After several days of mainly light winds and sea breeze racing there was much stronger winds and bigger seas across the race course on Dublin Bay for the second day of championship racing at the 470 European Championship on Monday 16 July. The 20-25 knot south-easterly was today being considered the precursor to some much stronger winds due over the final couple of days of the 11-race championship series. Although this is likely to be a high scoring regatta, indeed other than Israel’s Kiger and Zal who were consistently impressive as they sailed to three wins on Monday, only one other crew now lying in the top seven overall posted a single finish in the top three as the strong wind specialists took over.
For the RYA/Team GBR pairing of Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield the day started well with a second place in the first race (race four) of the finals, but their resulting 20th in the second race may prove expensive when the final scores are computed on Thursday. They went on to a useful ninth in the third race and now lie 10th overall, rising from their overnight 14th. RYA/Team GBR compatriots Graham Vials and Dan Newman composed three top ten scores with an 8-9-4 to lie 12th overall.
In the first race, with the breeze at its strongest, Rogers and Glanfield managed to sail to their strategy, rounding the first mark in seventh and using their excellent pace both upwind and down to take places and finish second. The second heat went awry from the start line when they were buried and forced left when the right was favoured.
Their third start was only marginally better but this time they were able to work back up the fleet to cross the finish ninth.” Today we were not good. We were overcomplicating what should have been relatively simple and straightforward.” Admitted helmsman Rogers, “We need to get our heads together and try and work out why we are making it so hard for ourselves and just go out and sail a more natural race. We are getting too involved with everyone else. Yesterday [Sunday] speed was an issue, today [Monday] we were quick both upwind and downwind so we should have been better.”
Scoring three of their four firsts, the Israelis Kiger and Zal – whose best score this season was third overall at Hyeres – lead by 12 points now from the Italians Zandona and Trani who posted three seventh places today. In the Women’s fleet championship Josie Gibson and Saskia Clarke scored consistently with a 12-8-13 to lie 11th as the Greek pair Bekatorou and Tsoulfa still lead by eight points from Sydney gold medallists Armstrong and Stowell. Christina Bassadone and Jenny Heeley lie 20th. In the mixed silver fleet Mark Plummer and Oliver Hawkley (Dalgety Bay) lie second overall.
Results
1, Kiger/Zal (ISR)
2, Rogers/Glanfield (RYA/Team GBR, Lymington)
3, Charbonnier/Christidis (FRA)
4, Marinho/Nunes (POR)
5, Molund/Martin (SWE)
Race 5
1, Kiger/Zal
2, Charbonnier/Christidis
3, Shahaf/Yoger (ISR)
4, Marinho/Nunes (POR)
5, Kosmatopulos/Trigonis (GRE)
9, Vials/Newman
20, Rogers/Glanfield
Race 6
1, Kiger/Zal
2, Martinez/Cantero (ESP)
3, Stanczyk/Jakubiak (POL)
4, Vials/Newman (RYA Team GBR, Co. Durham)
5, Hunt/Miller (USA)
9, Rogers/Glanfield
Overall after 6 races (including one discard)
1, Kiger/Zal 12.0
2, Zandona/Trani 24.0
3, Martinez/Cantero 30.0
4, Eugeniy/Cantero 32.0
5, Marinho/Nunes 33.0
RYA/team GBR
10, Rogers/Glanfield 53.0
12, Vials/Newman 54.0
Selected Fleet 2 (Silver) Results
Overall
1, Manuel/Paz (ESP) 5.0
2, Plummer/Hawkley 16.0
3, Mercier/Boudgourd (FRA) 26.0
Women’s European Championship
Overall after 6 races (including one discard)
1, Bekatorou/Tsoulfa (GRE) 14.0
2, Armstrong/Stowell (AUS) 22.0
3, Via-Dufresne/Azon (ESP) 24.0
4, Rothweile/Leu (GER) 32.0
5, PetitJean/Douroux (FRA) 43.0
11, Gibson/Clarke 81.0
20, Bas