Runaway winner

Spain's Monica Azon demolishes the opposition at the Volvo Women European Championship Yngling in Medemblik

After nine races Monica Azon from Spain can now call herself World and European Champion 2006 in the Yngling. The Azon sisters who sail with Graciela Pisonero won the series convincingly with a 16 point lead. “We are very happy with this result. In these conditions we are really confident and we have the perfect set up. We took the right decision on the equipment to use and we sailed well. Sometimes it is like Formula One with all the equipment,” said Azon.  

Second place went to the Dutch team of Mandy Mulder, Brecht van der Werf and Petronella de Jong. Mulder (18) is quite new to the Yngling game. She joined the Dutch Federation’s team last year. This event she was sailing with the experienced De Jong, who also participated in the Yngling in Athens and also with Van der Werf, who has been sailing Yngling for one and a half years now. “It feels a bit unreal," said Mulder. "I am very content with this. We sailed well during the Worlds but made two big mistakes and did not end up on the podium. Now we got our revenge.”

A remarkable fact is that all nine sailors of the top three Dutch boats work together as one team. Positions, teams and boats are swapped around for every event under directives of coach Maurice Paardenkooper, who also coached the crew on ABN AMRO Two in the Volvo Ocean Race, The objective of this Dutch Yngling Project is to create a group of strong sailors instead of focussing all efforts on one team of three girls alone. Eventually the best combination of three athletes will be picked to represent the Netherlands in Beijing if that situation occurs.

Third place went to the team of Ulrika Schuemann (GER). The German team was second during the recent World Championships in La Rochelle and wanted revenge on the Spanish. Schuemann sailed with interim crew from the USA Icyda Lee. She was happy considering the fact that she was sailing with a new interim crew. But not satisfied with her performance. “Sailing is making the least mistakes. We made too many. I will have to get my revenge in China in the pre-pre Olympics this year.”  

Results:

Pos	Sailno	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Tot
1	ESP 3	Azon, Monica, Azon, Sandra, Pisonero, Graciela	2	20	11	1	7	6	1	2	11	41
2	NED 11	Mulder, Mandy, Werf, Brechtje van der, Jong, Petronella de	17	11	3	2	10	1	19	6	7	57
3	GER 261	Schuemann, Ulrike, Icyda, Lee, Hoepfner, Ute	4	3	16	3	15	8	3	11	10	57
4	AUS 57	Bethwaite, Nicola, Gojnich, Karyn, Farrell, Angela	9	2	1	10	11	16	bfd	9	1	59
5	RUS 4	Basalkina, Anna, Maximova, Ekatarina, Ukraintsera, Vlada	6	6	14	14	4	2	8	18	6	60
6	NED 1	Hin, Janneke, Faber, Marije, Hendriksen, Floortje	7	13	21	5	5	9	4	14	5	62
7	RUS 8	Skudina, Ekaterina, Sokolova, Alexandra, Krutskikh, Diana	10	23	12	19	3	11	2	4	4	65
8	UKR 1	Taran, Ruslana, Matevusheva, Svetlana, Kalinina, Anna	1	15	7	23	1	14	7	10	13	68
9	NZL 4	Ferris, Sharon, Lambert, Karen, Smeal, Raynor	8	17	9	9	6	20	5	13	2	69
10	RUS 1	Ilienko, Vladelina, Gaponovich, Natalya, Kovalenko, Ekatarina	16	4	4	11	17	dsq	9	1	9	71
11	JPN 1	Shige, Yumiko, Horiuchi, Mayumi, Eguchi, Eri	5	10	5	18	2	17	bfd	8	8	73
12	FRA 6	Le Helley, Anne, Deplanque, Marion, Lepesant, Catherine	14	1	2	4	18	3	dsq	20	12	74
13	FRA 8	Le Berre, Anne-Claire, Gerecht, Julie, Ponsar, Alice	11	8	17	6	13	5	14	3	18	77
14	NED 111	Thies, Annelies, Bes Annemieke, Kampen, Marije	3	7	6	7	19	21	dsq	5	20	88
15	GBR 14	Farrell, Gemma, Howe, Rachel, Larman, Rachel	15	21	8	ocs	12	13	10	7	19	105
16	SWE 51	Soderstr?, Ingrid, Larsson, Johanna, ?berg, Caroline	19	5	18	22	20	4	18	12	16	112
17	ITA 16	Calligaris, Chiara, Pignolo, Giulia, Scognamillo, Francesca	22	26	24	13	8	18	6	27	3	120
18	DEN 199	Ward, Susanne, Munk-Hansen, Anne Sofie, Holm, Rie	12	18	19	26	9	7	21	25	17	128
19	CAN 34	Bury, Sarah, Henderson, Martha, Abbot, Katie	18	25	15	15	14	26	11	22	15	135
20	CAN 8	Hand, Kelly, Leger, Chantal, Crampton, Deirdre	dsq	9	13	12	21	24	17	19	21	136
21	UKR 3	Kalyncheva, Angelina, Babichuk, Kateryna, Dmytrenko, Kateryna	13	12	25	20	25	28	12	16	14	137
22	RSA 1	Provoyeur, Dominique, Alison, Penny, Rew, Kim	20	19	10	17	27	12	bfd	15	ocs	151
23	DEN 202	Palludan, Trine, Gade, Maria, Hartvig, Ida	21	16	27	8	16	dsq	bfd	21	23	163
24	NED 337	Zweistra, Astrid, Wierenga, Lieske, Hakkel, Chantal	25	24	23	ocs	22	10	13	23	29	169
25	NED 335	Horst, Jildau ter, Versteegt Marieke, Krzeminski, Vera	24	27	20	16	28	15	16	29	25	171
26	POL 1	Wolniewicz, Karolina, Szaszor, Magda, Piech, Agata	27	30	22	27	24	19	20	28	22	189
27	GRE 2	Karzi, Alexandra, Karzi, Loukia, Haramountani, Christina	29	14	30	24	30	27	23	17	28	192
28	NED 74	Huber, Barbara, Schokker, Marleen, Schurer, Amerens	26	22	28	21	29	25	22	24	24	192
29	NED 336	Kedde, Lianne, Eelkman, Margot, Boer, Mirjam de	28	28	29	ocs	23	23	15	30	26	202
30	DEN 205	Evers, Christine, Noergaard, Laerke Ilsoe, Boidin, Susanne	23	29	26	25	26	22	bfd	26	27	204