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Sailing - 28. January 2014.

Light Wind Specialists Hold Early Advantage At ISAF SailingWorld Cup Miami

britishsailingteam.jpg


Little to no breeze created mirror-like conditions on the calm waters of Biscayne Bay Monday morning. This was not ideal for the 580 sailors representing 50 countries, who were raring and ready to go for the start of this six-day international regatta.

 


This 25th edition of ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami annually attracts top

ranked one-design sailors in 10 Olympic and three Paralympic events

selected for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

 

Racing was postponed at approximately 9:00 local time due to

insufficient wind. This delay pushed back the start times for the

morning and early afternoon fleets. At around 12:00, the fleets started

their launch from their respective venue sites in an attempt to get in

as much racing as possible, despite the still conditions.

 

Fortunately, racing pick up in the afternoon and all fleets completed

races in the consistent light breeze. Wind speeds ranged from 4 to 8

knots for most of the afternoon.

**Women's 470**

 

The small, but talented, Women's 470 fleet kicked-off the racing. Three

of the World's top five crews are battling it out on the Bay this week

in the 10-boat fleet.
 

Great Britain's Sophie Weguelin and Eilidh McIntyre used the light wind

to their advantage. They won race one and followed up with a third place

finish. Weguelin and McIntyre are ranked #3 in the ISAF Women's 470

World Rankings. The placed fifth at the 470 Women's World Championships

last July in La Rochelle, France.

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"We are trying to work on our downwind boat speed, as well as our

decision making and communication around the race course this week,”

explained Weguelin. "Sailing in a smaller fleet has its pros and cons.

We've been down here racing for the past couple weeks at North Americans

and we trained down here as well.” The duo placed third out of ten

teams last week here in Miami at the North American Championships.

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World #1 Austria's Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar (AUT) won race two after

slipping to seventh in race one.

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**Nacra 17**

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With the discard coming into play immediately at ISAF Sailing World Cup

Miami, Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank (AUT) discarded their opening 25th

to count a third and a second, giving them an early Nacra 17 lead.

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Ben Saxton and Hannah Diamond (GBR) were the most consistent on the race

track and whilst they count a 5-1-5 they sit third overall behind the

Austrians and Federica Salva and Francesco Bianchi in second.

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Saxton and Diamond have only finished out of the top four in two out of

nine Nacra 17 regattas sailed in and proved their worth once again by a

record a steady scoreline as Saxton explained, "Racing was good. We had

better breeze than anticipated, sea breeze conditions that were probably

five or six knots but fairly stable in direction so three good races.

 

"The first one we were third [they later received a two point scoring

penalty to count a five] which was a good start and then we won the

second and had a comeback in the third race that saw a photo finish.

That was a great comeback and that's the race we're happiest with.”

 

At the midway point of the final race the Brits had fallen to 12th but

they managed to find good pace on the final run to move up seven places.

 

With those around them counting double digit scores Saxton and Diamond

have room for optimism but know there's plenty of work left to do, "The

aim for the rest of the week is to try and put the stuff we've been

learning over winter into racing and hopefully get a good result but

this is still the learning curve.”

**49erFX**

Finland's Noora Ruskola and Camilla Cedercreutz almost had a dream day

in the 49erFX. The pair took the first bullet of the day and picked up a

third in the last but they were unknowingly on the course side in the

second race as they stormed through to what they believed was another

race victory.

"The second race we thought we had won,” commented Ruskola, "But we

were over the line at the start. It's really annoying because the first

place would have been really good.”



Despite their OCS, the Finnish team lead the way on four points as the

discard kicks in early however they won't be easing up for the remainder

of the week, "We are just going to sail normally because otherwise you

will just end up behind the boats and won't get speed in the start and

that's no good.

Â

"We're looking to learn this week but we're still aiming for high

results and we hope we're going to do really good but this is our first

World Cup.”

Â

With the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships on the horizon

the girls know the hard work must continue, "That's the big one for us

because it's Olympic qualification so it's the lead competition of the

year and we're here practising for it.”

 

2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami victors Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze

(BRA) sit in second, a point off the leaders, but discard an eighth.

**Finn**

 

The heavyweights in the Finn class also tallied a pair of races.

Australia's Oliver Tweddell is the early leader after placing second and

first, respectively. He has captured silver medals in Melbourne in each

of the last two years.

 

**Laser Radial**

 

Defending champion Paige Railey (USA) cruised to an early lead in the

51-boat Laser Radial class. She placed second and first to take gain the

early advantage. Railey garnered bronze medal honors at the 2013 Laser

Radial World Championships in Rizhao, China.

**Women's RS:X**

 

World #1 Bryony Shaw (GBR) showed the chasing pack how it's done in the

Little to no breeze created mirror-like conditions on the calm waters of
Biscayne Bay Monday morning. This was not ideal for the 580 sailors
representing 50 countries, who were raring and ready to go for the start
of this six-day international regatta.

This 25th edition of ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami annually attracts top
ranked one-design sailors in 10 Olympic and three Paralympic events
selected for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Racing was postponed at approximately 9:00 local time due to
insufficient wind. This delay pushed back the start times for the
morning and early afternoon fleets. At around 12:00, the fleets started
their launch from their respective venue sites in an attempt to get in
as much racing as possible, despite the still conditions.

Fortunately, racing pick up in the afternoon and all fleets completed
races in the consistent light breeze. Wind speeds ranged from 4 to 8
knots for most of the afternoon.

**Women's 470**
 
The small, but talented, Women's 470 fleet kicked-off the racing. Three
of the World's top five crews are battling it out on the Bay this week
in the 10-boat fleet.
 
Great Britain's Sophie Weguelin and Eilidh McIntyre used the light wind
to their advantage. They won race one and followed up with a third place
finish. Weguelin and McIntyre are ranked #3 in the ISAF Women's 470
World Rankings. The placed fifth at the 470 Women's World Championships
last July in La Rochelle, France.

"We are trying to work on our downwind boat speed, as well as our
decision making and communication around the race course this week,”
explained Weguelin. "Sailing in a smaller fleet has its pros and cons.
We've been down here racing for the past couple weeks at North Americans
and we trained down here as well.” The duo placed third out of ten
teams last week here in Miami at the North American Championships.
 
World #1 Austria's Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar (AUT) won race two after
slipping to seventh in race one.
 
**Nacra 17**
 
With the discard coming into play immediately at ISAF Sailing World Cup
Miami, Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank (AUT) discarded their opening 25th
to count a third and a second, giving them an early Nacra 17 lead.
 
Ben Saxton and Hannah Diamond (GBR) were the most consistent on the race
track and whilst they count a 5-1-5 they sit third overall behind the
Austrians and Federica Salva and Francesco Bianchi in second.
 
Saxton and Diamond have only finished out of the top four in two out of
nine Nacra 17 regattas sailed in and proved their worth once again by a
record a steady scoreline as Saxton explained, "Racing was good. We had
better breeze than anticipated, sea breeze conditions that were probably
five or six knots but fairly stable in direction so three good races.

"The first one we were third [they later received a two point scoring
penalty to count a five] which was a good start and then we won the
second and had a comeback in the third race that saw a photo finish.
That was a great comeback and that's the race we're happiest with.”
 
At the midway point of the final race the Brits had fallen to 12th but
they managed to find good pace on the final run to move up seven places.
 
With those around them counting double digit scores Saxton and Diamond
have room for optimism but know there's plenty of work left to do, "The
aim for the rest of the week is to try and put the stuff we've been
learning over winter into racing and hopefully get a good result but
this is still the learning curve.”
 
**49erFX**

Finland's Noora Ruskola and Camilla Cedercreutz almost had a dream day
in the 49erFX. The pair took the first bullet of the day and picked up a
third in the last but they were unknowingly on the course side in the
second race as they stormed through to what they believed was another
race victory.
 
"The second race we thought we had won,” commented Ruskola, "But we
were over the line at the start. It's really annoying because the first
place would have been really good.”
 
Despite their OCS, the Finnish team lead the way on four points as the
discard kicks in early however they won't be easing up for the remainder
of the week, "We are just going to sail normally because otherwise you
will just end up behind the boats and won't get speed in the start and
that's no good.
 
"We're looking to learn this week but we're still aiming for high
results and we hope we're going to do really good but this is our first
World Cup.”
 
With the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships on the horizon
the girls know the hard work must continue, "That's the big one for us
because it's Olympic qualification so it's the lead competition of the
year and we're here practising for it.”
 
2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami victors Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze
(BRA) sit in second, a point off the leaders, but discard an eighth.

**Finn**
  The heavyweights in the Finn class also tallied a pair of races.
Australia's Oliver Tweddell is the early leader after placing second and
first, respectively. He has captured silver medals in Melbourne in each
of the last two years.

**Laser Radial**


Defending champion Paige Railey (USA) cruised to an early lead in the
51-boat Laser Radial class. She placed second and first to take gain the
early advantage. Railey garnered bronze medal honors at the 2013 Laser
Radial World Championships in Rizhao, China.

**Women's RS:X**
 
World #1 Bryony Shaw (GBR) showed the chasing pack how it's done in the
Women's RS:X by notching up a bullet and a second after two races.
 
Shaw is followed by Flavia Tartaglini (ITA) in second and Patricia
Freitas (BRA) in third.

**Paralympic Events**


Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell got their week off to the perfect
start with double bullets in the SKUD18. Canada's John McRoberts and
Jackie Gay follow with Ryan Porteous and Cindy Walker (USA) in third.
 
In the Sonar, Rick Doerr, Hugh Freund and Tim Angle (USA) mirrored the
British SKUD18 duos performance with a couple of race wins to lead the
eight boat fleet.

Canada's Allan Leibel leads the 2.4mR closely followed by Norway's
Bjornar Erikstad and Great Britain's Megan Pascoe.

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