| Buenos Aires, Argentina - The Ozzies claimed the title with one race to spare. Local heroes Argentineans Santiago Lange & Carlos Espinola had a brilliant race and are second on the podium. Austrians Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher are third.
The breeze under 6 knots kept the competitors waiting on the water to start Race 9. When the breeze finally picked up the RC had to move the course due to the shallow conditions. By then only 1 race could be sailed and the Australians won the title with one race to spare.
The battle was between local heroes ARG Santiago Lange & Carlos Espinola and AUT Roman Hagara & Hans Peter Steinacher. Both teams started together in the middle of the starting line but the Argentineans went all the way to the right side of the course while the Austrians decided for the middle. Santiago and Carlos rounded in first, followed by Dutch Mitch Booth & Pim Nieuwenhis in second and Spanish Fernando Echavarri & Anton Paz in third. The Austrians rounded seventh.
By then the Argentineans were leading by far and had nobody to threatened their lead. The Spanish took over the second position on the third and last weather mark rounding followed by the French Yann Guichard & Alexandre Guyader in third. The Austrians didn't manage to improve their position and finished 11th.
ARG Santiago Lange & Carlos Espinola crossed the finishing line in great style flying a hull to the hundreds of spectators watching the final race of the 2006 Worlds.
The French had a good campaign placing 6 teams in the top 15 with Guichard & Guyader finishing 5th overall. The Greek team of Iordanis Paschalidis & Constantinos Trigonis were the 4th overall.
Says Darren Bundock about his result: 'The focus the whole year has been on this World Championship. This is the one we wanted and means a lot after the effort and preparation for this event. A lot has got to be said for our coach Mike Fletcher he has coached me to five world championships now in the Olympic Class and coached Mitch Booth and John Forbes to one before I came along. His persistence before this regatta with getting our trimming techniques and speed right has probably won the regatta for us'.
'The pairs decision making skills this week has won the regatta for them, yesterday they made some of the best decisions when under pressure. On the starting line they knew when to push and when it was getting crowded and the risk was high to back out and find another hole. Decisions like that win world championships. Yesterday they showed the world they wanted this World championship', commented Fletch.
Top 10 after 9 races
1 AUS Darren Bundock & Glenn Ashby 23 pts
2 ARG Santiago Lange & Carlos Espinola 37 pts
3 AUT Roman Hagara & Hans Peter Steinacher 41 pts
4 GRE Ordains Paschalidis & Constantinos Trigonis 67 pts
5 FRA Yann Guichard & Alexandre Guyader 77 pts
6 GER Johannes Polgar & Florian Spalteholz 80 pts
7 ESP Fernando Echavarri & Anton Paz 89 pts
8 FRA Billy Besson & Arnaud Jarlegan 98 pts
9 PUR Enrique Figueroa & Jorge Hernandez 105 pts
10 FRA Xavier Revil & Christophe Espagnon 108 pts
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