07 Jun 2011
Testing Conditions on Day 1 in Weymouth
This year's Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta is almost as big as the Olympics in terms of importance - and the reason is that many national teams are using the event as a crucial component of their selection process. So anticipation was high this morning when the sailors arrived at the Olympic centre, but the wind had other ideas, toying with the race officials as they tried to set fair race courses in the light and shifty conditions.
Eventually, the 470s started mid-afternoon with some of the fleet’s most recognisable names struggling in the conditions.
470 Men
In the 77 boat 470 Men fleet, it is the Croatian pair of Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic who topped the day with a 2,3 posting in the day's two races, closely followed by Pierre Leboucher and Vincent Garos of France. Portugal’s Alvaro Marinho has been combining his match racing on the World Tour with the 470, and posted a 3,4 with crew Miguel Nunes to sit in third overall.
Reigning World Champions and World Sailing Cup standing leaders, Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page, were back in fifteenth overall after a shocker of an opening race where they posted 17, but redeemed themselves with a win in Race 2.
Israel's Gideon Kliger and Eran Sela won the day's opening race 1, which they followed up with a fourth in race 2 to sit in fourth overall.
A great representation of the 470 depth of talent to see 10 different nations in the top 10 overall on day 1.
Top 10 Overall after 2 Races:
| Pos | Nat | HelmName | CrewName | R1 | R2 | Pts |
| 1 | CRO | FANTELA Sime | MARENIC Igor | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | FRA | PIERRE Leboucher | VINCENT Garos | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | POR | MARINHO Alvaro | NUNES Miguel | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 4 | ISR | KLIGER Gideon | SELA Eran | 1 | 7 | 8 |
| 5 | SWE | DAHLBERG Anton | OSTLING Sebastian | 9 | 2 | 11 |
| 6 | USA | MCNAY Stuart | BIEHL Graham | 3 | 8 | 11 |
| 7 | ARG | CALABRESE Lucas | DE LA FUENTE Juan | 9 | 3 | 12 |
| 8 | ESP | BARREIROS Onan | SARMIENTO Aaron | 1 | 12 | 13 |
| 9 | FIN | LINDGREN Joonas | LINDGREN Niklas | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| 10 | GBR | ASHER Nic | WILLIS Elliot | 4 | 10 | 14 |
470 Women
In the 470 Women, many of the top teams struggled to find consistency over the two races. It was a long day with the boats heading in around 2000 hours. However, of more concern for many of the leading contenders in race 1 was that they sailed the wrong course. A few of the leading boats thought they were doing an outer loop and headed off to the wing mark, causing a few of the other boats who were already on their downwing led of the inner loop to doubt themselves and follow - a bad move.
Good news for Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving (USA), who posted a 9, 3 to rise to the top of the fleet and lead overall.
Race 1 winners were the new pairing of Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark, but they then put in a rather less convincing finish of 20 in race 2, to sit in seventh overall.
Second overall are Giulia Conti and Giovanna Micol (ITA) thanks to their win in race 2, with Henriette Koch and Lene Sommer (DEN) in third. The Danes are on a bit of a roll at the moment – they have secured top 10 places in all the ISAF Sailing World Cup events they have contested and have just secured their best world ranking so far this season, currently at #4, on the latest world rankings released on 1 June 2011.
Repeating much of the form they have shown recently, the two Brazilian 470 teams are as close as close can be. They finished on equal points at the recently concluded Delta Lloyd Regatta, where Martine Grael and Isabel Swan claimed the bronze medal on countback over Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Luiza Barbachan. So far here in Weymouth, Grael/Swan have the edge again but only just, and are in fifth overall, with Oliveira/Barbachan in sixth. This is going to be a very interesting battle as the mission for Olympic selection and qualification unfolds for Brazil.
Back on the scene is 2008 Olympic Gold Medallist and bronze medallist at the 2008 470 World Championship Tessa Parkinson, who has teamed up with another renowned 470 sailor Belinda Stowell. Skandia Sail for Gold marks their first international event together. Belinda Stowell of course is famed in the 470 for her Olympic Gold in 2000 and silver medals secured at the 2001 and 2000 470 World Championships. The team posted a 33, 41 opening scoreline today.
Top 10 Overall after 2 Races:
| Pos | Nat | HelmName | CrewName | R1 | R2 | Pts |
| 1 | USA | MAXWELL Erin | K. FARRAR Isabelle | 9 | 3 | 12 |
| 2 | ITA | CONTI Giulia | MICOL Giovanna | 13 | 1 | 14 |
| 3 | DEN | KOCH Henriette | SOMMER Lene | 4 | 14 | 18 |
| 4 | CHN | XU Xiaomei | YU Chunyan | 15 | 4 | 19 |
| 5 | BRA | GRAEL Martine | MARQUES SWAN Isabel | 14 | 5 | 19 |
| 6 | BRA | OLIVEIRA Fernanda | BARBACHAN Ana Luizaq | 5 | 15 | 20 |
| 7 | GBR | MILLS Hannah | CLARK Saskia | 1 | 20 | 21 |
| 8 | ISR | COHEN Gil | BOUSKILA Vered | 11 | 11 | 22 |
| 9 | GER | LUTZ Tina | BEUCKE Susann | 12 | 12 | 24 |
| 10 | FRA | LECOINTRE Camille | GERON Mathilde | 7 | 23 | 30 |
Racing for the 470 men and women gets underway at 1100 hours local time. Catch up with the event radio for the latest updates and don't forget to follow the 470 Class blog, delivered via a special widget, on the event site or directly on www.470.org
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More Information:
Event Website
Results
Image: Mat Belcher and Malcolm Page (AUS) © Victor Kovalenko