conditions all week, it will be good to hike again and stretch our legs!” Evi van Acker from Belgium is in third place. The podium is still accessible to the top six.

The 470 women's medal race should provide a good fight for Gold between ISAF Sailing World Cup leaders Henriette Koch and Lene Sommer (DEN) who have conserved their lead in this class and the young Dutch team of Margriet Fokkema and Marieke Jongens. “Anything can happen tomorrow with the wind. So we'll focus on sailing our own race and do as good as possible,” declared Koch.

The Dutch duo have progressively reached the second place overall with consistent sailing throughout the regatta. Fokkema, 22 and Jongens, 21 were very excited with their result: “This is very cool” said Fokkema. ‘We only differ five points with the Danes. We did not expect this. We can only win first tomorrow. We have been sailing together for two and a half years now. We were always there, in contention. But we are very happy that we are in this position now.” And on the pressure of racing in their first medal race in an international event she added: “We feel the pressure for sure to maintain this position. But as soon as we get in the boat we are chilled. That will be the same tomorrow.”
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The Spanish pair of Tara Pacheco and Berta Betanzos are in the hot seat for third place at the moment with Bronze still open to the top ten teams. The medal race here is certain to provide some thrills.

All top ten sailors qualified for the RS:X Men's medal race have a chance to take the third place in the podium. However, as in the Women 470, the Laser Radial and the Finn, the Gold will be between the top two: Beijing Bronze and Silver medallists Shahar Zubari (ISR) and Julien Bontemps (FRA). However, silver is still available to the top eight sailors.

Croatian Finn sailor Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic has increased his lead at the top of the Finn fleet. Only Gasper Vincec from Croatia can threaten his chance to take Gold. Britain's ISAF Sailing World Cup leader Ed Wright is in third position overall. “The second discard came in today so it changes the results around a lot, so I needed to get a couple of good races in,” Wright explained. “I went out there and pretty much tried to sail conservatively but still try and win, and I got a third and fourth which was what I really needed. It would be nice to walk away with a medal.” The 31-year-old so far this year has picked up gold at the Miami World Cup event, and silver in Palma a fortnight ago. “I’ve medalled here (in the Finn) all but one time - hopefully again tomorrow.”

Wright also paid tribute to the Croatian series leader Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic – who can finish no worse than second – and second placed Gasper Vincec from Slovenia, who’ve amassed a points buffer over the rest of the fleet. “They’ve sailed extremely well this week - it’s been tricky conditions and they haven’t put a foot wrong which is pretty impressive.”

In the RS:X women, Peina Chen (CHN) will face strong competition from experienced windsurfers, 2008 Bronze medal Bryony Shaw (GBR) and Spain's Marina Alabau and Blanca Manchon, respectively leading the ISAF World ranking and the Sailing World Cup standings.

The Medal race in the Laser division will decide all medallists tomorrow. Paul Goodison maintains the lead by 10 points, despite scoring a discardable 19th and a 14th today. Croatian Tonci Stipanovic has climbed to second.

The 2.4mr will be racing tomorrow their first medal race. Skandia Team GBR's Helena Lucas currently stands in third place. She explained: “The first race today I just got it all rather wrong! I didn’t really have a handle on what was going on out there. It was a fairly similar day to yesterday so I think I was too locked into what had happened yesterday when it was a left hand track, and today it was more of a right hand track. I was a little bit blinkered in my thinking and missed what was going on. But I bounced back from the bad first race to back with a third in the second race which I really needed to do to give myself a good shot in the medal race and keep myself in the hunt for the medals.”

The ten boat double-points scoring medal race being held for the 2.4mR class tomorrow is a new concept for the Paralympic boats, who do not usually race in that format. But Lucas thinks it could be a positive step. “I think it’s got a lot of mileage because it shakes things up a bit – I certainly don’t think it’s a bad thing – but they maybe need to review the number of boats that make it into the medal race because of the smaller fleet sizes we have compared to the Olympic classes. It makes things more exciting going into the last day - I’m a fan!”

Tomorrow the first start will be given at 10am and the forecast is for a 15 knots breeze.

Robert Deaves looks at the Finns:

The medal race for Finns at the Semaine Olympique Française in Hyeres will be a showdown between two sailors who have dominated the headlines all week.
Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) goes into the deciding race with an 11 point margin over world ranked number one, Gasper Vincec (SLO). A sixth place or better will seal Kljakovic Gaspic's first ever Grade 1 regatta win.

Meanwhile Vincec has a 12 point margin over Ed Wright (GBR) and a 14 point margin over Marin Misura (CRO) and these two are now his only threats. For the bronze medal place, Giles Scott (GBR) and Eduard Skornyakov (RUS) are also in with a chance.

Vincec won his second race of the week in the first race today with fellow countryman Tine Moze (SLO) second and Ed Wright (GBR) in third. Regatta leader Kljakovic Gaspic could only manage an eighth, which he discarded.
This brought Wright up to third overall.

The second race of the day and the final opening series race was won by Deniss Karpak (EST) who took the lead on the first downwind. Just two metres behind him was the ever consistent Kljakovic Gaspic, the only sailor here to score top ten positions in every race. Third place in race race went to Misura, while Wright ended the day with the best results and a fourth place finish.

Karpak said, "It has been five extremely difficult days. Every upwind is a lottery; the second one today maybe not, but the first for sure. The wind was 5-15 knots with holes with no wind at all and 30 degree shifts. I don't like these tricky conditions. I had always lost places in my Laser in these conditions, but now I feel much better." He said the key today was "Risk management and relaxation. I was close to being out of the top 10, but I put my emotions out of my head and concentrated only on boat handling."

Kljakovic Gaspic said, "Today I just wanted to stay close to Gasper and keep him out of top ten. In first race I had a really good position but made a bad choice on first downwind and on the gate rounding." In the second race Vincec was a long way back and decided to go for an early shower, with little chance to get back in the top 10. And for tomorrow, "I am relaxed. I have nothing to lose. I just have to sail in the medal race like I have done all this week."

One of the sailors to scrape into the top ten is Tapio Nirkko (FIN). Fourth overall in Palma he has struggled this week. "Today I wanted to sail without any big risks and there I succeeded better than the other guys around the top 10. I'm looking forward to having a bit more breeze tomorrow and just gonna enjoy the medal race full on!"

The medal race line up looks likes this:

Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) - runner up in Europeans in 2007 and 2008. Seems to go best in light winds and has found new speed this week.

Gasper Vincec (SLO) - Also goes well in the light, and the only sailor this week to get close to Kljakovic Gaspic's consistency. Should be safe in silver bar a major upset.

Edward Wright (GBR) - Current leader of the ISAF Sailing World Cup and great at winning medal races. Good chance of a medal, especially if the breeze is up but still has it all to do to win a medal.

Marin Misura (CRO) - Good all round sailor with a lot of experience, but not yet proved himself in the medal race scenario. Needs to beat Wright by one place to take a medal and be within three places of Giles Scott.

Giles Scott (GBR) - Had a very up and down week (who hasn't) but will struggle to medal here. Needs to beat Wright by four places and Misura by three.

Eduard Skornyakov (RUS) - sailing his best regatta since the 2007 Europeans, which he won. Doesn't go so well in the breeze, but an outside chance of a medal if it all goes wrong for the three above him.

Michael Maier (CZE) - By far, the most experienced sailor here, with four Olympics under his belt. Another sailor who has done far better than his ranking in the variable conditions.

Deniss Karpak (EST) - Only joined the class late last year after sailing the
2008 Olympics in the Laser. This is only his second regatta in the Finn and he is clearly showing great potential for the future.

Tapio Nirkko (FIN) - After a fourth place in Palma, has been a bit inconsistent this week, but prefers more breeze.

Peer Moberg (NOR) - Making the top ten with only three top ten positions this week, underlines the nature of the racing the sailors have endured in Hyeres.

Overall results - top three and Brits:

470 Men (after 10 races)
1. Gabrio Zandona-Edoardo Macinelli, ITA (41pts)
2. Matias Buhler-Felix Steiger, SUI (51pts)
3. Harada Ryunosuke-Yoshido Yugo, JPN (53pts)
Selected GBR
6. Nic Asher-Elliot Willis (62pts)

Star (after 15 races)
1. Xavier Rohart-Pierre Alex Ponsot, FRA (24pts)
2. Andrew Macdonald-Brian Faith, USA (35pts)
3. Aimilios Papathanasi-Apostolos Karnoutsos, GRE (36pts)
GBR
4. John Gimson-Ed Greig, GBR (36pts)

2.4mR (after 10 races)
1. Damien Seguin, FRA (15pts)
2. Paul Tingley, CAN (24pts)
3. Helena Lucas, GBR (25pts)
Other GBR
6. Megan Pascoe (37pts)

470 Women (after 10 races)
1. Henriette Koch-Lene Sommer, DEN (27pts)
2. Margriet Fokkema-Marieke Jongens, NED (32pts)
3. Tara Pacheco-Berta Betanzos (58pts)
GBR
13. Hannah Mills-Katrina Hughes (89pts)
14. Penny Clark-Saskia Clark (94pts)
17 Sophie Weguelin-Sophie Ainsworth (104pts)

49er (after 15 races)
1. Pietro Sibello-Gianfranco Sibello, ITA (37pts)
2. Federico Alonso-Arturo Alonso (59pts)
3. Nico Delle Karth-Nikolaus Resch, AUT (61pts)
Selected GBR
6. Chris Draper-Peter Greenhalgh (80pts)
10. Stevie Morrison-Ben Rhodes (94pts)
13. Dylan Fletcher-Alain Sign
15. Andrew Walsh-Simon Marks (109pts)
14. Paul Campbell-James-Mark Asquith (112pts)

RS:X Men (after 9 races)
1. Shahar Zubari, ISR (13pts)
2. Julien Bontemps, FRA (26pts)
3. Nick Dempsey, GBR (33pts)

RS:X Women (after 10 races)
1. Chen Peina, CHN (27pts)
2. Bryony Shaw, GBR (37pts)
3. Marina Alabau, ESP (38pts)

Finn (after 10 races)
1. Ivan Kljakovic, CRO (19pts)
2. Gasper Vincec, SLO (30pts)
3. Ed Wright, GBR (64pts)
Selected GBR
5. Giles Scott (50pts)
11. Andrew Mills (99pts)

Laser Radial (after 10 races)
1. Veronika Fenclova, CZE (31pts)
2. Anna Tunnicliffe, USA (35pts)
3. Evi van Acker, ESP (50pts)
Selected GBR
13. Rosie Chapman (118pts)
18. Andrea Brewster (126pts)
24. Alison Young (163pts)

Laser (after 10 races)
1. Paul Goodison, GBR (39pts)
2. Tonci Stipanovic, CRO (49pts)
3. Maxim Semerkhano, RUS (54pts)
Selected GBR
7. Nick Thompson (62pts)

Full Results: RS:X Men, RS:X Women, Laser, Laser Radial, Finn, 49er, 470M, 470W, Star, 2.4m

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