| Spain. Princess Sofia Trophy: Racing except Yngling and 49ers abandoned |
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| Wednesday, 12 April 2006 | |
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Lindsay Bell: Uncharacteristically cloudy and changeable conditions in the Bay of Palma gave rise to a frustrating day for most sailors at the Princess Sofia Trophy today (Tuesday). Racing took place in just two of the ten Olympic classes – the Yngling and 49ers – as race officers felt, in most cases, that the wind was too unstable to set a course. As soon as racing had been abandoned for the day, however, the clouds cleared and the wind filled to perfect racing conditions. Skandia Team GBR’s 49er sailors put on a good show in their one and only race of the day to secure five boats in the top third and through to the gold fleet tomorrow. With a third place from today’s race, Olympic bronze medallists Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks remain the top British boat in fourth overall, with fellow performance squad sailors Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes posting a bullet today to sit just two points behind their teammates in fifth. Thanks to their second from today’s race, Paul Campbell James and Mark Asquith have been boosted back into the top ten, while a solid showing from development squad sailors Dave Evans-Rick Peacock and Ian Martin-Ben McGrane – both finishing sixth in their respective flights today – earned them places in the gold fleet. Sarah Ayton and her team of Sarah Webb and Victoria Rawlinson remain firmly in contention in the Yngling class. The Skandia Team GBR trio lost their overnight lead by the narrowest of margins to American World Champion Sally Barkow’s team following today’s two races, and are now poised expectantly in second place on nine points, to Barkow’s eight, in just their second major regatta together. Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor, helmed by Greek 470 Olympic champion Sophia Bekatorou, pushed up to sixth place today while development squad sailors Gemma Farrell, Rachel Larman and Rachel Howe – competing in their first international regatta as a new team – are knocking at the door of Friday’s final medal race, currently in 12th place. All of Skandia Team GBR’s Laser and Laser Radial sailors made the cut into their respective gold fleets. Laura Baldwin’s is the top British boat in the Radial fleet, currently in seventh ahead of Lizzie Vickers in eighth, while European Champion Paul Goodison sits in second in the Laser fleet, ten points clear of his nearest rival. In the RS:X windsurf classes, the Brits will once again be the ones to watch as Lucy Horwood and Athens bronze medallist Nick Dempsey currently lead the respective women’s and men’s fleets. Ed Wright remains in second in the Finn class, on equal points with third placed Canadian Christopher Cook, while 12th placed Rob Wilson and Mark Bulkeley are best placed to fly the British flag in the Tornado class when racing resumes. Four British boats will race in the men’s 470 gold fleet, including defending champions Nic Asher and Elliot Willis, while women’s 470 sailors Christina Bassadone-Saskia Clark and Pippa Wilson-Sheena Craig are still firmly on course for the all-important double points scoring final medal race on Friday. For full results, visit http://www.trofeoprincesasofia.org/dinghy/index.html |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 12 April 2006 ) |
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