International 420 World Championship: Final Series races began today.

10:49 AM Mon 3 Aug 2009 GMT

'International 420 Class World Championship' Gianni Tomazzoni Click Here to view large photo

Riva del Garda...Sunday, August 2, 2009...Intense competition today for both the 420 Class Men's Championship and also the 420 Women's Championship.

Winds were blowing fairly strongly all day, particularly on the Gold Group's regatta course. Shifts and fluctuations continued all day; windspeeds reached 10 metres-per-second (20 knots) during the final races. The Men's 420 Championship ran three races; two races run for the Women's 420 Championship.

International 420 Class World Championship - Gianni Tomazzoni Click Here to view large photo

Antonios Tsimpoukelis and George Karonis (GRE 53161) top the overall ranks in the 420 Class Gold Group. In second position is Giovanni Meloni and Alessandro Gemini (ITA 53838). Ben Palmer and Konrad Weaver (GBR 53116) hold third position in the provisional overall rankings; Davide Ortelli and Leonardo Zaggia (ITA 53583) are in fourth.

Among the Gold Group's 20 top-ranking crews, eight are Italian. First-place finishes in today's races for Antonios Tsimpoukelis and George Karonis (GRE 53161), Davide Vignone and Matteo Ramian (ITA 53586) and and also for Phil Sparks and Ben Gratton (GBR 52759). Nicol? Briante and Giacomo Fossati (ITA 53870) (scores 44, 4, 19) are in eleventh position; Federico Maria Maccari and Rocco Vitali (ITA 53737) (15, 36, 6) in fourteenth.

Fifteenth position in the ranks for Leonardo Dubbini and Federico Lovison (ITA 53636) (scores 6, 26, 31). Eighteenth position in the ranks for Federico and Carlo Cattaneo (ITA 53693) (16, 19, 50); twentieth position in the temporary ranks for Francesco Falcetelli and Gabriele Franciolini (ocs, 12, 30).

International 420 Class World Championship - Gianni Tomazzoni Click Here to view large photo

End-of-day disputes and protests caused some last-minute reshuffling to the scores and rankings of the 420 Class Women's Gold Group.

Both of these protests had to do with buoy right-of-way issues and disqualifications. Martine Grael and Daniela Adler (BRA 51822) had, previous to the rank's adjustments, held the top-ranking overall position. They found themselves later in fifteenth.

Similarly, Camilla Marino and Claudia Soricelli (ITA 53844) had previously held third position in the rankings; they ended the day in eighteenth.

Alessandra Maloney and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher (NZL 52576) (scores 6,6) command the Womens' 420 Class Championship provisional overall rankings following today's two Final Series races.

Second position goes to for Carlota Massana and Anna Lobo (ESP 53111) (12, 3). Ranking third are Nadine Bohm and Carolina Tiegle (GER 53127): winners of two of today's races. Meanwhile, among the Womens' 420 Italian crews, Cristina Celli and Silvia Morini (ITA 53024) (scores 10, 22) are followed immediately by Federica Wetzl and Marta Parladori (ITA 53647) (scores 29, 5).

New Zealand's Logan Dunning Beck and Ben Goodwin (NZL 52393) (scores 1, 11, 2) command the top spot of the Mens' 420 Silver Group rankings. Meanwhile, in the Women's 420 Silver Group, the top spot is now held by Amy Seabright and Batrina Brewer (GBR 51833).

by Antonio Sueri