Semaine Olympique Francaise - Snail pace in Hyeres

9:45 PM Tue 27 Apr 2010 GMT

'Laser Radial startline - 2010 SOF Hyeres' Guillaume Durand

Every race counts in Hy?res! The 2010 SOF Hy?res - Toulon Provence M?diterran?e, fourth event in the ISAF Sailing Wold Cup circuit, has reached its half way mark but the programme is well behind schedule with few races sailed in each class.

Racing started and stopped a few times, before the sailors were sent back to shore to wait for the thermal wind to settle. It was close to 1400 when a 10 knots westerly breeze finally gave everyone any hope for racing. Unfortunately, it didn't stay long and was gone three hours later. There was just enough time to run at least one race for all classes.

The last group in the Women Match racing finally completed their round robin, selecting the last two teams for the Gold fleet: They are number three on the World rankings, Katie Spithill from Australia and the German team of Silke Hahlbrock,, 2009 Eurosaf Match racing champion. They join, World ranking leader Lucy Mcgregor (GBR), Anne Le Berre (GBR), Skudina (RUS) and Tunnicliffe (USA).

They will meet tomorrow in the Gold round robin to decide on the seeding for the quarter finals and will be joined by the top two from the repechage round. It will be the last chance for Claire Leroy (FRA), number two in the world, to take a place among the top eight.

In the RS:X, yesterday's leaders comforted their lead with one more race won by both Piotr Myszka (POL) and Bryony Shaw (GBR). With four races completed in both groups, the RS:X men will race their final series on Wednesday in Gold and Silver fleets.

Only three races are counted in the Lasers divided into three groups. A fourth race has been sailed for two groups and will be caught up by the third tomorrow morning.
Olympic Champion Paul Goodison (Skandia team GBR) took the lead with one point over Athens Silver medallist, Andreas Geritzer (AUT) on equal points with Javier Hernandez (ESP), winner of the Trofeo Sofia Mapfre in Palma.

470 Mens - 2010 SOF Hyeres - Guillaume Durand

Susana Romero (ESP) conserves her top position in the Laser Radial, while Spanish team mate Fatima Reyes won the day's only race, to climb into fourth place overall.

Sharing the course with the Laser radial is the Finn fleet. Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO), last year's winner and European Champion, won the race, only the second in the series so far. Not a good race for nine sailors penalised with a black flag at the start. This penalty took the lead away from Zach Railey (USA) now in 25th place. It was the second black flag for Austrian Florian Raudaschl!

While three races have been sailed in the 49er for the sailors in the yellow group, the blue group stayed ashore. The results are only counting two races. Young Belgium team of Yannick Lefebvre and Matthieu Janssens lead the rankings with a six points score.

The top three have increased their lead in the men 470. French pair Charbonnier and Meyer-Dieu are on equal points with Mantis and Kagialis (GRE). Anton Dahlberg and Sebastian Ostling place in third position after winning today's race.

In the women division, the two races overall gives the lead to Japanese sailors Ai Kondo and Wakako Tabata after they won the today's race.

Guillaume Florent and Pascal Rambeau (FRA) won today's race and are placed first in only their second event together in the Star.

Damien Seguin added one more win to his score while Helena Lucas remains in second place overall. Marcel de Veen Van, Mischa Rossena and Udo Hessels lead the Sonar fleet.

For more information, go to: sof.ffvoile.net

by Agence Effets Mer