The Final battle has begun in earnest at the RS Feva World Championships with Gold and Silver fleets decided on day 1 of the qualifying series, day 2 having been erased from the memory banks through wind and monsoon.

Britain's Tim Gratton and Chris Taylor have set the consistency standard so far scoring 1,6,6 Tuesday to lead by seven points from the Swedish girls, Sofia Engstr?m and Frida Langenius, who had a 3,1,14 day. The post qualifying leaders, Italians Edoardo Semenzato and Ludovico Bonsi dropped to third, two points behind the Swedes.

Conditions were tough due the variable wind from 18 to 10 knots and back. Also the rainwater from the aforementioned monsoon seems to take 12 to 14 hours to get of the mountains and into the bay/fjord. This caused a river to exist in
the sea that flowed at anything up to 2 knots but with diminishing intensity throughout the day.

First out of bed this morning were Jack Hawkins and Duncan Bryan who just flew up the race track. Unfortunately for them the ever alert jury considered that they were pumping and yellow flagged them. Jack knew the drill though - do your penalty immediately! So a quick 360 later (the usual penalty in the Fevas) he carried on and won. That's when it got bad. A yellow flag could only be exhonerated with a 720 - so DSQ was what went on the score sheet.

Lawrence Gibbons and Henry Forward must also at some point have woken up and spotted an opportunity. With the bulk of the fleet mustering by the committee boat they timed a perfect port tack flyer from the pin. A 300 yard lead at the weather mark in the last race of the day would take some catching up. And so it proved with only the Italian Bellico siblings beating them.

Dosiest start of the day goes to the Swedish rockets Sofia Engstrom and Frida Langenius who with a big lead in one race managed to head of to the wrong windward mark on the outer loop trapezoid course! That only ignited their afterburners and set the championship on its way to war zone status.

The Swedes are currently in second having survived a protest from the championship leaders. This will become interesting! Tim Gratton and Chris Taylor have set the consistency standard so far scoring 1,6,6 today to lead by 7 points from the Swedish girls who had a 3,1,14 day.

The post qualifying leaders, Italians Edoardo Semenzato and Ludovico Bonsi dropped to third 2 points behind the Swedes. Making up a foursome to have stolen a march on the others is Alex Mothersele and Hamish Ellis (GBR) who are two points further adrift than the Italians. They had a solid day with three top 7 results.

So after the four musketeers there is a bit of a gap but they will all still fancy their chances of podium finishes but work is necessary. The top 10 are rounded out by Marini/Balestrero (ITA), Harrison/Lyden (IRL), McIntyre/Roberts (GBR), Bellico/Bellico (ITA), Kent/Childs (GBR) and Bolingbroke/Page (GBR).

The top Dutch boat is 36th - Maxime Jonker/ Dewi Couvert who are just ahead of the 2 top Danish boats Jeppe Christensen/Catrine Borgsted Larsen in 37th and MathiasHansen/ Malthe Friis Glavind.

The Silver fleet is looking pretty competitive as well with three Swedish boats claiming the podium slots at the end the day. Rasmus Persson and Kristoffer Lindh are having a go at running away this title having established a 15 point gap at the end of the day. Thomas and Oliver Uziel in turn have 9 points over 3rd placed Jonatan Bergstrom and Marcus Palsson.

It becomes tight thereafter with Mark and Myles Kelly (IRL) only 3 points back and the confusingly named Charlie Williams and William Nicholls only the 1 behind them. Still place for glory though with Hannah Maunder/Bekki Partington (GBR) getting a bullet as well as Fredrik Hvalso/ Soren Steenstrup Zeeburg (Den)!

The Fevas, who have 105 from 10 nations, at this Gottskar race week will have to breath in a bit over the next few days to ensure there is enough space for its baby sister the RS Terra of whom some 48 are turning up their first World Championships following getting ISAF International Recognition Status last autumn.

Their event follows on directly after Feva Champs and looks to become quuite a cosmopolitan do. Boats are entered from SWE, DEN, NOR, GBR, GER, TUR, ITA. It'll be fun watching these nippers strut their stuff!

RS Feva - Gold Fleet - Leading positions

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