There are over 250 competitors from 60 nations taking part in this year's
Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship. Volvo are the title sponsor of
the event, which is run by ISAF and encompasses single-handed Laser (boys)
and Laser Radial (girls), the double-handed 29er (boys and girls), the RS:X
windsurfer (boys and girls), and multihull SL16 (open) classes in this world
class event.
David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race/onEdition
Maja Dziarnowska representing Poland in the girls windsurfer class at this years Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship.
An integral part of the ongoing success of the Youth Worlds has been the
support of title sponsor Volvo Ocean Race. In 2008 the Volvo Ocean Race will
sponsor the Championship for the ninth time. The first Youth Worlds
supported by the Volvo Ocean Race took place in Finland in 1999, with 38
nations taking part. Since then the Championship has gone from
strength-to-strength, with a record 48 nations entering in 2001. In 2004
over 50 nations participated in the Youth Worlds in Poland, whilst two years
later a new record of 62 nations was set in Great Britain. 222 sailors from
50 nations attended the event in Kingston, Canada in 2007 making this the
biggest Youth Worlds held in North America.
First day drama at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship
Århus, Denmark 13 July, 2008 There was an international feel to day two
of racing at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Århus,
Denmark where sailors from Europe, Oceania and Africa occupy the leaderboard
top spots.
David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race/onEdition
Defending champion Gabrielle King representing Australia in the girls one-person dinghy class at this years Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship.The British team lead the charge in the 29er with two strong performances in
both the girls and boys fleets, while the Cyprian sailors carried on
dominating in the Laser and Boy¹s RS:X. The strong winds returned to the Bay
of Århus today keeping the sailors working hard on the second day of the
event.
There was a change at the top of the leaderboard in the SL16 multihull fleet
with the ISAF Athlete Participation Programme (APP) sailors from South
Africa taking the top spot from the Danish team. Matthew Whitehead and
Micheal Ovenstone who were in fourth after the first day found their form on
the water with a first and second. Whitehead commented, ³It was quite breezy
out there on the water with huge waves which is what we like to sail in. We
overstood one mark and came screaming in, nearly taking a few boats out! We
had a brilliant day.²
These sailors are amongst the 29 APP sailors who are helped each year to
compete by ISAF and the programme. They get financial backing and an
internationally renowned coach in the form of Jim Saltonstall (World Youth
Sailing Trust coach) to help them throughout the week.
Maja Knezevic (SRB) in the Laser Radial class is another young sailor who
has been helped by the APP scheme to represent her country. It is the first
time Serbia has competed at the Youth Worlds and she is very proud to be
here. ³I am loving my time here. Jim is a really great coach and looks after
us all, as well as some of the other sailors who need extra help. I just
want to do as well as I can,² said Knezevic.
The breezy conditions made for plenty more excitement on the 29er course and
following three races in both boy¹s and girl¹s fleet the British and
Australian teams continue to dominate the overall standings. James Peters
and Ed Fitzgerald (GBR) won the opening two races in boy¹s fleet and
although they dropped to tenth in race five after hitting a wave and pitch
polling on the final run, they hold the overall lead. Byron White and Rhys
Mara (AUS) are just three points behind in second, whilst Judge Ryan and
Hans Henken (USA) climb five places to third overall and were the standout
performers with 2, 3, 1 scores today.
David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race/onEdition
Frances Peters and Claire Lasko, representing Britain in the girls 29er dinghy class, at this years Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship.Great Britain also leads the Girl¹s 29er fleet, with Frances Peters, James¹s
older sister, and Claire Lasko posting first, second and third place
finishes today. After five top-three finishes the pair have built a
six-point cushion at the front but are not getting carried away yet. ³I am
really pleased to get consistent results this early in the competition but
we have a long way to go so we have to keep it up. We have to take each day
as it comes,² said Peters. It was also a good day for the Dutch crew of
Annemiek Bekkering and Jeske Kisters, who scored a sixth and two bullets to
move up six places to fourth overall.
The 29er fleets had the benefit of a video debrief from Jim Saltonstall
after yesterday¹s racing and it certainly showed in the improved performance
of some of the teams today. The Brazilian Girl¹s 29er duo of Martine Grael
and Daniela Adler climbed four places up the overall leaderboard to seventh
after scores of 3, 4, 5 today. ³We¹ve been sailing 29ers for three months
and today was only the fourth day of strong winds in our lives. But we¹re
doing well so we¹re really happy about it,² said Adler. It is no surprise
the team are such quick learners when you consider their sailing
backgrounds; Martine is the daughter of Volvo Ocean Race skipper and
five-time Olympic medallist Torben Grael whilst Daniela¹s uncle is Daniel
Adler, also an Olympic medallist. The next generation are also clearly aware
of the family traditions.
In the Laser Radial class the Australian defending champion now leads the
pack with a consistent top five positions as the Canadian sailor Isabelle
Bertold falls to second only two points behind. The Finnish competitor,
Heidi Tenkanen posted a first and a fifth to raise her from sixth to third
overall.
David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race/onEdition
Annemiek Bekkering and Jeske Kisters, representing The Netherlands in the girls 29er dinghy class, give an interview after a race win at this years Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship. at this years Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship.
Pavlos Kontides (CYP) carries on leading the boy¹s Laser fleet with another
two first places, making it look very easy out on the water in the big
breeze. American Luke Lawrence also showed consistency with two second
places lifting him to second place overall and pushing local Århus sailor,
Thorbjorn Schierup into third.
The top three places in the Boy¹s RS:X fleet have remained the same with the
Cypriot windsurfer, Michalis Malekkides posting a first and fourth. This is
his second Youth Worlds and he was looking for a top six place before he
came but now thinks he can do better. ³I worked a lot over the year with my
coach to improve on my strength. Especially when it¹s windy I think I¹m very
good and in the light wind I do well. I think that the work is paying off
now,² said Malekkides.
Laura Linares carries on leading the girl¹s fleet with a second and first
place with Poland¹s Maja Dziarnowska and Greece¹s Anastasia Davrou swapping
places below her.
Follow all the action from Århus including news, results, features and more
on the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship website
www.youthworlds2008.org and on the ISAF Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World
Championship microsite www.sailing.org/youthworlds.
For full results please go to:
http://www.youthworlds2008.org/Results.aspx
