March 2017 Laser Worlds U-21 © Laser Worlds
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© www.segel-bilder.de Laser World March 2017 www.segel-bilder.de Laser Worlds U-21 © Laser Worlds WHERE CHAMPIONS ARE MADE PRESIDENT’S REPORT AND USING SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD COUNCIL MEETING SUMMARY TO BUILD YOUR FLEET © Otto Kasch, www.okpress.de © Joe Berkeley COPYRIGHT AND LIABILITY No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the publishers. The articles and opinions in LaserWorld may not represent the official views of ILCA. The publishers do not accept any liability for their accuracy. Where Champions Are Made! © Otto Kasch, www.okpress.de Kieler Yacht Club took (yet) another big week in its stride when 681 Laser sailors descended on So often we’ve seen the battle for Olympic epic rivalry in the Laser, perhaps? Another titles come down to a two-horse race, a Ainslie vs Scheidt duel come Tokyo 2020… match race for gold and silver. This Vagelis Chimonas, Papadimitriou’s coach, summer’s Laser 4.7 World Championships certainly believes we are looking at a and Laser U21 Youth World Championships young sailor of exceptional talent, one who Dimitrios Papadimitriou GRE in Kiel, Germany, brought one of the most can remain calm in the most pressured dramatic showdowns between two world- of situations. ‘I have known Dimitrios for class talents, two names to watch out for on two years now, and I will work with him in the Olympic circuit. the future in the Laser Radial too. We can In the boys’ division of the Laser 4.7 Youth expect a lot more from him.’ Worlds, Guido Gallinaro won the penultimate Organised by the Kieler Yacht Club, these race of the competition with ease, and Laser championships threw a little bit of looked set to defend the world title he’d won everything at the 681 competitors in terms in 2015. His closest competitor, Dimitrios of weather, from sunshine to rain, and Papadimitriou, had only managed 11th. It from 5kt to 25kt of wind. There were four would take a minor miracle for the Greek to championship titles up for grabs, and each overturn the Italian’s advantage. of the four champions could truly claim to ‘My coach told me I can win it, and I said be an all-rounder. The specialists had their OK, I will go out and win the race and do my day, but this was a week where the varied © Otto Kasch, www.okpress.de best,’ said Papadimitriou. He went out and conditions demanded a full complement of Guido Gallinaro ITA executed the plan perfectly, winning the final boathandling, boatspeed and tactical skills. race by 1 minute 48 seconds, a country mile Emma Savelon had sailed a very consistent in Laser terms. Now he would have to wait regatta but on the final day had to hold off to see how Gallinaro fared. Above: Guido Gallinaro of a late charge from Russian sailor Mariia Italy took five bullets in Kiel Papadimitriou could scarcely believe his Kislukhina who won both final heats in but was still edged out for the eyes as the Italian struggled across the the girls’ division of the Laser 4.7 Youths. Boys’ Under-18 Laser 4.7 title line in an uncharacteristic 40th place, never But the Dutch competitor held her nerve by Dimitrios Papadimitriou of having managed to find a way back to the to score two seventh places, sufficient to Greece… by just one point. front after a poor start. give Savelon the world title by 7pt from the This was indeed a ‘big’ regatta, Papadimitriou had won his first world Russian. with 127 girls and 262 boys championship by a single point. While the 16-year-old sailor from Medemblik competing in the Under-18 For Gallinaro it was a cruel way to lose the had kept her cool on the racecourse, all fleets alone… plus another 292 championship, having had one hand on the pent-up emotion came pouring out as entries in the Under-21s. the title. Even more cruel was the fact that she stepped ashore, exhausted but elated. history was repeating itself. Earlier in the ‘It hasn’t sunk in yet, what I’ve done. That year at the Europeans it was another close second race was very tough. My start was battle between the Italian and the Greek, far from perfect, and I was on the wrong and there too it was Papadimitriou who side of the course on the first upwind leg. emerged victorious. No doubt Gallinaro will Downwind I had to work hard just to keep be keen for revenge… the dawn of another going as fast as possible, and then had to get everything right on the last beat.’ Otto Kasch, www.okpress.de © © Where Champions Are Made! www.segel-bilder.de the former Olympic sailing venue for the 2016 junior world championships. Add Savelon’s win to Marit Bouwmeester’s every June - running Kieler Woche with Olympic gold medal at Rio 2016 a few 4,000 sailors competing in 2,000 boats in weeks later and the future for women’s classes ranging from the 420 through to singlehanded sailing looks bright in the large keelboats of 50ft or more – the Laser © www.segel-bilder.de Netherlands. Youth World Championship was a walk in In the 144-boat Under-21 division for the the park in comparison. Kiel’s big opening ceremony boys in the Laser Standard the battle came One invaluable experience for the young down to just 3pt, with Jonatan Vadnai of competitors at such a big regatta was © www.segel-bilder.de Hungary just beating defending champion exposure to the media. The top sailors Joel Rodriguez of Spain. ‘It’s a fantastic were interviewed after racing each day feeling,’ said Vadnai. ‘A three-point gap after and for some the nerves of speaking in 10 races is nothing. It’s been a great battle. front of a camera and answering tough This is a feeling I definitely hope to repeat questions appeared to exceed the stresses in my career!’ of racing! It’s one of the things that makes The only clear victory of the championships the Olympics so unique, and so difficult for was by Monika Mikkola, who dominated some to cope with, the sudden deluge of the Girls’ division of the Under-21 Radial media attention. fleet. It’s a measure of the challenging What is impressive about the new generation conditions in Kiel that even the eventual of sailors coming through is how comfortable winner capsized on more than one occasion. they are with working with the media. You But Mikkola kept her composure and the can see for yourself if you look through Monika Mikola FIN 20-year-old Finn led from day one, notching some of the YouTube videos of the Laser up four wins and two seconds along the regattas (laser4.7.laserworldskiel2016.com) way. With her worst scores a 5th and 6th, Another benefit for sailors, coaches and also Above: the impressive Finnish Mikkola didn’t even need to race the final some of the spectators around the world is sailor Monika Mikkola won the day. It was the perfect way to round off a the relatively recent facility to scroll back Women’s Laser Radial world title glittering career at junior level. through the live tracking and commentary by a chunky 16pt margin from It might not be so easy when Mikkola steps on previous races held at Kiel. Thanks runner-up Vasileia Karachaliou of up to the Olympic circuit next season. to SAP Analytics, the sailors can review Greece. In fact, Greece had a very ‘This was the last year I qualify at this age their own performance and see what were strong regatta in Kiel, picking up level, so it was great to win in Kiel. It will the winning – and losing – moves on the a number of medals which bodes probably be a while before I win anything racetrack. There’s the old way of running well for Tokyo 2020. The Kiel again…’ she added modestly. Mikkola now regattas, and there’s the 21st century way event was also ‘big’ off the water, looks forward to the rigours of campaigning of running regattas, and Kieler Yacht Club’s with an Olympian opening parade (top photo) and later on a similarly for Tokyo 2020. Vasileia Karachaliou took modern approach to championships is why another silver for Greece with Maité Carlier more and more classes are coming to Kiel- well organised closing ceremony. of Belgium taking bronze. Schilksee to enjoy some of the best regatta With almost 700 entries this was a big management in the world. regatta and, with four divisions, the logistical This article was first published in challenges were significant. But bearing in Seahorse International Sailing Magazine mind what the same organising team do www.seahorsemagazine.com www.laserinternational.org Using Social MediaTo Build Your Fleet © www.segel-bilder.de © Joe Berkeley Joe Berkeley explains how social media can help build your fleet, tell a great story and all for free! People have a lot more options when it and writing your regatta report with the comes to free time than they used to. other half of your brain at the same time. To build a Laser fleet or keep your fleet The idea is you want to gather up these strong, you need to do whatever you can. little nuggets then send them out while While social media is a great way to waste they are still fleet news, not fleet history. time, “Hey, look at this kitten video!”, it’s So even though you’re tired and you also a good way to build turnout in your want to go to bed, stay up just long local fleet.