September 2008 YOUTH EUROPEAN’S Slingsby takes trophy CHAMPIONS Mutala dominates Women’s Champ DEFEND Goodison wins 4th title TITLES IN DENMARK LASER 4.7 Record growth David Kneale/Volvo David Ocean Kneale/Volvo Race/onEdition © Caribbean Laser Championships CANADA - Venue for 2009 Masters Mathilde De Karangat 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. 2 LaserWorld September 2008 Youth Champions Defend Titles in Denmark The 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World In the Girl’s Laser Radial fleet the 2007 maintained his dominant position at the top Championship brought together over 240 champion was also defending her title. Last of the Laser standings throughout days 3 and young sailors from 58 nations in Århus, year Gabrielle King (AUS) spearheaded her 4 and by day 5 had done enough to secure Denmark. nation’s success story, which ended with the the title. Luke Lawrence (USA) secured the Australians winning the Volvo Trophy. Like silver medal, whilst Sam Meech (NZL) won the The reigning Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Kontides, she has already built on her 2007 battle for bronze. Champions in both the Boys and Girls One success, most notably winning this year’s Person Dinghy events returned to defend their Laser Radial Youth World Championship in In the Laser Radial class, the 2007 champion, titles. Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus dominated New Zealand. Gabrielle King (AUS), started well and was the Laser series in Kingston last year to win by second overall to Isabella Bertold (CAN) after a race to spare and now, aged 18 and in his The event began with the competitors’ parade the first day. The defending champion gained last year at the Youth Worlds, he started as hot through the city proudly waving their country overall lead after day 2 with consistent top five favourite for a repeat performance in Denmark. flags following a marching band to the Town positions as Isabelle Bertold fell to 2nd place Since winning gold last July, Kontides has Hall where they were officially welcomed just two points behind. Gabrielle King proved Radial Youth put in some notable performances on the to Denmark. The Opening Ceremony was herself on day 3 with two race wins to increase senior circuit. His performances have merited a Royal affair with the HRH Crown Prince her overall lead to six points. New Zealand’s him more than just selection for the Cyprus Frederik of Denmark greeting the teams, Cushla Hume-Merry had her best day of Youth Team and following on from Denmark, volunteers and Organizing Committee to the the series with a 3rd and a 4th lifting her up Kontides will travel to Qingdao, China, where city of Århus. into second overall, just ahead of Denmark’s he will represent his nation at the 2008 Olympic Cathrine Sofie Hall. On day 5 King added a Sailing Competition. In total 46 nations will be Big breeze, waves and frequent rain storms third bullet to her scoreline and maintained her represented in the Laser fleet this year - a new made for an adrenaline-charged regatta. Shifty run of all top-five finishes to extend her overall record for an event at the Youth Worlds. winds throughout the week proved a good test lead in the Laser Radial fleet for both the light and heavy wind specialists. King scored her fourth and fifth bullets of Reigning champion Pavlos Kontides got his © David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race/onEdition the championship on day 6 to take the title series underway in style by leading the first in style. “I thought after day two it was a race from start to finish. However, in the possibility to win and then things kept going second race he was left at the back of the my way and ended up with this win. This is fleet after hitting the pin end at the start, the best event, I love it,” said the ecstatic but sailed through the fleet to young Australian. Susana Romero of Spain recover to second place won the silver medal, just four points ahead of behind Denmark’s New Zealand’s Cushla Hume-Merry who was Thorbjørn awarded bronze. Schierup. He carried on leading Pavlos Kontides (CYP) became the first ever the fleet with another two-time winner of the ISAF St Lawrence two first places on Trophy, presented to the winner of the Boy’s day 2, making it look One Person Dinghy event – an incredible very easy out on achievement considering the sailors to have the water in the big come closest to it in the past (by winning one breeze. American Luke gold and one silver medal) are Russell Coutts Lawrence also showed (NZL), Ben Ainslie (GBR), Dean Barker (NZL) Pavlos Kontides. consistency with two and Dan Slater (NZL)! Kontides explained, second places lifting him “It hasn’t sunk in yet that I have won. I can’t to second place overall believe that two people from my country are in and pushing local Århus the top ten, it is great. This is my fifth and last sailor Thorbjørn Schierup Youth Worlds and I can’t believe I am the only into third. Kontides person to win two gold medals.” The Volvo Trophy went to Great Britain with © David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race/onEdition gold medals in both the girls and boys 29er fleets but the fight for second place was a close fought one with New Zealand pipping Australia to the post by just two points. Full results available: http://www.isaf.com/24448.php © David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race/onEdition J. Celal Tumsen. Gabrielle King. www.laserinternational.org LaserWorld September 2008 3 Challenging conditions for European Senior Championship © Thom Touw Standard Senior Sailors at this year’s European Laser Senior The first day of the Championship had their work cut out for them finals series also with demanding conditions at the North Sea turned out to be the coast in Nieuwpoort, Belgium. last one as racing on Day 6 had to be Physical stamina and sound tactical skills abandoned in the were required to take advantage of the strong face of adverse currents and the blustery south westerly wind weather conditions ranging from 5 to over 20 knots. with forecasted For the qualifying series, sailors were split winds of 28 to 30 into 3 fleets and Day 1 got underway with knots and steep fair weather conditions and a 14 to 18 knot waves. westerly wind. The first race of the day went The first finals smoothly and saw reigning World champion race was Tom Slingsby (AUS), reigning European slightly delayed champion Paul Goodison (GBR) and world- but then got ranked number 36 Bradley Funk (USA) underway with winning their respective fleets. The start of a stable wind Paul Goodison. the second race was made more difficult by of around 18 a turning tide resulting in 1 general recall for knots. Deniss the green fleet and two recalls for the yellow Karpak (EST) and red fleet. Slingsby scored another bullet, scored a 1st in the gold putting him at the top of the leader board fleet, followed by Marc de Haas © Thom Touw ahead of Goodison and Michael Leigh (CAN) (NED) in 2nd and Goodison in who were tied in second place. 3rd. Day 2 saw overcast weather conditions with The last race of the championship wind that dropped from 12 to around 8 knots in started after two general recalls the first race but then built up again throughout in the gold fleet and 4 black the day to over 18 knots, providing for some flags issued to Leigh, Del Solar, enjoyable downwind racing. The first race of Funk and Dan Beleben (GBR). the day went to Slingsby, Rimsas Laurynas Porozynski delivered another good (LTU) and 2003 European champion Vasilij performance and led home the gold Zbogar (SLO) in their respective fleets. fleet in this final race, followed by In the second race starts became quite difficult Stipanovic in 2nd and Arvid Claeson again due to the direction of the current, (SWE) in 3rd place. Tom Slingsby. but after another general recall for each It was the worst day for Slingsby in fleet the second race got underway. Tobias terms of scores with an 11th and 6th Schadewaldt (GER) made the challenging place finish, but overall had no effect © Thom Touw conditions work for him and scored his second on his position at the top of the leader 1st place. Slingsby finished 4th but this did board. He was crowned winner of little to challenge his top position on the leader the European Trophy with an 8 point board where he was followed by Goodison in lead over Goodison, who, in Tom’s second and Zbogar in third place. words, is “his biggest threat in Day 3 started with a slight delay due to a China”. It has been a successful commercial ship entering the harbour but sailing season for Slingsby in finally got underway with a strong current and Europe this year; having already a steady 10 knot breeze. Slingsby scored scored 1st places at the Holland another 1st place, as did Tonci Stipanovic Regatta and Kiel Week, this is (CRO) and Matias del Solar (CHI) in their his 3rd ISAF Grade 1 win in 2 fleets. In the second race the red fleet had months. Goodison, who like to be recalled once but then started cleanly. many sailors has been training The wind dropped to 6 knots throughout the hard and losing weight for race leaving some sailors struggling against Beijing, was unsure how well the current to cross the finish line.