10:27 PM Sun 19 Apr 2009 GMT
The 41st Semaine Olympique Fran?aise, fourth event in the ISAF Sailing World Cup started with a long day on the water. The light and unstable conditions provided for tricky racing for the 505 teams engaged in the event. Racing was delayed on shore waiting for the sea breeze to wrinkle the bay in Hy?res. Light and shifty from the south east, the wind gradually shifted to the west.
2007 ISAF World champions, Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes (GBR) mastered the light and shifty winds, winning both races in their 49er group to place in the lead for their first Sailing World Cup event. After a sixth place at the Princesa Sofia Mapfre trophy in Palma, the German duo of Lennart Briesenick and Morten Massmann collected top three results to place second overall in front of Morgan Lagravi?re and Yann Rocherieux (FRA).
Race winners in the other 49er group were taken by Princesa Sofia Mapfre Trophy winners, Pietro and Gianfranco Sibello, and young British team of Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign.
ISAF Sailing World Cup leaders in the 470 Women, Henriette Koch and Lene Sommer (DEN) collected near perfect results with a first and a second. "We have found it very difficult today, with the wind changing all the time in direction and speed. We were happy to be able to keep our focus on the shifts even if it was well passed our dinner time!" explain the Danes. "Of course these are only two races and many things can happen this week."
The second race was taken by Sophie Weguelin and Sophie Ainsworth from England, fourth overall behind Palma winners the Austrians Sylvia Vogl / Carolina Flatscher, and Gil Cohen / Dana Mamriev (ISR).
A second and a first for the newly formed team of Matias Buhler and Felix Steiger (SUI) place the Swiss in the lead in the 470 Men's fleet. Harada Ryunosuke and Yoshida Yugo from Japan are in second position overall in front of Gabrio Zandona associated for the first time to 21 years old, Eduardo Mancinelli (ITA) who already proved successful in the 420 by winning the European title in 2007. The Semaine Olympique Fran?aise marks the start of the London campaign for the top three teams.
ISAF Sailing World Cup leaders, Stuart McNay and Graham Biehl (USA) won the first place and are standing in 4th place overall.
After their first regatta together in Miami, the new British Star team of John Gimson and Ed Greig are leading the six Star boats fleet. Despite opposite backgrounds, Gimson comes from the Tornado and Greig from the Finn, they prove to be well adapted to their new support, winning the first race and placing third in the next.
The day proved long and tedious for the RS:X and Lasers who have experienced long delays, cancellations and postponements. Maayam Davidovich (ISR) in the RS:X women and Veronika Fenclova (CZE) in the Laser radial took the bullet in the only race sailed in their class. Liwei Wu (CHN) and Piotr Myszka (POL) won their group in the RS:X Men.
The Croatian team is having a promising debut in Hy?res with Luka Radelic, Tonci Stipanovic and Aron Lolic taking second, third and fourth respectively in the Laser Class. Julio Alsogaray from Argentina finishes first and third taking the lead.
Paul Goodison (GBR) is fourth overall, after scoring two fourths, while dual World Champion, Australia's Tom Slingsby scored a 21 and an 11th , to be back in 34th place.
In the Finn class, World number 1, Gasper Vincec (SLO) is on equal points with Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic from Croatia. They win a race each and score a second place.
Thierry Schmitter continues on his good form. After winning convincingly the Princesa Sofia Trophy in Palma, the Dutch takes the only race sailed in the 2.4m.
The day ended late but the sailors were cheered up once on shore with a seafood pasta party!
Unfortunately, this is not the end of these difficult racing conditions, as the same shall be expected on Monday!
by
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