Hump day at Youth Sailing Worlds

Sanya, China (December 13, 2017) – The third day of the 2017 Youth Sailing World Championships had another variable 6-14 knot breeze from the east for the nine fleets. With only two more days of racing, today was all business on the four course areas.

The Nations Trophy, an award which recognizes the top performing team in the competition, is becoming a three team battle between Italy, Israel, and USA. While USA slipped a step from second to third in the rankings, all three teams are tight on points while building a cushion on Great Britain and France in fourth and fifth.

Leading the charge for the Americans are twin sisters Carmen and Emma Cowles who were in fine form once again in the Girl’s 420 and added a pair of seconds to hold on to their overnight lead.

They are now 12 points ahead of France’s Violette Dorange and Camille Orion who claimed a race win and 16 points ahead of Italy’s Arianna Passamonti and Giulia Fava who took the day’s other victory.

Otto Henry and Rome Featherstone (AUS) surrendered their Boy’s 420 lead after a contrasting day to their previous two. They started the week well, recording a 4-2-2-1 scoreline but in today’s racing, a discarded 15th and a 13th saw them slip.

Israel’s Ido Bikik and Noam Homri pounced, winning the first race of the day and taking a third in the next. They now have a six point advantage over the Australians. America’s Thomas Rice and Trevor Bornarth (USA) are tied on 22 points with Henry and Featherstone.

Charlotte Rose (USA) and Dolores Moreira Fraschini (URU) went toe to toe in the Girl’s Laser Radial, and after another two races, Rose (8 pts) and Fraschini (12 pts) have opened a 20-point advantage over Luciana Cardozo (ARG) at the front of the pack.

Summarising the day Fraschini said, “Today I had a first and a fourth and she [Rose] had a fourth and a first so the level is good and the competition is super high.

“We are doing our best and now we are first and second and we have to try and keep our performance consistent for the coming races.”

Fraschini knows what it takes to perform on the major international stage having won the 2016 Youth Worlds, competed at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and claimed a silver at the 2015 Pan American Games.

Rose sits on eight points with Fraschini following on 12 with three races to go and the Uruguayan feels confident that she can overhaul the American, “I have a better discard than her so maybe I can play with that in the next races.

“I have more Championships than Charlotte and I think that helps but once you are on the water, anything can happen. It all depends on who has the better strategy.”

The Uruguayan currently discards a ninth and the American, a 17th. If it’s close after Thursday’s racing it could all come down to the final race and potentially, some match racing but Fraschini is playing her cards close to her chest.

“The plan right now is to keep sailing as I am doing and keeping calm because if I get nervous I start to think about the points and it won’t help. I am trying to enjoy it and then we’ll see what happens.”

Russia’s Daniil Krutskikh is sailing consistently at the front of the Boy’s Laser Radial fleet and as a result has moved into the overall lead. A fourth and an 11th was enough to remove Guido Gallinaro (ITA) from top spot. The Russian is two points clear of the Italian.

It was another mixed day for New Zealand’s Josh Armit. After a 1-14 on day one, another 1-14 on day two, he picked up a fourth and a 20th. Despite an inconsistent scoreline he moves into third overall, two points clear of South Africa’s Calvin Gibbs.

Between Israel’s Cohen and China’s Chen, they have won all but one Boy’s RS:X race. Cohen managed to secure two out of three wins today and dislodged Chen at the front of the pack to lead by two points.

Despite a language barrier between Cohen and Chen, there is a mutual respect between the pair and the Israeli is loving the competition, “I have never raced with Hao Chen before. We have a respectful relationship on the water, although there is a big language barrier.

“The Chinese are really good and with light winds they can perform well which means every minute I have try my best to win. The Chinese RS:X sailors come to events once a year and it’s always a surprise to see someone good.

“It’s pretty close racing but it’s good because it’s making it harder for me and I learn a lot from that.”

Sil Hoekstra (NED) removed Spain’s Fernando Gonzalez de la Madrid Trueba from third spot after a strong day of the racing. The day’s remaining race win went to Italy’s Luca Di Tomassi.

In the Girl’s RS:X, 2016 champion Emma Wilson (GBR) put the pressure on overnight leader Giorgia Speciale (ITA) by beating her in every race. Wilson’s 2-2-1 was enough to see her one place ahead of Speciale in each race and the pair are now locked on 16 points. The Italian leads thanks to her three race wins but the pressure is on for the front runners.

China’s Ting Yu is five points off in third.

Lucas Claeyssens and Anne Vandenberghe (BEL) thrived in the lighter breeze on the first two days but as the stronger breeze came in, they were unable to replicate their early form.

A 12th, second and discarded 15th saw them drop to second. By their own admission, the Belgians are light wind specialists and recognise the strength of their rivals in stronger breeze.

Switzerland’s Max Wallenberg and Amanda Bjork-Anastassov capitalised and put three good results together to grab the lead by a single point over the Belgian team.

Slovenia’s Rok Verderber and Klemen Semelbauer moved from fourth to first in the Boy’s 29er. The Slovenians remained consistent recording a 7-1-7 and lead Finland’s Ville Korhonen and Robin Berner by a single point. Théo Revil and Gautier Guevel (FRA) remaining in contention in third.

New Zealand’s Seb Lardies and Scott Mckenzie won two of the day’s races but they sandwiched a 17th putting them in sixth overall.

Italy’s Margherita Porro and Sofia Leoni extended their lead by a significant margin in the Girl’s 29er. A 3-5-2 gives them a 26-point advantage over Ismene Usman and Svea Karsenbarg (NED). With three races tomorrow, the Italians could seal gold with a day to spare.

Meanwhile there is a tight battle going on for silver and bronze with ten points splitting teams from second to ninth.

Racing resumes tomorrow at 11:00 local time. A full day of racing will be held for all classes ahead of a single race on Friday December 15 that will close the event.

The competition for the 374 sailors from 60 nations is planned for December 11 to 15.

Event details – Results – Entry list – Facebook – Twitter

Day Three Results – North America (Top 2)
420 Boys (26): 3rd Thomas Rice/ Trevor Bornarth (USA); 13th Patrick Wilson/ Arie Moffat (CAN)
420 Girls (25): 1st Carmen Cowles/ Emma Cowles (USA); 8th Georgia Lewin-LaFrance/ Madeline Gillis (CAN)
29er Boys (30): 8th Neil Marcellini/ Ian Brill (USA); 18th William Bonin/ Samuel Bonin (CAN)
29er Girls (20): 16th Berta Puig/ Charlotte Mack (USA)
Nacra 15 (18): 5th Mark Brunsvold/ Dylan Heinz (USA); 11th Helen Horangic/ Theodora Horangic (CAN)
Laser Radial Boys (51): 7th Joseph Hou (USA); 28th Ryan Anderson (CAN)
Laser Radial Girls (40): 1st Charlotte Rose (USA); 17th Alejandra Margarita Montemayor (MEX)
RS:X Boys (26): 16th Cristobal Hagerman (MEX); 17th Steven Cramer (USA)
RS:X Girls (19): 5th Mariana Aguilar (MEX); 17th Dominique Stater (USA)

Teams: Canada – United States

About the Youth Worlds
The Youth Sailing World Championship was first held in Angelholm, Sweden in 1971 where 16 nations competed for the inaugural titles in the two-person dinghies, 420 and Flipper.

As the regatta evolved further classes were added to bring the best young sailing talent across the world together in one place and in 1984 the Mistral windsurfer was added to the list of events with Knut Budig (GER) taking the first gold medal in San Diego, California.

Open to sailors aged 19 and under the 47th version of the Youth Worlds heads to the Sanya, China from 9-16 December as the stars of the future are born once again.

Past notable winners include American’s Cup skippers, Chris Dickson (NZL), Russell Coutts (NZL), Dean Barker (NZL); Olympic medallists, Ben Ainslie (GBR), Robert Scheidt (BRA), Alessandra Sensini (ITA), Iain Percy (GBR) and Elise Rechichi (AUS); Volvo Ocean Race sailors like Stuart Bannatyne (NZL) and Richard Clarke (CAN). The most successful Youth World Champions are Great Britain’s Sally Cuthbert and Poland’s Zofia Klepacka having won four successive titles in the Laser II and Mistral respectively.

Italy is the current holder of the Nations Trophy, awarded annually to the top performing nation at the Youth Worlds. The Nations Trophy was first introduced in 1991 and in 1999 became the Volvo Trophy until 2010. France is the most successful nation through the history of the Championship, winning the Nations Trophy on a record eleven occasions and holding a record 76 medals: 28 gold, 30 silver and 18 bronze.

Source: World Sailing