8:08 PM Fri 10 Jul 2009 GMT
American Zach Railey returned to the top of the leader board after a tough day at the Finn Gold Cup in Vallensbaek, Denmark. After leading the first race on Friday from start to finish, he placed seventh in race 10 to go in into Saturday's medal race with a narrow three point lead over Jonas H?gh Christensen (DEN). Race ten was won by Giles Scott (GBR), who completes the top three places, a further two points back.
Fourth placed Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) is just two points further back and all four sailors have a realistic chance of taking one of dinghy sailing toughest titles in the double points medal race to be sailed just outside the marina at 11.00 Saturday.
Friday's racing was the toughest yet, with a cold south-westerly in place, raining most of the day with winds up to 25 knots and high seas.
Race nine winner Zach Railey (USA) takes up the story "I started down at the pin end and a left shift came in with about a minute to go and it took maybe 35 or 40 seconds before everyone tacked over to port before I could get over. But once I tacked it looked pretty good and I crossed all the way across the race course. I took one tack on starboard and got to the port lay line and took one more shift and then myself and Bryan Boyd [USA] were 1, 2 round the top mark, so that was pretty cool."
The Americans were followed round by Daniel Birgmark (SWE), Mark Andrews (GBR), Tapio Nirkko (FIN), Oleksiy Borysov (UKR) and Jonas H?gh Christensen (DEN). Regatta leader Ed Wright (GBR) picked up a black flag, removing any chance of the world title for him, as he now has to carry a 46th from the first race.
Railey continued, "Daniel Birgmark and I had a really good fight on the first downwind leg and then on the second upwind, the left came in again and I was just a little to the left of Daniel and Jonas." Railey led down the reaches to the finish, though H?gh Christensen closed the gap to finish second ahead of Birgmark, Pieter Jan Postma (NED) and Nirkko.
Though the wind and waves made for great, if tough sailing, the cold rain made for a dismal wait between races. After several false starts, it finally got away in a slightly reduced breeze. The pin end was favoured again and very crowded with a number of boats, including Railey and H?gh Christensen bailing out and restarting.
Giles Scott (GBR) won his second race of the series. He said, "In the second race I nailed the pin end tacked after about a minute or two and just cleared the fleet. Then I caught a big lift on starboard and went over the fleet again and had quite a lengthy lead round the first mark. It went right half way up and I was about the only boat to get into it."
Railey added, "The pin end was really favoured and I didn't want to risk being OCS which would have blown the regatta for me so I held back from the line. We had to bail out and I found a lane to get out to the left side and worked my way through the fleet." H?gh Christensen was thinking alike, "I could have pushed it harder and maybe gotten in there but I didn't want to take the risk and get an OCS on the board. I just wanted to stay clear of any trouble and decided to play it little safer today."
Scott was followed round the top mark by Railey, Rafael Trujillo (ESP), Birgmark, Wright and H?gh Christensen. Scott continued, "I was pretty annoyed to see them [Railey and H?gh Christensen] there. I saw Zach had bit of difficultly at the start but he caught up nicely."
Railey said, "We had a really good fight on the downwind but it got a little shiftier and lighter on the second upwind and I didn't want to take too many chances going to one side or the other and finished seventh so now have a good position going into the medal race."
Scott extended on the downwind and went on to take the race win, while Wright caught up to second. Birgmark finished a steady day with another third place.
Scott said, "It's nice to have the fleet racing over. It's been quite a stressful week with the breeze being up and down. Today was better actually but there was till boats coming in from both corners, but it was just normally racing today. But it was so cold between races."
Railey said, "The points are really close for tomorrow. It's all up for grabs and will be very tough. The medal race is supposed to be very exciting and I think we will have an exciting one tomorrow. There are four guys who can win and it will be interesting to see what happens. All you can really ask for is to be in a position to finish on the podium at the end of the day."
H?gh Christensen agreed, "It's going to be a fantastically tight race. All four of us are within a few points and anyone can take it, so I'm expecting a really tight and a good fun race."
Scott was more bullish, "It's going to be tight tomorrow, but bring it on!"
So the medal race line up looks like this:
Zach Railey _USA
2008 Olympic silver medallist but yet to medal at a major championship. But sailing cooler and cleverer than ever, so this could be his year.
Jonas H?gh-Christensen - DEN
World Champion in 2006 and placed sixth at last year's Olympics. Hasn't raced since then and is here 'for fun', but his relaxed attitude is showing with the best score line of any sailor in the second half of the regatta,
Giles Scott - GBR
Fast improving young pretender who won last year's Junior Worlds in Melbourne. Won race three and ten here and has put together an impressive series. Placed second at the Delta Lloyd after leading all week and losing on the medal race to Wright.
Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic - CRO
Had an impressive series this year and been consistent this week, but hasn't won a race yet. Won Hyeres this year, and twice been runner up at the Europeans in 2007 and 2008.
Dan Slater - NZL
Only really just returned since taking a beak after the Olympics and has a few rusty areas, but a great competitor. Can take silver if things go his way,
Daniel Birgmark - SWE
A typical performance from Birgmark this week. Very steady. Could just take the bronze, but it's a long shot.
Marin Misura - CRO
Won a race this week, but too far adrift to take a medal. Made the top ten at the 2007 Gold Cup, but lost out on Olympic selection to Kljakovic Gaspic.
Rafael Trujillo - ESP
2004 Olympic silver medallist and 2007 World Champion. Made life hard for himself this week with too many high scores and no possibility of a medal.
Edward Wright - GBR
European Champion in 2006, and third in the Finn Gold Cup that year. So far this year he has won two ISAF Sailing World Cup events, won three of the medal races and has taken an unassailable lead in that series to take the title before the final event in Weymouth. But Friday's black flag has cost him dearly.
Andrew Mills - GBR
Sailed a great series here for his best ever Gold Cup result. A lot of work to do to move up from 10th, at 15 points adrift of Wright, but could easily be up the front.
The medal race is scheduled for 11.00 on Saturday, with the 11th race for the rest to follow immediately afterwards.
Results as of 16:05 on July 10, 2009
Overall
Sailed:10, Discards:1, To count:9, Entries:87,
Rank Bow Country SailNo HelmName R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 Total Nett
1st 6 USA 4 Zach Railey 10.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 (29.0) 4.0 7.0 13.0 1.0 7.0 89.0 60.0
2nd 8 DEN 2 Jonas H?gh-Christensen 20.0 (35.0) 17.0 1.0 5.0 7.0 4.0 1.0 2.0 6.0 98.0 63.0
3rd 16 GBR 41 Giles Scott 6.0 16.0 1.0 13.0 (20.0) 8.0 5.0 2.0 13.0 1.0 85.0 65.0
4th 3 CRO 524 Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (31.0) 3.0 21.0 2.0 6.0 13.0 3.0 3.0 12.0 4.0 98.0 67.0
5th 13 NZL 1 Dan Slater (33.0) 1.0 3.0 5.0 3.0 20.0 12.0 14.0 15.0 8.0 114.0 81.0
6th 5 SWE 11 Daniel Birgmark 17.0 2.0 13.0 (20.0) 8.0 5.0 20.0 12.0 3.0 3.0 103.0 83.0
7th 33 CRO 25 Marin Misura 3.0 (21.0) 10.0 11.0 21.0 1.0 6.0 10.0 10.0 16.0 109.0 88.0
8th 1 ESP 100 Rafael Trujillo 22.0 19.0 16.0 4.0 4.0 (31.0) 2.0 6.0 7.0 11.0 122.0 91.0
9th 10 GBR 111 Edward Wright 46.0 4.0 2.0 9.0 18.0 6.0 1.0 4.0 (88.0 BFD) 2.0 180.0 92.0
10th 18 GBR 634 Andrew Mills 7.0 5.0 (32.0) 16.0 2.0 16.0 13.0 16.0 22.0 10.0 139.0 107.0
11th 20 GBR 88 Mark Andrews 16.0 (52.0) 4.0 8.0 13.0 21.0 8.0 31.0 8.0 12.0 173.0 121.0
12th 12 NOR 1 Peer Moberg 2.0 13.0 15.0 22.0 22.0 17.0 17.0 (24.0) 14.0 5.0 151.0 127.0
13th 17 CZE 1 Michael Maier 28.0 (47.0) 7.0 18.0 19.0 10.0 14.0 5.0 17.0 13.0 178.0 131.0
14th 2 NED 842 Pieter Jan Postma 13.0 (56.0) 27.0 14.0 39.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 4.0 9.0 189.0 133.0
15th 7 FIN 218 Tapio Nirkko 12.0 34.0 (47.0) 3.0 9.0 18.0 19.0 21.0 5.0 14.0 182.0 135.0
16th 44 FRA 115 Thomas Le Breton 5.0 18.0 18.0 25.0 12.0 14.0 26.0 8.0 18.0 (27.0) 171.0 144.0
17th 42 EST 2 Deniss Karpak 9.0 28.0 5.0 15.0 (88.0 DNF) 25.0 22.0 7.0 23.0 19.0 241.0 153.0
18th 22 AUT 3 Florian Raudaschl 27.0 23.0 14.0 10.0 10.0 27.0 16.0 (30.0) 6.0 20.0 183.0 153.0
19th 11 POL 7 Rafal Szukiel 4.0 7.0 25.0 (33.0) 15.0 30.0 29.0 15.0 16.0 21.0 195.0 162.0
20th 21 FRA 112 Jonathan Lobert (57.0) 9.0 19.0 35.0 53.0 2.0 10.0 11.0 11.0 17.0 224.0 167.0
21st 14 RUS 9 Eduard Skornyakov 32.0 8.0 35.0 17.0 1.0 29.0 15.0 (88.0 DSQ) 19.0 15.0 259.0 171.0
22nd 24 ESP 7 Alejandro Muscat (37.0) 32.0 8.0 23.0 11.0 12.0 18.0 22.0 21.0 25.0 209.0 172.0
23rd 15 ITA 117 Giorgio Poggi 19.0 26.0 28.0 7.0 14.0 15.0 (88.0 DSQ) 34.0 28.0 22.0 281.0 193.0
24th 19 POL 17 Piotr Kula 8.0 29.0 12.0 28.0 31.0 (45.0) 11.0 17.0 25.0 33.0 239.0 194.0
25th 23 SWE 6 Bj?rn Allansson 29.0 42.0 (44.0) 19.0 28.0 3.0 21.0 27.0 24.0 18.0 255.0 211.0
26th 27 ITA 101 Riccardo Cordovani 24.0 22.0 9.0 31.0 17.0 26.0 38.0 44.0 33.0 (63.0) 307.0 244.0
27th 29 USA 1140 Bryan Boyd 1.0 30.0 24.0 29.0 7.0 54.0 27.0 26.0 (88.0 DNF) 51.0 337.0 249.0
28th 30 CZE 52 Tomas Vika (J) 34.0 40.0 11.0 26.0 26.0 42.0 (50.0) 19.0 41.0 32.0 321.0 271.0
29th 59 BRA 109 Jorge Zarif (J) 26.0 10.0 23.0 41.0 (60.0) 11.0 39.0 41.0 39.0 43.0 333.0 273.0
30th 37 NED 64 Wietze Zetzema 18.0 39.0 50.0 24.0 (51.0) 22.0 24.0 38.0 40.0 29.0 335.0 284.0
31st 34 GRE 8 Alexandros Dragoutsis 41.0 (57.0) 22.0 48.0 24.0 36.0 37.0 23.0 26.0 28.0 342.0 285.0
32nd 43 CAN 1 John Romanko 38.0 (59.0) 30.0 34.0 27.0 41.0 30.0 28.0 32.0 34.0 353.0 294.0
33rd 26 POR 5 Frederico Melo 56.0 (60.0) 29.0 37.0 36.0 23.0 23.0 50.0 20.0 26.0 360.0 300.0
34th 65 NED 839 Timo Hagoort 30.0 12.0 37.0 21.0 30.0 47.0 41.0 52.0 (55.0) 40.0 365.0 310.0
35th 69 ITA 123 Filippo Baldassari (J) (65.0) 53.0 26.0 38.0 54.0 34.0 34.0 29.0 27.0 31.0 391.0 326.0
36th 45 GBR 99 Henry Bagnall 53.0 43.0 (70.0) 39.0 32.0 46.0 35.0 25.0 44.0 23.0 410.0 340.0
37th 50 NED 787 Nanno Schuttrups 23.0 14.0 51.0 42.0 55.0 (88.0 BFD) 36.0 45.0 36.0 42.0 432.0 344.0
38th 28 NED 41 Karel van Hellemond 49.0 33.0 39.0 30.0 (65.0) 49.0 28.0 59.0 29.0 30.0 411.0 346.0
39th 56 RUS 707 Egor Larionov (J) 48.0 27.0 38.0 43.0 (74.0) 35.0 25.0 62.0 31.0 38.0 421.0 347.0
40th 52 DEN 46 Kaspar Andresen 39.0 24.0 20.0 (59.0) 45.0 32.0 49.0 53.0 50.0 44.0 415.0 356.0
41st 60 DEN 9 Thomas M?rup-Petersen 54.0 25.0 42.0 46.0 (88.0 BFD) 40.0 31.0 42.0 43.0 48.0 459.0 371.0
42nd 32 UKR 1 Oleksiy Borysov 66.0 (88.0 DNC) 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 16.0 19.0 43.0 20.0 9.0 24.0 461.0 373.0
43rd 25 IND 11 Nachhatar Johal (64.0) 15.0 31.0 49.0 50.0 44.0 53.0 54.0 38.0 41.0 439.0 375.0
44th 51 RUS 1 Alex Selivanov 15.0 11.0 45.0 62.0 23.0 (73.0) 55.0 39.0 69.0 68.0 460.0 387.0
45th 36 HUN 6 Gaszton Pal (85.0) 41.0 36.0 51.0 34.0 38.0 66.0 65.0 34.0 35.0 485.0 400.0
46th 31 USA 5 Andrew Casey 50.0 (67.0) 59.0 27.0 35.0 59.0 33.0 49.0 51.0 47.0 477.0 410.0
47th 48 BUL 24 Mihail Kopanov (69.0) 46.0 41.0 54.0 33.0 51.0 52.0 37.0 45.0 52.0 480.0 411.0
48th 64 EST 11 Lauri V?insalu (J) 25.0 38.0 54.0 (88.0 DNF) 47.0 58.0 40.0 70.0 46.0 36.0 502.0 414.0
49th 86 AUS 235 Timothy Castles (87.0) 58.0 63.0 32.0 76.0 33.0 54.0 18.0 35.0 56.0 512.0 425.0
50th 39 CZE 3 Rudolf Lidarik 44.0 50.0 34.0 45.0 41.0 39.0 58.0 (60.0) 56.0 58.0 485.0 425.0
51st 61 BRA 5 Henry Boening (82.0) 74.0 49.0 40.0 40.0 61.0 47.0 48.0 30.0 37.0 508.0 426.0
52nd 41 HUN 8 M?rton Beliczay 35.0 54.0 (74.0) 53.0 25.0 72.0 48.0 43.0 52.0 46.0 502.0 428.0
53rd 98 USA 619 Caleb Paine (J) 14.0 64.0 48.0 44.0 (67.0) 24.0 65.0 56.0 59.0 62.0 503.0 436.0
54th 79 NED 844 Gert van der Heijden 45.0 37.0 (64.0) 57.0 44.0 52.0 59.0 51.0 42.0 49.0 500.0 436.0
55th 71 DEN 231 Kenneth B?ggild (76.0) 20.0 40.0 70.0 48.0 55.0 62.0 47.0 47.0 50.0 515.0 439.0
56th 55 CAN 7 Adam Nicholson 59.0 51.0 67.0 47.0 49.0 (68.0) 42.0 35.0 37.0 53.0 508.0 440.0
57th 78 UKR 21 Anton Sadchykov (J) 40.0 44.0 (66.0) 58.0 61.0 66.0 44.0 33.0 57.0 39.0 508.0 442.0
58th 35 TUR 7 Akif Muslubas 11.0 55.0 33.0 52.0 73.0 37.0 56.0 63.0 67.0 (88.0 BFD) 535.0 447.0
59th 40 USA 9 Ian Cook (J) 52.0 49.0 55.0 50.0 43.0 28.0 60.0 58.0 (88.0 DNF) 88.0 DNC 571.0 483.0
60th 47 GER 165 Dirk Meid 60.0 (73.0) 56.0 56.0 64.0 60.0 46.0 40.0 49.0 55.0 559.0 486.0
61st 58 NED 45 Dennis de Ruiter 63.0 (71.0) 52.0 67.0 69.0 53.0 32.0 36.0 61.0 61.0 565.0 494.0
62nd 81 DEN 3 J?rgen Svendsen 47.0 69.0 43.0 61.0 46.0 (75.0) 68.0 55.0 62.0 60.0 586.0 511.0
63rd 53 GER 203 Hartmut Duisberg 55.0 70.0 69.0 (73.0) 57.0 43.0 51.0 46.0 63.0 59.0 586.0 513.0
64th 57 USA 808 R. Phillip Ramming (86.0) 36.0 61.0 74.0 72.0 48.0 61.0 61.0 54.0 57.0 610.0 524.0
65th 75 HUN 128 Peter Haidekker 58.0 45.0 46.0 77.0 42.0 77.0 67.0 (88.0 DNC) 64.0 65.0 629.0 541.0
66th 63 ITA 2 Marco Buglielli 67.0 31.0 (79.0) 63.0 71.0 74.0 63.0 66.0 58.0 54.0 626.0 547.0
67th 83 SUI 496 Thomas Gautschi 62.0 65.0 (76.0) 75.0 37.0 65.0 64.0 67.0 60.0 64.0 635.0 559.0
68th 96 SWE 1 Olof Lundqvist 75.0 76.0 75.0 72.0 38.0 62.0 (88.0 DNF) 69.0 48.0 45.0 648.0 560.0
69th 49 EST 7 Harles Liiv 73.0 48.0 (88.0 DNC) 36.0 68.0 88.0 DNC 45.0 32.0 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 654.0 566.0
70th 95 NED 11 Henk de Jager 78.0 62.0 53.0 64.0 63.0 50.0 57.0 57.0 (88.0 DNF) 88.0 DNF 660.0 572.0
71st 4 SLO 5 Gasper Vincec 21.0 17.0 (88.0 DNF) 12.0 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 666.0 578.0
72nd 89 DEN 218 Jesper Petersen 70.0 79.0 68.0 69.0 59.0 67.0 (88.0 DNC) 71.0 53.0 69.0 693.0 605.0
73rd 67 GRE 71 Panagiotis Davourlis 36.0 68.0 65.0 65.0 81.0 70.0 69.0 64.0 (88.0 DNC) 88.0 DNC 694.0 606.0
74th 80 DEN 201 Nikolai Ratzlaff 79.0 66.0 (88.0 DNC) 76.0 79.0 57.0 72.0 68.0 65.0 66.0 716.0 628.0
75th 76 CZE 11 Patrik Deutcher (J) 71.0 80.0 57.0 71.0 82.0 64.0 71.0 (88.0 DNF) 66.0 67.0 717.0 629.0
76th 94 ITA 38 Claudio Bosetti 42.0 78.0 62.0 66.0 52.0 71.0 (88.0 DNF) 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 723.0 635.0
77th 54 ITA 97 Carlo Recchi (J) 51.0 75.0 58.0 55.0 56.0 (88.0 DNC) 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 735.0 647.0
78th 93 HUN 728 Elemer Haidekker (J) 43.0 83.0 81.0 81.0 66.0 56.0 73.0 (88.0 DNC) 88.0 DNF 88.0 DNC 747.0 659.0
79th 88 DEN 6 Lars Hall 61.0 63.0 72.0 60.0 58.0 (88.0 DNF) 88.0 DNF 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNF 88.0 DNC 754.0 666.0
80th 91 GER 242 Peter Corbett 77.0 82.0 71.0 80.0 78.0 63.0 70.0 (88.0 DNC) 68.0 88.0 DNC 765.0 677.0
81st 74 GER 262 Uwe Barthel 72.0 72.0 73.0 79.0 62.0 81.0 (88.0 DNC) 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 791.0 703.0
82nd 97 SWE 40 Sverker H?rd 84.0 61.0 78.0 (88.0 DNC) 70.0 79.0 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 812.0 724.0
83rd 46 GER 174 Matthias Bohn 74.0 (88.0 DNF) 60.0 68.0 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 818.0 730.0
84th 85 USA 56 Charles Heimler 83.0 84.0 77.0 78.0 77.0 69.0 (88.0 DNC) 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 820.0 732.0
85th 77 DEN 258 Christian Qvist 81.0 77.0 80.0 82.0 75.0 76.0 (88.0 DNF) 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNF 88.0 DNC 823.0 735.0
86th 90 GBR 631 Richard Hart 80.0 81.0 (88.0 DNF) 88.0 DNC 80.0 78.0 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 847.0 759.0
87th 82 HUN 212 Richard Hirschler (J) 68.0 (88.0 DNF) 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 BFD 80.0 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 88.0 DNC 852.0 764.0
by Robert Deaves
|
Sailing
