The only people to get wet in Warnemunde today were Archie Massey and Matt Noble, after they were thrown in the water for becoming the new International 14 World Champions. Other teams just below Massey and Noble on the leaderboard were hoping the race officer would send the 90-boat fleet out for one last race, but with the westerly breeze gusting in excess of 30 knots, that was never a sensible option. After waiting in vain for the wind to abate, the last race was cancelled and the championship was complete

.

So the Anglo-American Massey-Noble duo were crowned World Champions, thanks to a superlative performance in the strong winds that swept across the Baltic Sea this week, where they won three of the six races. Anglo-Australian partnership Jarrod Simpson and Grant Rollerson took second overall, just edging out Australians Dave Alexander and Cameron McDonald on countback.

With the fleet experimenting with ultra-lightweight PBO rigging in place of the customary stainless steel wire, along with developments in T-foil rudder technology and square-top mainsails, success this week was running the balance between ultimate speed and reliability. Even Massey came dangerously close to losing his grip on the championship when his new rudder gave way, forcing him to complete the week with a borrowed replacement.

For boats that measure just 14ft long and 6ft wide, the modern International 14 is capable of immense speeds, in excess of 12 knots upwind and over 20 knots downwind. The T-foil rudders enable them to be driven harder and faster downwind than more powerful skiffs, and this heady mix of technology and adrenalin is what is driving new sailors into the fleet.

Even some of Britain’s Olympic sailors tried their hand at 14 sailing for the first time this week, with Dave Evans and Simon Hiscocks gradually getting to grips with the quirks of the International 14 to finish 11th overall.

While the top places were dominated by British and Australian teams, the biggest nation in numerical terms is the fast-growing German fleet. Best of the Germans were Olly Voss and Jens Holscher who finished in 12^th place. After 17 years competing in the 14, Voss was contemplating retirement into family cruising, but he has been tempted to postpone delivery of the X-99 yacht until after the next Worlds.

Warnemunde turned on a spectacular, high-thrills week of racing in strong wind and big waves. Now the fleet’s attention turns towards the next World Championship will take place on Sydney Harbour in January 2010. With the last two World titles having gone to American and British teams, the Aussies will be working hard to ensure a home victory in their famous harbour.

Race Report by: Andy Rice

Posted on: Wed, Jul 23, 2008

Cascade Locks, Oregon, July 20, 2008 - With a profound sense of relief, the weary competitors of the 2008 International 505 North American Championships packed their gear after four tough races on the final day of the regatta. There was no let-them-down-softly, anti-climatic departing shot from The Gorge today.

Photography: Sue Athmann

Starting the day with almost placid trapezing conditions at 8-15 knots it was the variability of the shifts and puffs that tripped many sailors. It was easy to lose four or five places in a single oscillation. Or end up on your ear. The drained “5-oh” group confronted the conditions boldly and courageously.

Rank Helm/Crew Points

1 Mike Martin/Jeffrey Nelson 28
2 Nick Adamson/Stephen Bourdow 34
3 Howard Hamlin/Peter Alarie 37
4 Dalton Bergan/Fritz Lanzinger 49
5 Mike Holt/Ben Benjamin 71
6 Doug Hagan/Rob Woelfel 78
7 G. Macy Nelson/Parry Barclay 99
8 Adam Lowry/David Byron 108
9 Jeff Miller/Mike Smith 112
10 Ramsay Key/Andrew Buttner 114
11 Henry Amthor/Adam Schell 125
12 Tom Gosch/Douglas McKeigh 136
13 Pierre Jeangirard/Paul VonGrey 148
14 Mats Elf/Jon Henderson 150
15 Angus Brackett/Colin Orsini 152
16 Aaron Ross/Rob Waterman 166
17 Jeff Boyd/Stephen Adolph 176
18 Philip Cragg/Reto Corfu 180
19 Jen Morgan Glass/Benjamin Glass 182
20 Mark Dowdy/Jason Bright 219
21 Lee Laney/Blaine Pedlow 224
22 Evan Thompson/Craig Thompson 244
23 Katherine Long/Stephen Long 269
24 Hubert Guy/Philip Toth 272
25 Eben Russell/Matthias Kennerknecht 274
26 J.B. Turney/Ned Turney 278
27 Andrew Schmidt/Charles Asper 294
28 John Wyles/Michael Renda 319
29 Stuart Sinclair/Peter Tuck 324
30 Charlie Dore/Christian Pittack 347
31 Erik Coburn/Piper Dunlap 396
32 Paul Pihl/ 396

Posted on: Tue, Jul 22, 2008

INTERNATIONAL sailing body ISAF has announced it will stage an inaugural Sailing World Cup Series – its first port of call, the prestigious Sail Melbourne Regatta in December this year.

International and Olympic sailors from all over the world will converge on Melbourne for the first leg of the series in its new timeslot – December 16-21.

The series will incorporate existing major sailing events all over the world, kicking off in Melbourne, followed by the Rolex Miami OCR, USA; the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia MAPFRE, in Spain; the Semaine Olympique Francaise, in France; the Delta Lloyd Regatta, in the Netherlands and culminating at Kiel Week in Germany.

ISAF President Göran PETERSSON is extremely excited about the inaugural World Cup Series, designed to attract Olympic Class sailors headed for the 2012 London Games.

“The ISAF Sailing World Cup will bring a new focus to Olympic sailing, demonstrating the excitement, skill and passion of the sport. It will give Olympic sailors a clear annual competition structure, the media a definitive series to feature and sponsors exposure across a host of top quality events that will be at the forefront of the sailing calendar,” Petersson said.

Yachting Victoria CEO Ross Kilborn is equally excited about Melbourne’s World Cup coup.

“The opportunity to host a round of the Sailing World Cup is a huge compliment to the clubs, volunteers and supporters of Sail Melbourne, who in just a decade have built its reputation to equal that of the famous, century old events that are also part of this exciting new ISAF series.,” Kilborn said.

Reporting: Jodi Kelly

Posted on: Tue, Jul 22, 2008

505s Gain Ground On The Gorge

The third day of the 2008 505 North Americans continued in tough conditions as the notorious Gorge wind pumped up during the day. Racing was tight, with four general recalls throughout the afternoon. Add a short line, and a sharp left shift near the pin and the 505s had difficult sailing conditions which challenged the tempers of both competitors and Race Committee.

Photography: Sue Athmann

The morning was frustratingly variable, with the breeze ranging from 8 to 12 knots and full of shifts. Californians Nick Adamson and Stephen Bourdow took Race 6. Race 7 was won by the Northwest team of Dalton Bergan and Fritz Lanzinger, and Race 8 was taken by world-champion Howard Hamlin and Peter Alarie.

Into the afternoon the wind built a bit more, measuring a steady 15 knots with gusts to 25. The large shifts continued, and the breeze oscillated back and forth. The stronger wind again favored the West Coast boats, with Mike Martin and Jeff Nelson of California taking Race 9 and 10's bullets and Hamlin and Alarie taking both seconds.

As for today’s carnage, The Gorge continued to prevail, though to a lesser extent. The damage tally included a broken gooseneck, a snapped main halyard, and of course, a few bruised egos.

Competitors from the West Coast continue to dominate heading into the final day. After 10 races, only 9 points separate the top three boats.

The top five through 10 races:
1.    Mike Martin / Jeff Nelson
2.    Howard Hamlin / Peter Alarie
3.    Nick Adamson / Stephen Bourdow
4.    Mike Holt / Ben Benjamin
5.    Dalton Bergan /Fritz Lanzinger

The Race Committee has scheduled four races for tomorrow, and the breeze is expected to continue.

Posted on: Mon, Jul 21, 2008

More Abuse For The 505s At The 2008 North American Championships
Day Two Racing Report By Mike Renda
Attached Photo by Sue Athmann

The heavy air excitement continued on Day Two of the 2008 505 North American Championship held at Cascade Locks, Oregon. Being sailed in the Columbia River Gorge, this year's competition is being held as part of the Gorge Games. 33 boats have entered, and more than a few have suffered some wounding in the extreme conditions of The Gorge.

Photography: Sue Athmann

On Friday, the Columbia Gorge Racing Association veteran race committee fired the starting gun on three races held in breezes ranging from the low teens to mid-twenties and the usual Gorge two-foot chop. Racing began early in the morning as the RC aimed to pull off more starts before the breeze kicked up to nuclear. Courses were windward / leewards twice around and lasted roughly forty minutes apiece. Competitors were sent ashore following the third race at 1300 to wait for more manageable winds. However the thermal continued to develop and the RC had flags “N” over “A” flying by 1400. Racing was abandoned for the day.

The damage report for the day was a much shorter list than Thursday's: 1 broken mast, 1 damaged deck, and 1 torn mainsail.

Following racing, a raffle was held with gear donated from the regatta sponsoring companies, Zhik, West Marine, Fisheries Supply, and Kam Gear.

Competitors from the West Coast continue to dominate the standings. The top five after five races (including 1 throwout):
1. Nick Adamson / Stephen Bourdow
2. Mike Martin / Jeff Nelson
3. Mike Holt / Ben Benjamin
4. Howard Hamlin / Peter Alarie
5. Doug Hagan / Rob Woelfel

Posted on: Sun, Jul 20, 2008

On the final day of the 38^th championship all the medal positions bar the Boy’s 29er fleet remained the same from yesterday’s leaderboard. Argentines Germán Billoch and Gastón Cheb Terrab clinched a win in the last race of the series pushing the American’s Judge Ryan and Hans Hensen into bronze position.

An elated Terrab explained, “I am really, really happy to get a silver medal here. We had a bad start but we took the right hand side and had great speed. We kept looking for the gusts and when we tacked over we were in front of everyone, including the British boys. We always had speed today and just maintained our lead. USA got a sixth in the race which was enough for us to jump up.”

The GBR boys James Peters and Edward Fitzgerald posted a fourth today but after the disqualification of the Americans from one of yesterday’s race they were never going to be caught. A delighted Peters said, ““It’s a dream come true really. It’s just so good that all the hard work we put in and all the hours in January in the freezing cold have finally paid off. It’s just great that we could make it count in this event.”

Fitzgerald added, “When I started sailing with James, ever since then everything’s been towards it [winning the Youth Worlds], so I can’t really believe it yet.”

The Volvo Trophy went to Britain but the fight for second place was a close fought one with New Zealand pipping Australia to the post with only two points separating them.

“To come out here and win two gold medals, a bronze medal, win the Volvo Trophy and to also finish topping the medal table, we’ve got to be pleased with that,” said Simon Wergen, RYA Youth Racing Manager. He explained that teamwork was key to the British success, “We have really sailed as a team here and when people have needed to post results to score us points in the Volvo Trophy standings, they went out and did it.”

Helping Britain to win the Volvo trophy was the Girl’s 29er team of Frances Peters and Claire Lasko who came second in today’s race and were very pleased with their consistency throughout the event. Peters commented, “We are the most pleased about this win than any other competition and winning the Volvo Trophy for the GBR Team is a bonus.”

Dutch team Annemiek Bekkering and Jeske Kisters pushed the Brits the whole way through the series to win the silver medal with Hannah Nattrass and Michelle Muller of Australia winning their second consecutive bronze medal.

In the SL16 fleet the focus was on the battle for silver and bronze after French brothers Valentin and Romain Bellet had secured overall victory yesterday. The Australian team of Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin were fast starters and lead around the course to score their first bullet of the championship and move up to sixth place overall. Of the four teams who had a shot at a medal, Singapore put in the best performance with a second place but it was not quite enough. The young South African team of helm Matthew Whitehead, aged 14, and crew Michael Ovenstone, aged 17, scored their worst result of the regatta with a tenth place finish, but crucially their closest challengers for second place overall, the British team of James Ellis and Andrew Glover were only one place ahead. This gave Whitehead and Ovenstone the silver medal, whilst Ellis and Glover won bronze on countback from Singaporeans Wen Chun Low and Jonathan Russel Wei Xiang Chew.

Although narrowly missing out on the medals, the Singapore team will not leave Århus empty handed. They won the Bengt Julin Trophy for Sportsmanship, re-introduced at this year’s championship and voted for by other teams and competitors. The team won this for their friendly attitude and helpful manner with everyone at the championships, especially the Athlete Participation Programme (APP) sailors.

Team Cyprus has only three competitors in the championships, making their two gold medals, one by Pavlos Kontides in the Laser and the other in the Boy’s RS:X fleet by Michalis Malekkides, even more impressive. Kontides won his last race and straight after praised his team for doing so well. “I can’t believe that we won two gold medals it is great for a country as small as mine that we have two World Champions at this event. I hope this makes more people start sailing at home. It still hasn’t sunk in yet and I can’t believe I have won two golds.”

Luke Lawrence (USA) did not sail today knowing he had done enough to secure silver yesterday from New Zealander Sam Meech in bronze position. Århus local Thorbjoern Schierup pushed himself to the limit to try and catch Meech but later admitted that he went too far and got a yellow flag for an incident in the only race of the day.

In the Laser Radial fleet Gabrielle King (AUS) still went out today to try and retain Team Australians position in the Volvo Trophy standings and won her race but unfortunately it was not enough to secure a second for them. Susana Romero of Spain posted a third in the last race which won her the silver medal with New Zealand’s Cushla Hume-Merry in bronze position.

There was no change at the top of the Girl’s RS:X with Polish windsurfer Maja Dziarnowska posting a first today and Patricia Freitas (BRA) close behind her in second, but this was not enough for the Brazilian to steal silver from her. Laura Linares (ITA) said her third gold medal win had still not sunk in, “I still can’t believe it, it is wonderful!”

Cypriot Michalis Malekkides in the RS:X was beaten by both the Greek Thiseas Kampas and German competitor, Oliver-Tom Schliemann today but it did not change his gold medallist position. Kampas retained his silver medal while Schliemann, despite winning the race had to settle for bronze.

The competitors will be awarded their medals and trophies at the Musikhuset in Århus tonight, bringing the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships to a close. Next year’s event will be held in Buzios, Brazil on 9-18 July 2009.

Posted on: Sat, Jul 19, 2008

The International Moth Class Association has selected Belmont, Australia as the venue for the 2011 Moth World Championships.

Situated on Lake Macquarie, 90 minutes North of Sydney, Belmont will provide ideal conditions for the large fleet of Moths expected at the regatta. Belmont 16' Skiff Sailing Club will host the event, and given it's recent experience with the OK Dinghy World Championship in 2006, other large regattas and the upcoming A Class World Championship, the 16' Skiff Club will have the experience and resources to put together a successful championship.

A long standing record of 95 boats competed in the last Moth Worlds on Lake Macquarie in 1995, yet that record should be smashed in January 2011 given the explosive interest in the Foiling Moth fleet, and the ramping up of production from builders around the globe.

The local Australian Moth fleet has been re-energized by their successful bid. Australian 49er Olympians Chris Nicholson and Nathan Outteridge have both expressed interest in competing as have Rohan Veal and Emmett Lazich with a move to rejoin the class and recapture their World Champion titles past. Given recent successes from Australian 18' Skiff sailors John Harris and Scott Babbage, several other 18 sailors may make the now well-worn transition into what is arguably the highest perfomance dinghy on the planet. Given the swelling ranks of talented sailors and newcomers to the class, their ascension to the front of the fleet will be hard fought.

Summer conditions on Lake Macquarie are usually hot, dry and sunny, with regular North-East seabreezes regularly over 20 knots. These conditions will be ideal for the expected fleet of well over 100 foiling Moths.

Posted on: Sat, Jul 19, 2008

Posted on: Fri, Jul 18, 2008

The records tumbled at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship with all seven titles decided, Great Britain secured the Volvo Trophy and a new generation of sailing stars emerged in Århus.

Cyprus and Great Britain won two titles, with the others going to Australia, France and Italy on a record breaking day in Århus, Denmark. Great Britain is in an unbeatable position in the Volvo Trophy standings and therefore wins the title for the best performing nation at the Youth Worlds for the first time since 1996.

Pavlos Kontides (CYP) became the first ever two-time winner of the ISAF St Lawrence Trophy, presented to the winner of the Boy’s One Person Dinghy event – an incredible achievement considering the sailors to have come closest to it in the past (by winning one gold and one silver medal) are Russell Coutts (NZL), Ben Ainslie (GBR), Dean Barker (NZL) and Dan Slater (NZL)! Kontides did not have his best day today, but has dominated the Laser fleet throughout the series to win with two races to spare.

Kontides explained, “It hasn’t sunk in yet that I have won. I can’t believe that two people from my country is in the top ten, that is great. I had a bad last race today but it didn’t matter in the end. I was fifth from last at the top mark because of a massive wind shift but managed to get back to 16th or 17th so I was happy. This is my fifth and last Youth Worlds and I can’t believe I am the only person to win two gold medals.”

After five years at the Youth Worlds, next stop for Kontides will be Qingdao, China, where he will represent Cyprus at the Beijing Olympic Games. After 30 years at the Youth Worlds, as GBR then ISAF World Youth Trust Sailing Coach, Jim Saltonstall is better placed than anyone to assess the potential of this future star. “He’s really like another Ben Ainslie; as Ben was for GBR, Pavlos is for Cyprus. It won’t surprise me at all if he doesn’t win a medal in China because he’s quite capable of doing that.”

Another record breaker today was Laura Linares of Italy. She won her third consecutive title in the Girl’s Windsurfer event on the RS:X and became the first sailor in the 38-year history of the event to win five Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship medals. Like Kontides, Linares dominated the series from start to finish only once finishing outside of the top-two places.

“Five ISAF’s, five medals. Unbelievable. It’s really fantastic results and I’m really satisfied and really happy. I realized my dream. It’s unbelievable. I can’t believe it,” said a delighted Linares. In the battle for the remaining podium spots, just two points separate Maja Dziarnowska (POL) and Patricia Freitas (BRA) in second and third place respectively.

Gabrielle King made it a triple success for the Kingston gold medallists, defending her title in the Laser Radial with another superb performance. King scored her fourth and fifth bullets of the championship in today’s two races to take the title in style. “I thought after day two it was a possibility to win and then the wind gods looked down on me and things kept going my way and it has ended up with this win. This is the best event I love it,” said the ecstatic young Australian. Susana Romero of Spain currently lies in the silver medal position, just four points ahead of New Zealand’s Cushla Hume-Merry.

The British teams scored a double victory in the 29er fleets. The Girl’s team of Frances Peters and Claire Lasko were delighted to have the gold medal in the bag after the second race of the day. They were mostly pleased about the consistency throughout the week’s competition. They were disappointed with their performance at the Youth Nationals despite winning the event because they felt they could have done better but here was a different story. Peters commented, "It hasn't sunk in yet. It is a relief because this is what we have been working towards for so long. Seven hours out on the water in December has finally paid off and it is all worth while now. This is why we did all that training and worked so hard.”

Annemiek Bekkering and Jeske Kisters of the Netherlands have also secured the silver medal, whilst Hannah Nattrass and Michelle Muller are well placed to repeat their third place finish of last year.

James Peters, brother of Frances, and Edward Fitzgerald won Great Britain’s second gold medal in the Boy’s 29er fleet. It had looked like being a final day shootout between the Brits and the USA crew of Judge Ryan and Hans Henken, but the Americans were disqualified from race 13 after a protest from the French team, putting Peters and Fitzgerald into an unbeatable position at the top of the leaderboard. Germán Billoch and Gastón Cheb Terrab of Argentina lie in third place overall and will be looking to challenge for the silver medal tomorrow.

The French SL 16 sailors Valentin and Romain Bellet are also celebrating overall victory in the multihull SL16 class although refused to celebrate a day early and are concentrating on a good position tomorrow in the last race of the series. Romain Bellet, just 15 years old and the younger of the two brothers, said, “I still want to gain points for the Volvo Trophy. We don’t feel we have totally won until we go for the collective achievement tomorrow.”

The South Africans Matthew Whitehead and Micheal Ovenstone were covering the French all day in true match racing style and won their first race putting two boats in-between them and the French. But the French pair managed to get away from them on the last downwind leg of second race leaving them in seventh and the Bellet brothers in first. Romain Bellet explained, “Going downwind we gybed. The South Africans did not follow – they should have!” Whitehead and Ovenstone now have a four point lead over the nearest rivals James Ellis and Andrew Glover of Great Britain with Simon Michaelsen and Jacob Dannefer of Denmark a further four points behind.

Michalis Malekkides won a second gold medal for Cyprus in the boy’s windsurfer fleet. After a tough day yesterday, he was back to best in today’s stronger winds. “The conditions here were like Cyprus, especially the first and the second day when it was windy. They’re the conditions I know very well and that helped me,” said Malekkides, who at just 16 years old, said his aim now is to defend his title at next year’s Youth Worlds in Buzios, Brazil.

Malekkides won race 10, but with his close rival and training partner Thiseas Kampas (GRE) in third, the pair were only separated by five points in the overall standings. The decisive action came in race 11, when Malekkides took a gamble out to the left of the first downwind, caught a gust and accelerated from six to second. He maintained that position across the finishing line and the title was his as Kampas struggled across the line in 14th. Despite that finish, Kampas hold on to second overall, although Germany’s Oliver-Tom Schliemann is just six points further back. 

Tomorrow is the final day of the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, the 38th edition of the event. One race is scheduled for each event, and although the gold medal winners have already been decided, there are still plenty of podium positions up for grabs.

In the battle for the Volvo Trophy, Great Britain current lies on 336 points, with the last year’s winners Australia climbing up to tie for second place with New Zealand on 304 points. As the GBR 29er crews have already secured at least 12 points in race 12, Great Britain holds on unbeatable lead and tomorrow will lift the Volvo Trophy tomorrow for the third time. France is fourth in the national standings, just behind Australia and New Zealand, with the host nation Denmark in fifth, just ahead of hosts of next year’s championship, Brazil.

Posted on: Thu, Jul 17, 2008

The British girls still rule the 29er class as Frances Peters and Claire Lasko posted a 2, 1 and 3 on the fourth day of racing of the Championships. The Swedish team of Sara Engström and Hanna Dahlborg didn’t have a great day on the water with a 5, 5, 4 which made them drop down to fourth from third. Engström commented after racing, “We were not happy with today but at least we are sailing more consistently now which is good. With only two more days it will be very close for all of us at the top.” The Australians Hannah Natrass and Michelle Muller, bronze medallists last year, moved into third with a two firsts and a ninth which they dropped as the second discard comes into play.

In the boy’s fleet the American’s Judge Ryan and Hans Henken had a great day with a 1, 2, 3 bringing them to the top of the pile. Henken explained how they started slow but placed themselves well in the lighter breeze. “We played the shifts downwind well and getting top three positions today was a great achievement.” James Peters and Edward Fitzgerald (GBR) where pushed down to second but are only a point behind the leaders. Australians Bryon White and Rhys Mara are now in third on 37 points, 14 points behind, with Germán Billoch and Gastón Cheb Terrab of Argentina six points behind them.

France dominates the SL16 fleet for a second day with brothers Valentin and Romain Bellet winning two races and scoring a third in the last of the day. The South Africans Matthew Whitehead and Michael Ovenstone are still in second but posted a 7, 2 and a 9. “We had a bad day today and it didn’t help it was a very long day. The Singapore and New Zealand guys are back on form, which is good to see,” said Ovenstone. The third placed GBR team of James Ellis and Andrew Glover are only two points ahead of the Danes Simon Michael and Jacob Dannefer and just one point behind the South Africans. With three races left in the series there is a lot to win and lose.

With the wind shifting in direction and speed throughout the day, consistency was key to success in the windsurfer fleets as both the light and heavy wind specialists had a chance to shine. Thiseas Kampas of Greece was the standout performer in the Boy’s RS:X fleet, closing the gap on the overall leader - also his good friend and training partner - Michalis Malekkides of Cyprus to just three points. Great final runs helped Kampas make up vital places to score second and third positions in races 7 and 8 before he sacrificed first place in the day’s final race to force Malekkides to the wrong side of the course. The strategy worked as the Cypriot posted an 11th place, his worst score of the regatta, whilst Kampas again finished strongly take fourth place. Kampas said his performance today, particularly his strong finishes, were principally down to a more confident approach, “I didn’t have it [confidence] the days before because I was so nervous, because of the wind I was saying oh no, it’s high winds again. But today I said to myself, ‘okay I’m here to fight, to fight until the end’ and that’s what I did.”

Laura Linares (ITA) had another stellar day in the girl’s RS:X fleet, with a second place followed by her fifth and sixth bullets of the regatta. With just three races remaining and no score worse than a fifth the Italian looks well on the way to a third consecutive Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship title. Maja Dziarnowska (POL) and Patricia Freitas (BRA) continue to battle it out behind the leader, with just two points separating them in second and third place respectively.

Pavlos Kontides (CYP) had a rare blip today with a fifth in race 8, but sandwiched between a bullet and a second place it did nothing to affect his dominant position at the top of the Laser standings. Luke Lawrence tightened his grip in second place with a win the day’s final race, whilst Denmark’s Thorbjoern Schierup remains in third. Schierup said back in the dinghy park, “I've mixed feelings about today. The gap up to second has opened up, but at the same time I’m more isolated in third. But I had by far preferred to have the chance to fight my way up the list instead of defending the third spot.”

Like Kontides, Australia’s Gabrielle King is looking odds on to defend the title she won last year in Kingston. She added a third bullet to her scoreline and maintained her run of all top-five finishes to extend her overall lead in the Laser Radial fleet. Susana Romero of Spain admitted she still hasn’t got to grips with the changeable conditions in the Bay but nevertheless won the day’s final race to propel herself up the leaderboard. The young Spaniard is aiming for a confidence boosting performance in Denmark before heading to Qingdao, China where she will represent Spain at the Olympic Games.

Tomorrow two races (three for the 29ers) are scheduled for each event, starting at 12:00 local time. With just one race remaining for each fleet on the final day of the championship on Friday, victory is within grasp for some of the fleet leaders setting the scene for an exciting penultimate day in Århus.

Posted on: Wed, Jul 16, 2008

Today was the first official day of the 2008 International 505 North American Championships. While no racing was scheduled a number of the 35 currently registered boats ventured off the beach to test the power of The Gorge. Some sailors learned a fundamental Gorge lesson the hard way as the Columbia River winds whipped up to 25 knots.

The first couple of days of a 505 North American championships are typically set aside for registration and the class required measurement of hull, spars, foils and sails. As a member of the International Sailing Federation, the governing body for the sport of sailing, and a one design class some elements of the boat must meet size and weight standards. Recognized however as a developmental class, the 505 is somewhat open to design and customization.

Posted on: Wed, Jul 16, 2008

American and Canadian Sailors Meet Infamous Gorge Winds in Championships 505 Class Yacht Racing Association and the Columbia Gorge Racing Association Host the 2008 505 North American Championships

 Cascade Locks, Oregon, July 13, 2008 - The Columbia River is the site of the 2008 International 505 Class Yacht Racing Associations North American Championships. On July 16th thru the 20th in Cascade Locks, Oregon dozens of International 505 sailors from the United States and Canada, along with visiting European sailors will take on the famous winds of "The Gorge".

Managed by the Columbia Gorge Racing Association and hosted by the Pacific Northwest Fleet of the International 505 class, the regatta is sponsored by Far East Boats, Fisheries Supply, Glaser Sails, Kam Gear, North Sails, West Marine, and Zhik Sailing Gear. The 505 North American Championships are included on the schedule of events for the 2008 Gorge Games.

About the International 505

The International 505, a high-performance double-handed racing dinghy is actively sailed in over 20 countries and on 5 continents. The 16’6”, 280 pound trapeze dinghy carries a main and jib sail area of 178 square feet and a spinnaker of 200 square feet.

The “semi-developmental” philosophy of the class has allowed for technological advances well beyond John Westells original design in 1954 . The no secrets attitude within the class keeps the relative speed of all boats close. A twenty-year-old boat can still win a championship.

Posted on: Tue, Jul 15, 2008

Great Britain is leading a close four-country battle for the Volvo Trophy, awarded to the best-performing nation at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship.

The young British sailors can enjoy the lay day in Århus, Denmark today, after a highly successful start to the championship which puts them 17 points clear at the top of the Volvo Trophy standings. New Zealand follow the Brits in second place, whilst the defending champion Australia lie third, just ahead of the host nation Denmark. France, nine-time winners of the Volvo Trophy, complete the top five, but has a lot of ground to make up with a 45-point gap separating them from the British team.

The national battle at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship is as fiercely fought as any of the seven individual titles and more than any other event exemplifies the unique spirit of the championship. The standings are calculated based on a nation’s top four crews after each race is completed across all the fleets, meaning a sailor out of medal contention can still have a massive impact on their team’s performance with a strong finish.

The British success so far has been spearheaded by the two 29er teams who both hold the overall lead, but mixed performances from them in races seven and eight (which the other fleets are yet to complete) could see the standings tighten by the end of tomorrow. Following the lay day, there’s also a new factor added into the equation: pressure. With just three days of racing remaining, the finishing line is drawing closer and any mistakes begin to prove more and more costly.

Amongst the five leading teams, only Denmark has never won the Volvo Trophy before. Great Britain’s two wins came back in 1995 and 1996 with the team of ‘ferrets’ coached by Jim Saltonstall, many of whom went on to win medals at the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games. New Zealand has also won the trophy twice before (1992 and 1994), whilst Australia have won three times (in 1993 and 2003 as well as last year).

Following the lay day, racing resumes in Århus tomorrow at 12:00 local time. Two races (three for the 29er fleets) are scheduled for each event on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, the final day of the Championship, just one race will be held in each event to decide the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Champions and the winners of the Volvo Trophy.

Volvo Trophy Standings

(after six races)

1. Great Britain – 187 points

2. New Zealand – 170 points

3. Australia – 163 points

4. Denmark – 160 points

5. France – 142 points

6. Brazil – 117 points

7. Cyprus – 112 points

8. USA – 100 points

9. Italy – 97 points

10. Greece – 92 points

Scores towards the Volvo Trophy standings are taken on a race-by-race basis from each country’s top four performers across the seven events. Top-ten race finishes translate into points: ten points for a first, nine for a second, all the way down to one point for a tenth place finish. After each race is completed across all seven events, a nation takes its four best scores and combines them to come up with their overall Volvo Trophy score for that race.

Volvo Trophy Winners

2007 - Australia

2006 - Italy

2005 - France

2004 - France

2003 - Australia

2002 - New Zealand

2001 - France

2000 - France

1999 - France

1998 - France

1997 - France

1996 - Great Britain

1995 - Great Britain

1994 - New Zealand

1993 - Australia

1992 - France

1991 – France

Posted on: Tue, Jul 15, 2008

There was an international feel to day two of racing at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Århus, Denmark where sailors from Europe, Oceania and Africa occupy the leaderboard top spots.

The British team lead the charge in the 29er with two strong performances in both the girls and boys fleets, while the Cyprian sailors carried on dominating in the Laser and Boy’s RS:X. The strong winds returned to the Bay of Århus today keeping the sailors working hard on the second day of the event.

There was a change at the top of the leaderboard in the SL16 multihull fleet with the ISAF Athlete Participation Programme (APP) sailors from South Africa taking the top spot from the Danish team. Matthew Whitehead and Micheal Ovenstone who were in fourth after the first day found their form on the water with a first and second. Whitehead commented, “It was quite breezy out there on the water with huge waves which is what we like to sail in. We overstood one mark and came screaming in, nearly taking a few boats out! We had a brilliant day.”

These sailors are amongst the 29 APP sailors who are helped each year to compete by ISAF and the programme. They get financial backing and an internationally renowned coach in the form of Jim Saltonstall (World Youth Sailing Trust coach) to help them throughout the week.

Maja Knezevic (SRB) in the Laser Radial class is another young sailor who has been helped by the APP scheme to represent her country. It is the first time Serbia has competed at the Youth Worlds and she is very proud to be here. “I am loving my time here. Jim is a really great coach and looks after us all, as well as some of the other sailors who need extra help. I just want to do as well as I can,” said Knezevic.

The breezy conditions made for plenty more excitement on the 29er course and following three races in both boy’s and girl’s fleet the British and Australian teams continue to dominate the overall standings. James Peters and Ed Fitzgerald (GBR) won the opening two races in boy’s fleet and although they dropped to tenth in race five after hitting a wave and pitch polling on the final run, they hold the overall lead. Byron White and Rhys Mara (AUS) are just three points behind in second, whilst Judge Ryan and Hans Henken (USA) climb five places to third overall and were the standout performers with 2, 3, 1 scores today.

Great Britain also leads the Girl’s 29er fleet, with Frances Peters, James’s older sister, and Claire Lasko posting first, second and third place finishes today. After five top-three finishes the pair have built a six-point cushion at the front but are not getting carried away yet. “I am really pleased to get consistent results this early in the competition but we have a long way to go so we have to keep it up. We have to take each day as it comes,” said Peters. It was also a good day for the Dutch crew of Annemiek Bekkering and Jeske Kisters, who scored a sixth and two bullets to move up six places to fourth overall.

The 29er fleets had the benefit of a video debrief from Jim Saltonstall after yesterday’s racing and it certainly showed in the improved performance of some of the teams today. The Brazilian Girl’s 29er duo of Martine Grael and Daniela Adler climbed four places up the overall leaderboard to seventh after scores of 3, 4, 5 today. “We’ve been sailing 29ers for three months and today was only the fourth day of strong winds in our lives. But we’re doing well so we’re really happy about it,” said Adler. It is no surprise the team are such quick learners when you consider their sailing backgrounds; Martine is the daughter of Volvo Ocean Race skipper and five-time Olympic medallist Torben Grael whilst Daniela’s uncle is Daniel Adler, also an Olympic medallist. The next generation are also clearly aware of the family traditions.

In the Laser Radial class the Australian defending champion now leads the pack with a consistent top five positions as the Canadian sailor Isabelle Bertold falls to second only two points behind. The Finnish competitor, Heidi Tenkanen posted a first and a fifth to raise her from sixth to third overall.

Pavlos Kontides (CYP) carries on leading the boy’s Laser fleet with another two first places, making it look very easy out on the water in the big breeze. American Luke Lawrence also showed consistency with two second places lifting him to second place overall and pushing local Århus sailor, Thorbjorn Schierup into third.

The top three places in the Boy’s RS:X fleet have remained the same with the Cypriot windsurfer, Michalis Malekkides posting a first and fourth. This is his second Youth Worlds and he was looking for a top six place before he came but now thinks he can do better. “I worked a lot over the year with my coach to improve on my strength. Especially when it’s windy I think I’m very good and in the light wind I do well. I think that the work is paying off now,” said Malekkides.

Laura Linares carries on leading the girl’s fleet with a second and first place with Poland’s Maja Dziarnowska and Greece’s Anastasia Davrou swapping places below her.

Posted on: Mon, Jul 14, 2008

The first day of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship saw lots of action on the water, with capsizes and breakages as the rain clouds passed over the Bay of Århus.

“Just awesome”, was how Australian 29er helm Hannah Nattrass summarized today’s conditions, but that was not a sentiment shared by everyone in Århus as squalls brought gusts of wind up to 30 knots giving the competitors hard conditions to start the event in. Racing began at 12:00 with the sun shining and a southerly breeze of around 11 knots, but as the day progressed the forecast rain showers hit and the wind increased throughout the afternoon. Two races were finished by all but the SL16 class, before the conditions deteriorated and the fleets were sent in.

In the RS:X girls fleet Laura Linares (ITA), the two-time Youth gold medallist had a faultless day with two first places and even managed to overtake a few of the boy windsurfers who had started before her. “It was quite tiring and cold out there today, but I am pleased with my results,” she commented. “The wind was quite shifty where we were, from 15 -18 knots with choppy waters.”

The Cypriot windsurfer, Michalis Malekkides mirrored Linares’ performance with two first places in the boy’s fleet, with Thiseas Kampas from Greece close in second place.

It was a good first day for another Cypriot, Pavlos Kontides, the defending champion in the Laser class who got his series underway in style by leading the first race from start to finish. However, in the second race he was left at the back of the fleet after hitting the pin end at the start and doing penalty turns, but sailed through the fleet to recover to second place behind Denmark’s Thorbjørn Schierup.

For Kontides, as well as this being his fifth and final year at the Youth Worlds, it is also his last event before he travels to Qingdao to represent Cyprus at the 2008 Olympic Games. Despite his mistake in race 2, Kontides was more than happy with his performance today. “I have had a great day,” he said. “This event is run just like the Olympics you don’t have to worry about anything other than sailing as everything is sorted for you.”

In the Laser Radial class, the 2007 champion also started well with Gabrielle King (AUS) lying second overall to Isabella Bertold of Canada. Denmark’s Cathrine Sofie Hall is third.

In the multihull event, contested in the SL16 class for the first time, the competitors had a lot to do to keep their boats upright and only managed to get one race in, won by French brothers Valentin and Romain Bellet. Crew Romain explained how he felt after the action of the day. “We had a good first race but the second the fleet could not finish. The wind was steady for us but there was a lot of chop. The Danish and English team are our biggest competitors but the Singapore team are pretty good too.” The SL 16 class is the only open event at the regatta, with boys and girls competing in the same fleet.

The breeze and the waves made for exciting but testing conditions in the two 29er fleets. The British pair of Frances Peters and Claire Lasko lead the girls fleet, just ahead of Australia’s Hannah Nattrass and Michelle Muller.

“Communication was the big thing for us,” said Nattrass following her team’s fourth and first place finishes today. “There were a lot of rain squalls and clouds, so we had to make sure we were always on the look out.”

Nattrass and Muller won a bronze medal in 2007 and the Aussie helm is pretty clear on her ambitions for this year, “Shell [crew Michelle Muller] and I are both here for one reason. I’m sure that’s why everyone else is here. They’re not here to make up the numbers. They’re here to stand on the podium at the end!”

 
The Australian pairing went one better in the Boy’s 29er fleet, with Byron White and Rhys Mara (AUS) leading overall after two second place finishes today. They are closely followed by the Argentinean team of Germán Billoch and Gastón Cheb Terrab and James Peters and Edward Fitzgerald of Great Britain.

Yesterday saw the competitors’ parade through the city proudly waving their country flags following a swing marching band to the Town Hall, where they were officially welcomed to Denmark. The Opening Ceremony was a Royal affair with the HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark greeting the teams, volunteers and Organizing Committee to the city of Århus. As a keen sailor himself and the Patron of the event he wished the competitors good luck and said, “I wish you have a successful and memorable stay in Århus. I hope you compete well and engage in lifelong friendships with sailors from all over the world. Sail fast!” Following the traditional mixing of the waters ceremony, were a representative from each nation adds waters from their local sailing venue to the mixing bowl, ISAF President Göran Petersson officially opened this year’s championship. Other dignitaries at the ceremony were Århus Mayor Nicolai Wammen and Knut Frostad, CEO of Volvo Ocean Race.

Knut Frostad commented, “Volvo is very proud to be sponsoring such an important event for youth sailors of the world. Many competitors in the Volvo Ocean Race have competed in this event and other youth championships, this shows us how important these events are and how some of you sailors will grow up to be the skippers and crew in the Volvo Ocean Race.”

Racing continues in Århus tomorrow, with the forecast for less intense wind conditions than today, although the rain showers look set to continue. The first races are scheduled for a 12:00 start.

Posted on: Sun, Jul 13, 2008

Day two of the Cala De’Medici – Rosignano edition of the 2008 Melges 32 Audi Sailing Series produced three exciting races sailed in bright sunshine, ten to twelve knots of breeze and a short chop. It is an indication of the tightness of the racing that there was a different winner for each of today’s races.

At the start of the first race only one boat was called back - Mauro Mocchegiani’s Rush Diletta. Michael Illbruck’s Pinta started on port at the committee boat end of the line, but quickly tacked back on to starboard, as the rest of the fleet headed out to the left. Claudio Recchi at the helm of Lorenzo Santini’s Uka Uka Racing, started nearest to the pin and managed to get bow forward enough to tack and cross the pack about a quarter of the way up the beat. Luigi Amedeo Melegari steering Matrix also made good progress up the middle of the beat and by the time the boats were halfway to the windward mark Matrix and Uka Uka Racing were fighting for the lead. Despite the best efforts of Uka Uka Racing to protect the left hand side, Matrix managed to edge ahead rounding the windward mark less than a boat length ahead of Uka Uka Racing and Massimo and Stefano Leporati’s Kismet.

Downwind, whilst Matrix and Uka Uka Racing were involved in a private battle for the lead, Kismet gybed early, hoping for more pressure on the left. When the boats converged at the leeward marks Kismet had made a huge gain, and leapfrogged into first place. At the end of the run Matrix and Uka Uka Racing simultaneously rounded opposite leeward marks. Up the second beat the leaders pushed out to the left but it was the boats that had gone right who made the biggest gains.  Cirillo Lanfranco on Fantasticaaa was the biggest mover - coming from fifth up to round the windward mark in the lead. Behind him Ferdinando Battistella helming Hublot Big Bang slotted into second and Kismet managed to get round in third, ahead of Uka Uka Racing. A hoisting error onboard Kismet resulted in them taking a penalty for infringing a leeward boat.

Places were changing so quickly on the second run that it was hard to keep up and several boats that had earlier looked out of contention found their way back into the hunt.  There was no change of leader however and Fantasticaaa took the gun followed by yesterday’s race winner, Stefano Di Properzio on Mataran. A photo finish between Uka Uka Racing  and Savino Formentini’s Bitipi went in favour of Uka Uka Racing.

On the first beat of the second race it was a case of ‘whoever goes furthest left wins’. Kismet, Uka Uka Racing and Michael Illbruck’s Pinta made the best of the leg to round the windward mark in that order. On the first downwind Pinta showed great boatspeed to overtake Uka Uka Racing and close down Kismet. At the leeward marks Kismet and Pinta were tied - rounding the left and right marks respectively. On the second upwind leg the two leaders were engaged in a fierce battle for the lead. Kismet finally got the upper hand when, approaching the mark on the starboard layline, they forced Pinta to duck rather than attempt the leebow tack. Their tussle for supremacy continued unabated for the whole of the second run with Kismet claiming victory by less than ten feet. Behind them Uka Uka Racing took third ahead of Savino Formentini’s Bitipi and Francesco Martino’s Pilot Italia.

Before the crews or the spectators had even been given a chance to catch their collective breath the fleet was in the sequence for the start of the final race of the day. Pinta had the bit well between their teeth and comfortably led the fleet around the windward mark. In second place, showing excellent pace at only his first Melges 32 regatta was Mauro Mocchegiani at the helm of Rush Diletta. Third was the ever consistent Uka Uka Racing.

When Pinta  rounded the leeward mark twenty five seconds ahead of Rush Diletta it looked as if they were going to run up a big lead. However, towards the end of the next beat, they found themselves in their second head to head tussle of the day, as Rush Diletta picked up something on the right to bring them back up to Pinta. As the boats converged near the port layline, Pinta (on starboard) chose to tack in front of Rush Diletta rather than make them duck. A short while later, following a slight left shift, Rush Diletta had managed to claw their way inside Pinta, preventing them from tacking and snatching the lead. Pinta quickly hit back however.  Their superior hoist got them into an attacking position and half way down the run they moved past Rush Diletta and into the lead. At the finish Pinta took the win from Rush Diletta in second and Fantasticaaa in third.

With four races sailed, the consistency shown by Claudio Recchi’s Uka Uka Racing (3,3,3,5) has given them a two point overall lead from Massimo and Stefano Leporati’s Kismet (5,6,1,4) with Stefano Di Properzio’s Mataran a further one point behind in third.

This evening the fleet will enjoy a Mojito Party at the Cala De’Medici Marina. Racing continues tomorrow with a likelihood of strong breezes to fully test the teams on the final day of this absorbing regatta.

Posted on: Sun, Jul 13, 2008

Australian John Harris has sailed away with the 2008 title as World Champion in the Moth Class with one race to spare. With third being his worst result, he has come away the clear winner.

After having a go on fellow skiff crew member Scott Babbage's Foiler Moth 18 months ago, he decided he had to take it on. Thirteen months after purchasing his own boat, and competing at the 2007 Moth World Championships at Lake Garda, Italy, he has made it to the top of the foiling game.

John Harris is a past 18 Foot Skiff World Champion, and has secured numerous Australian Championships on Sydney Harbour.

2^nd and 3^rd place were also taken by fellow Australians Andrew McDougall and Mathew Belcher consecutively – making the Aussies easy winners in the Ashes series for 2008.

It was an Aussie white wash at the worlds with the Poms being annihilated in the Ashes series – particularly painful on the Brits home turf.

The final day of the CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships featured the last 3 races of the series, in conditions similar to yesterday. The fleet were sent out in the morning for the first 2 races in conditions averaging 18 knots gusting to 27. After lunch, winds were stronger at an average of 20 knots.

Top five places in each of today's races were as follows:

Race 1: 1^st John Harris (AUS), 2^nd Scott Babbage (AUS), 3^rd Mathew Belcher (AUS), 4^th Andrew Brown (NZL), 5^th Alex Knight (GBR).

Race 2: 1^st Andrew McDougall (AUS), 2^nd Bora Gulari (USA), 3^rd John Harris (AUS), 4^th Mathew Belcher (AUS), 5^th Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI).

Race 3: 1^st Andrew McDougall (AUS), 2^nd John Harris (AUS), 3^rd Elco Boers (NED), 4^th Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI), 5^th James Owen-Smith (AUS).

Top British spot was secured by Alex Knight (GBR) who finished 6^th – with no  mention in any of the form guides he snuck in as a dark horse on his Bladerider. Second Brit was Graham Vials (GBR) in 7^th spot, also riding a Bladerider. Competition favourite Simon Payne (GBR) finished 8^th overall and ex-Olympian Adam May (GBR) finished 14^th in his new British made Velociraptor.

USA favourite Bora Gulari was unable to complete the series due to other sailing commitments, however, he thoroughly enjoyed his time here at the CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships and secured 20^th spot. He is particularly looking forward to sailing in home waters in at the 2009 Moth World Championships in The Gorge, Portland USA.

Sam England (AUS) dominated the female competition, coming 16^th overall, giving many of the men a good run for their money. The other ladies in the fleet finished as follows: Florence Beal (SUI) 55^th, Helen Rollinson (GBR) 64^th, Clare Dallimore (GBR) 77^th, Katherine Knight (GBR) 79^th.

French celebrity Sebastian Josse (FRA) finished 23^rd and is looking forward to the next World Championships in Portland, USA.

The Swiss contingent was led by Arnaud Psarofaghis, who had an impressive result of 4^th overall. At just 19 years of age, Psarofaghis is showing strong potential for future events.

The Junior competition was strong with some fantastic talent coming up through the ranks. Sten-Mark Bachmann from Estonia finished 11^th overall which is extremely impressive at just 16 years of age.

Top 10 Final Series Places were as follows:

1^st John Harris (AUS)

2^nd Andrew McDougall (AUS)

3^rd Mathew Belcher (AUS)

4^th Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI)

5^th Scott Babbage (AUS)

6^th Alex Knight (GBR)

7^th Graham Vials (GBR)

8^th Simon Payne (GBR)

9^th Glenn Raphael (UAE)

10^th Andrew Brown (NZL)

Other placing's in the event were as follows:

1^st Masters title (over 45yrs) had Andrew McDougall (AUS).

1^st Female sailor was Sam England (AUS).

1^st Junior (18 years and younger as of 31 December 2008) – Sten-Mark Bachmann (EST).

1^st Non-Foiler (Skiff, scow) – Russell Wheeler (GBR).

European Champions:

1^st Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI)

2^nd Alex Knight (GBR)

3^rd Graham Vials (GBR)

4^th Simon Payne (GBR)

5^th Sten-Mark Bachmann (EST)

Race Report: Alexandra Harris-Sailing Bits

Posted on: Sat, Jul 12, 2008

On 12 July, over 250 of the world’s best young sailors will line up for the opening races at the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Århus, Denmark, but who will be leading the charge for medals?

The competition in Århus ranges across seven different events along with the Volvo Trophy awarded to the best performing nation at the championship. With several of last year’s champions returning to defend their titles, the battle for medals in 2008 looks set to be tougher than ever.

Boy’s and Girl’s One Person Dinghy - Laser and Laser Radial

The reigning Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Champions in both the Boys and Girls One Person Dinghy events return to defend their titles in Århus. Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus dominated the Laser series in Kingston last year to win by a race to spare and now, aged 18 and in his last year at the Youth Worlds, he will start as hot favourite for a repeat performance in Denmark. Since winning gold last July, Kontides has put in some notable performances on the senior circuit, most impressively at the ISAF Grade 1 Semaine Olympique Francaise in Hyères, France, where he finished 12th in a fleet including some of the biggest names in the Laser class. His performances have merited him more than just selection for the Cyprus Youth Team and following on from Denmark, Kontides will travel to Qingdao, China, where he will represent his nation at the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition. Another leading contender in the Laser fleet is home hope Thorbjoern Schierup (DEN), who finished sixth in Kingston last year and is an Århus local and therefore very familiar with the local conditions. In total 46 nations will be represented in the Laser fleet this year - a new record for an event at the Youth Worlds.

In the Girl’s Laser Radial fleet the 2007 champion will also be defending her title. Last year Gabrielle King (AUS) spearheaded her nation’s success story, which ended with the Australians winning the Volvo Trophy. Like Kontides, she has already built on her 2007 success, most notably winning this year’s Laser Radial Youth World Championship in New Zealand.

Looking ahead to the start of racing, King was crystal clear in her aims for this year, "My goal is now to defend my title at the Volvo Youth World Sailing Championships this July in Denmark and after that I will be training hard so that I can be a contender at senior level," she said.

Amongst King’s principle rivals will be Anne Haeger of the USA, who won the silver medal in Kingston last year, and Cushla Hume-Merry of New Zealand, who beat King at the Australian Youth Championships in January. Isabella Bertold (CAN) and Chloe Martin (GBR) both also return to the Youth Worlds after top ten finishes last year.

Boy’s and Girl’s Two Person Dinghy - 29er

In the Boy’s 29er event, Nikolai Kold and Lars Vilhelmsen (DEN) have the task of defending the gold medal Henrik Sogaard and Soren Kristensen (DEN) won for Denmark in Kingston last year. Chief amongst their challengers will be the New Zealand team of Paul Snow-Hansen, a silver medallist last year, and crew Ben Goodwin. The South Africa team of Taariq Jacobs and Neil Malan will have plenty of motivation after they narrowly missed out on a podium finish in Kingston by a mere three points. The Australians Byron White and Rhys Mara also start amongst the favourites after White picked up a silver medal at the 29er class World Champions in Melbourne this year. On top of this, the French, Singapore and British teams showed their strength by winning gold, silver and bronze medals respectively amongst a large 29er fleet at the recent Kiel Week.

The Girl’s 29er fleet looks set to be one of the most fiercely contested in Århus. The USA won gold last year and this time round will be represented by Youth World debutants Julia Paxton and Karoline Gurdal. Last year’s bronze medallists Hannah Nattrass and Michelle Muller return to the Youth Worlds is search of another podium finish. Another pair with experience from 2007 is the Dutch team of Annemiek Bekkering and Jeske Kisters. They finished fifth last year and were the top fin