Fighting for the final spots

The Laser Radial World Championships get underway this weekend in Auckland

Racing for the 2008 Women’s Laser Radial World Championships will start on Saturday March 15th off Takapuna Beach, North Shore City, Auckland. 120 entries are already confirmed with representatives from 40 countries in North Shore City for this World Championship and Olympic qualifying event.

Many competitors are in Takapuna already and have been training on the Hauraki Gulf in preparation for this exciting event, familiarising themselves with local conditions on the race track.

Not only is the 2008 world title up for grabs, but many sailors are here to try and earn one of the six remaining national Olympic berths on offer at this regatta. For many countries who have already accomplished qualification, this regatta will determine which of their sailors will get the nod for the Olympic Games.

20 of the maximum 26 Olympic Laser Radial berths have already been decided however Brazil, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Greece, India, Ireland, Virgin Islands, Japan, Latvia, Malaysia, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Serbia, Sweden, Chinese Taipei, Turkey and Venezuela will fight it out for the final six Olympic spots up for grabs.

Jo Aleh will represent New Zealand five months from now at the Olympic Games, and is one of ten kiwis competing in the Women’s Laser Radial World Championships here in Takapuna.

“I think it’s great to have the Worlds here in Auckland, as it should be great to finally have some hometown advantage,” says Aleh. “Although with Auckland weather you never really know what will happen anyway.

“This years Worlds are a very important regatta. Being the last Worlds event before the Olympics in August it will be very interesting to see just how everyone is going, and how the line up at the top will change from last year,” she continues. “Also, it is a qualification regatta, not only for country’s Olympic spots, but also for individuals trying to win their national trials.”

Aleh likes Takapuna as a venue, but knows well enough that you never quite know what the weather will do over the course of the regatta.

“Takapuna is a great place to sail and an awesome place for a World Champs. The conditions are just so variable, you can expect anything - as everyone who has been training there for the past few weeks will by now know. So it really does keep things interesting,” says Aleh.

Having hosted both the RS:X and the Tornado World Championships over the last two months Takapuna Boating Club is well prepared and excited about the Radials.

“It is a privilege and a pleasure to add the 2008 Laser Radial Women’s World Championship into the regatta of Worlds that we have been fortunate to host in the first three months of 2008,” says Event Director, Grant Cunningham.

“We are indeed lucky to have the facilities, the assistance from neighbouring yacht clubs and a raft of willing volunteers to make this championship memorable for all the competitors from around the world. We look forward to some great sailing and fierce competition.”

Racing is scheduled to start at 1100 hours daily with two races planned on each of the six days of competition. The first day of racing is due to be on Saturday 15th with the final Medal Race taking place on Thursday 20th.

Entry List:

Helm	Nationality
Alexandra South (AUSAS16)	AUS AUS
Ashley Stoddart (AUSAS21)	AUS AUS
Gabrielle King (AUSGK8)	AUS AUS
Megan de Lange (AUSMD4)	AUS AUS
Sarah Blanck (AUSSB6)	AUS AUS
Evi Van Acker (BELEV2)	BEL BEL
Laura Maes (BELLM1)	BEL BEL
Tatiana Drozdovskaya (BLRTD1)	BLR BLR
Adrina Kostiw (BRAAK1)	BRA BRA
Fernanda Decnop Coelho (BRAFD2)	BRA BRA
Odile Ginaid (BRAOG1)	BRA BRA
Patrícia Gatti Raulino (BRAPG1)	BRA BRA
Roberta Rosa Borges (BRARB2)	BRA BRA
Alanna Vittery (CANAV2)	CAN CAN
Rachael Merry (CANCM11)	CAN CAN
Danielle Dube (CANDD4)	CAN CAN
Isabella Bertold (CANIB4)	CAN CAN
Jennifer Spalding (CANJS4)	CAN CAN
Keamia Rasa (CANKR1)	CAN CAN
Lisa Ross (CANLR1)	CAN CAN
Tanja Smutny (CANTS1)	CAN CAN
Huanqi Shen (CHNHS1)	CHN CHN
Jiangyan Zhu (CHNJZ3)	CHN CHN
Lijia Xu (CHNLX2)	CHN CHN
Xiaoying Shen (CHNXS1)	CHN CHN
Gea Barbić (CROGB1)	CRO CRO
Marijana Bello (CROMB1)	CRO CRO
Mateja Petronijevic (CROMP2)	CRO CRO
Tina Mihelić (CROTM2)	CRO CRO
Veronika Fenclova (CZEVF1)	CZE CZE
Alberte Lindberg (DENAL2)	DEN DEN
Anna Livbjerg (DENAL4)	DEN DEN
Cathrine Hall (DENCH5)	DEN DEN
Maiken Schütt (DENMS4)	DEN DEN
Sarah Gunni (DENSG3)	DEN DEN
Alicia Cebrian (ESPAC2)	ESP ESP
Fatima Reyes (ESPFR3)	ESP ESP
Lucia Reyes (ESPLR1)	ESP ESP
Susana Romero Steensma (ESPSR2)	ESP ESP
Merili Randmaa (ESTMR4)	EST EST
Krista Olander (FINKO1)	FIN FIN
Sari Multala (FINSM1)	FIN FIN
Tuula Tenkanen (FINTT1)	FIN FIN
Corinne Antoine (FRACA4)	FRA FRA
Fanny Le Sausse (FRAFL30)	FRA FRA
Mathilde de Kerangat (FRAMD34)	FRA FRA
Solenne Brain (FRASB3)	FRA FRA
Sophie de Turckheim (FRASD1)	FRA FRA
Sarah Steyaert (FRASS1)	FRA FRA
Andrea Brewster (GBRAB29)	GBR GBR
Alison Young (GBRAY5)	GBR GBR
Charlotte Dobson (GBRCD15)	GBR GBR
Chloe Martin (GBRCM36)	GBR GBR
Lizzie Vickers (GBREV1)	GBR GBR
Laura Baldwin (GBRLB3)	GBR GBR
Penny Clark (GBRPM36)	GBR GBR
Suzanne Russell (GBRSR35)	GBR GBR
Sarah Williams (GBRSW42)	GBR GBR
Eftychia Mantzaraki (GREEM1)	GRE GRE
Haidi Kolida (GREHK4)	GRE GRE
Maria Vlachou (GREMV1)	GRE GRE
Virginia Kravarioti (GREVK2)	GRE GRE
Rohini Rau (INDRR6)	IND IND
Annalise Murphy (IRLAM24)	IRL IRL
Claudine Murphy (IRLCM10)	IRL IRL
Ciara Peelo (IRLCP4)	IRL IRL
Debbie Hanna (IRLDH16)	IRL IRL
Nufar Endelman (ISRNE1)	ISR ISR
Mayumi Roller (ISVMR1)	ISV ISV
Francesca Clapcich (ITAFC24)	ITA ITA
Giovanna Valsecchi (ITAGV5)	ITA ITA
Larissa Nevierov (ITALN1)	ITA ITA
Matilde Fabbri (ITAMF17)	ITA ITA
Maria Graziani (ITAMG20)	ITA ITA
Ayumi Ishikawa (JPNAI2)	JPN JPN
Kanako Hiruta (JPNKH8)	JPN JPN
Kaori Takahashi (JPNKT15)	JPN JPN
Maiko Sato (JPNMS2)	JPN JPN
Yukiyo Saiki (JPNYS8)	JPN JPN
Anna Aile (LATAA1)	LAT LAT
Ausra Mileviciute (LTUAM1)	LTU LTU
Gintare Volungeviciute (LTUGV1)	LTU LTU
Nurul Anuar (MASNA2)	MAS MAS
Anneke Bouwmeester (NEDAB3)	NED NED
Gea Jutjens (NEDGJ1)	NED NED
Marit Bouwmeester (NEDMB7)	NED NED
Elin Samdal (NORES1)	NOR NOR
Amanda Hargreaves (NZLAH2)	NZL NZL
Aevril Hibbard (NZLAH8)	NZL NZL
Briar Dye-hutchinson (NZLBD4)	NZL NZL
Cushla Hume-merry (NZLCH2)	NZL NZL
Jo Aleh (NZLJA1)	NZL NZL
Jessica Barrell (NZLJB6)	NZL NZL
Jane Monk (NZLJM2)	NZL NZL
Miranda Powrie (NZLMP1)	NZL NZL
Sarah Tootill (NZLST3)	NZL NZL
Sara Winther (NZLSW1)	NZL NZL
Florencia Cerutti Bogado (PARFC2)	PAR PAR
Paloma Schmidt (PERPS1)	PER PER
Katarzyna Szotynska (POLKS1)	POL POL
Zuzanna Gladysz (POLZG1)	POL POL
Sara Carmo (PORSC1)	POR POR
Anastasia Chernova (RUSAC4)	RUS RUS
Alisa Kirilyuk (RUSAK7)	RUS RUS
Elena Oblova (RUSEO1)	RUS RUS
Elizabeth Yin (SINEY1)	SIN SIN
Manyi Lo (SINML2)	SIN SIN
Victoria Chan (SINVC1)	SIN SIN
Milica Dukic (SRBMD1)	SRB SRB
Corinne Meyer (SUICM1)	SUI SUI
Nathalie Brugger (SUINB1)	SUI SUI
Helena Skarp (SWEHS6)	SWE SWE
Karin Söderström (SWEKS2)	SWE SWE
Hsin Kuan (TPEHK1)	TPE TPE
Ayda Unver (TURAU1)	TUR TUR
Anna Tunnicliffe (USAAT1)	USA USA
Emily Billing (USAEB19)	USA USA
Paige Railey (USAPR8)	USA USA
Andrea Saba (VENAS1)	VEN VEN