ROTA, BAY OF CADIZ, SPAIN-(19-9-2003) Today has been a very exciting day in both the 470 Men and 470 Womens Fleets.
As some team results came in unexpected yesterday, those who scored below average, recovered today. Two races were completed in both Ladies groups, and only one for all groups on the Mens course while wind conditions made racing impossible.
Garbrio ZANDONA / Andrea TRANI from Italy have taken a lead with an overal serie of 1-1-2, having 5 points, followed by the BELCHER brothers from Australia with 11 points. Top sailors like Israel’s Gidon KLIGER / Ehud GAL, Philippe GILDAS / Nicolas LE BERRE (FRA), Nathan WILMOT / Malcolm PAGE (AUS), Simon COOKE / Peter NICHOLAS (NZL), Benjamin BONNAUD / Romain BONNAUD (FRA) all sailed a top 3 position in the only race today to get back in line with the top rankings.
In group A today, Alvaro MARINHO / Miguel NUNES won the only race sailed today.
“ We had a perfect start and chose to take the left side of the course while we thought that there was more wind. We reached the upper mark in 2nd position after Italy’s ZANDONA/TRANI. Downwind we got ahead of them and won the race.” Said Alvaro.
Yesterday they sailed an 8th and 4th position and requested a redress. “ Directly after the start we tacked to take the right side of the race course, where we hit a Jury boat. In our opinion it should not have been there and in such close racing the smallest incident costs places”: explained Alvaro. “Our request was not granted.”
Alvaro and Miguel is one of the Mens team to watch in this Championship. They are always ranked within the top of major events, and now and then, they rule the event. In 2000 they competed at the Olympics and ended up 5th. “ I was inspired for sailing by my Father and Grandfather who were actively sailing Vaurien and Snipe. I started in the Optimist and continued in the 420 for four years where I had my best result at the 1996 420 Worlds in Belgium ending up 6th.
In 1997 I started sailing 470 with Miguel. He has kind of the same background as I do and we have been friends and sailing together since wqe were young. We make a perfect team. Competing at the Sydnet 2000 Olympics has been the highest we achieved sofar.
At this Worlds event we aim at ending up within the top 3.”
In the ladies Fleet, how often must it be written, the ladies from Greece, Sofia BEKATOROU / Emilia TSOULFA, take a great lead with 10 points difference overall after 4 races in a very early stage of the Championship.
They are followed by Lisa westerhof / Margriet MATTHIJSSE from the Netherlands with 15 points, the same amount of points as Vlada Ilienko / Natalia Gaponovich from Russia.
In the early afternoon, French ladies Ingrid PETITJEAN / Nadege DOUROUX sailed a 2nd position in their group. With these results it looked like they were going to take over the second overall position. They were unfortunate in race 4 to end up 20, which places them 4th overall.
Sydney 2000 Gold Medallists Jenny ARMSTRONG / Belinda STOWELL moved up in the overal rankings in a better day then the opening races yesterday. A perfect race this morning where they where the first to win a race in the group of the reigning World Champions. They finished 1st. and a 5th place in the second which puts them in a 6th postion in the overall rankings.
“ We are not complaining about our results at this moment. On our way to Gold in Sydney we almost never ruled a major serie. We are building up our strenght on the way to Athens now, test materials and try to get better everey step we take. Our main concern now, is the Olympic qualification, for our country and ourselves. ” said both girls.
“ The level of performance has grown significantly in the 470. At the Ladies we remember to have about 6 tough competitors, now we at least have 12.”
Tomorrow will be the last day of Qualifiers. Two races are scheduled for the 470 Women and possibly three races for the Men.
For more information and results, visit the web event web site at www.cadizworlds2003.com or the Intl 470 Class Web site at www.470.org
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