| OALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN-(3-4-2007) Finally today the wind blew at the 38 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofía – Mapfre. SW – W , 14 to 18 knots making it possible to sail three races in many classes bringing several changes in the overall results.
In the Tornado European championship, held in Club Nàutic S’Arenal, Austrian team and 2006 European champions Roman Hagara/Hans Peter Steinacher were OCS in 2 of today’s 3 races loosing the lead in favour of Australian team Darren Bundock/Glenn Ashby. Second place is now for Spanish team Fernando Echávarri/Antón Paz, in second place of the ISAF world sailing ranking list, after discarding yesterday’s bad result.
The top three places in the 49er have seen no changes with Danish team Peter Hansen/Soren Hansen still in the lead. Italian team Pietro Sibello/Gianfranco Sibello is in second place after discarding today’s OCS while third place is for Spanish team Federico Alonso/Arturo Alonso.
Croatian sailor Marin Misura, bronze medallist at the 2006 Europeans, was the main star of the Finn fleet today winning the three races sailed today. Misura leads the standing with 9 point advantage over second classified Pieter Jan-Postma (NED). French sailor Lobert Jonathan dropped down to ninth place overall.
The 41 boats of the Star class completed two races in which the Brazilian team Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada had a great performance with 2 bullets in today’s races as well as Polish team Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Tomasz Holc that finished in second place in both races. New Zealand team Hamish Pepper/David Giles, the world’s number one, did not do well today and lost the leadership in favour of the polish team. Second place is for Brazilian team, silver medallists in the 2006 Europeans and third place is for the New Zealand team.
In 470 M, Potuguese team Álvaro Marinho/Miguel Nunes has gained great advantage over second classified team from Israel Gideon Kliger/Udi Gal. No luck today for Dutch sailors Sven Coster/Kalle Coster who are down to ninth overall. Third place is for Swedish team Johan Molund/Niels Flohr. Big changes can be seen in the coming days as there is only three points difference between second and tenth classified teams.
Three races were also sailed in the Yngling class, based at Real Club Náutico de Palma. Russian team Anna Basalkina/Vladislava Ukraintseva/ Ekaterina Maximov dropped down in the standings and the leaders are now US team Sally Barkow/Carrie Howe/Debbie Capozzi. Second place overall is for British team and Athens 2004 gold medallists Shirley Robertson/Annie Luz/Lucy McGregor in front of German team Ulrike Schuemann/Julia Bleck/ Ute Hoepfner in third place.
Today’s wind had the Neil Pryde M flying on the waters near Escuela Nacional de Vela Calanova. They sailed three races today with a tie between the top three sailors (19 points) Maksym Oberemko (UKR), Shahar Zubari (ISR) and Iván Pastor (ESP).
Veteran New Zealand sailor Barbara Kendall leads the Neil Pryde RS:X women standings winning two of today’s three races. Kendall, three times Mistral Olympic medallist and also three times world champion, took advantage of the mistakes of her closest rivals to be in the lead of the class. Second place is for French sailor Charline Picon and third position is for German competitor Romy Kinzl.
Spectacular changes were seen in the 470 W overall results. Dutch sailors Marcelien De Koning/Lobke Berkhout, the current world champions and second classified in the ISAF world sailing ranking list, showed their level with three bullets in today’s races placing them as leaders of the overall results. Second place is for French team Ingrid Petitjean/Nadège Douroux and third place is for Ukranian sailors Ruslana Taran/Elena Pakholchyk tied with equal points.
The 91 boats of the Laser Radial fleet, based at Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, sailed two races. With a second and a win, New Zealand sailor Jo Aleh leads the overall standings. In second place, tied with equal points is Mexican competitor Tania Elías Calles Wolf, second in the ISAF world sailing ranking list. German competitor Petra Niemann is third at just one point. Belgian sailor Evi Van Acker, the current European champion, was disqualified in one of today’s races and dropped down to 16th place.
German team Thomas Mueller/Vincent Hoesch/Max Scheibm is still the leaders in Dragon class after the three races sailed today in Real Club Náutico de Palma.
No results of Laser Standard are available when publishing this press release.
From tomorrow the fleet will be divided in groups Gold and Silver and in some cases, Bronze with the best sailors in the Gold group. Warning signals are scheduled tomorrow at 12:00hrs.
The 38 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofía – Mapfre is sponsored for second consecutive year and 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 the 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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