| OALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN-(4-4-2007) Another excellent day of racing at the 38 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia – Mapfre for both competitors and the media representatives that have attended the regatta. Classes sailing in groups started today the final series divided in groups gold, silver and bronze. The great and equal level of competitors (with eleven 2005 Olympics medallists, 25 European titles and practically the top ten of each class) is bringing big changes in the partial results.
The forecasted SW wind, 8 to 12 knots, made it possible to complete two and even three races in some classes.
Tight results in the 49er class, in which there were changes in the leading positions after a discrete day for Danish sailors Peter & Soren Hansen, the current European silver medallists, and also for Italian team Pietro & Gianfranco Sibello, in second place of the ISAF ranking list who dropped down to eighth and fourth place overall, respectively. The lead is now for British team Stevie Morrison/Ben Rhodes, the current European champions.
In Neil Pryde RS:X M Polish sailor Piotr Myszka was the star winning today’s races and therefore climbing up to the top of the standings. Second place is for Tom Ashley from New Zealand and third place is for British competitor Nick Dempsey, the absolute winner of last year’s Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia and also the 2006 European champion.
Changing results were also seen in the Neil Pryde RS:X W results with Barbara Kendall (NZL) still in the lead. With equal points, second place is for French sailor Charline Picon. Third place overall is for Italian sailor Alexandra Sensini, who had the best performance today.
In the Star class, clear lead for Brazilian team Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada who won today’s two races. The up to now leading team from Poland Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Tomasz Holch had a bad day and dropped down to seventh overall. Second place is for German team Marc Pickel/Ingo Borkowski followed by world number one team from New Zealand Hamish Pepper/David Giles.
US team Sally Barkow/Carrie Howe/Debbie Capozzi is still in the lead in the Yngling class after today’s three races. German team Ulrike Schuemann/ Julia Bleck/ Ute Hoepfner dropped again down to second place overall while British team Sarah Ayton/Pippa Wilson/Sarah Webb is third.
Australian team Darren Bundock/Glenn Ashby, number one in the ISAF world ranking lists, is first in the Tornado standings. Second place is for French sailors Billy Besson/Arnaud Jarlegan that won one of today’s races.
Things are also tight at the 38 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia – Mapfre for the 470 M, with two point difference between first and third classified. French sailors Pierre Leboucher/Vincent Garos, bronze medallists in the 2006 Europeans, took the leading position and Portuguese team Álvaro Marinho/ Miguel Nunes are down to second overall. Third place is for Italian team Gabrio Zandonà/Andrea Trani, fourth in the ISAF world sailing ranking list.
Dutch team Marcelien De Koning/Lobke Berkhout, the current world champions and second in the ISAF world ranking list are the leaders of the 470 W fleet and won one of today’s races. Second place overall is for team from the Czech Republic Lenka Smidova/Veronika Fenclova, who won today’s second race. French sailors Ingrid Petitjean/Nadège Douroux finished 24th in today’s last race and dropped to third overall.
Croatian competitor Marin Misura, bronze medallist at the 2006 Palamós Europeans maintains the lead in the Finn class. Dutch sailor Pieter Jan-Postma is second overall and Danish sailor Jonas Høgh-Christensen, number of the ISAF ranking lists climbed up to third overall.
With venue at Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, the Laser Standard fleet sailed two races today that also confirmed the leadership of Argentinean sailor Julio Alzogaray, despite a black flag disqualification in one of today’s race. The Argentian sailor gained advantage over second classified Andrew Murdoch from New Zealand and fifth in the ISAF world ranking list. British sailor Paul Goodison, 2006 European champion won one of today’s races climbing to the third place of the podium.
On the contrary, the results of Laser Radial were completely turned around today. Belgian sailor Evi Van Acker, the current European champion, discarded a disqualification from yesterday and her good results of today brought her up again to the top of the standings. At only 2 points is Lithuanian sailor Gintare Volungeviciute in second place and third position overall is for German competitor Petra Niemann, while Jo Aleh from New Zealand and Mexican competitor Tania Elías Calles Wolf dropped to fifth and sixth place respectively.
After today’s two races in the Dragon class, that will celebrate the popular Gold Cup next week at Real Club Náutico de Palma, Ukranian team Markus Wieser/Sergey Pugachev/Thomas Auracher took the lead from German team Thomas Mueller/Vincent Hoesch/Max Scheibm.
The final series of the 38 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia – Mapfre continues tomorrow from 12:00 hours. It will be a decisive day because the Medal race will be held on Friday with only the top ten sailors of each Olympic class competing for the final victory.
The 38 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia – Mapfre is sponsored for second consecutive year by Mapfre and is organised by Federación Balear de Vela, Real Federación Española de Vela, Real Club Náutico de Palma, Club Nàutic S'Arenal, Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa and Escuela Nacional de Vela Calanova. The collaborators are Govern de les Illes Balears, Palma City Council, Llucmajor City Council, s’Institut de Serveis Socials i Esportius de Mallorca, Trasmediterránea Acciona and Ultramar.
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