Women's European Radial's - Paige Railey wins, Mihelic the Euro Champ

6:06 PM Thu 16 Jul 2009 GMT

'Paige Railey' Luther Carpenter

The outcome of the Women's European Laser Radial Championship in Denmark hung in the balance until the very end. It has been a shifty and unpredictable regatta every day on the ever-changing waters of The Sound between Denmark and Sweden, but most sailors believed today was the hardest of all.

In the end, Paige Railey held on to her lead to win the Open European Championship. Being American, she did not qualify for the European title, which went to Tina Mihelic of Croatia.

In the first race of the gold fleet finals, Poland's Ewa Makowska and the early leaders found themselves dumped to the bottom of the pile. Meanwhile, some of the contenders for the European Championship who had been languishing in the back few of the 48-boat gold fleet now found themselves fighting for the front.

Among the lucky ones to find new breeze with a massive right-hand wind shift were the reigning World Champion Sarah Steyaert of France, and Marit Bouwemeester of the Netherlands. Bouwemeester led for a while but Steyaert pulled through to win that heat. Railey was 20th, and so at this stage the regatta was wide open.

The first beat of the final race saw the pack on the left doing well early on, and then it swung to the pack on the right before the wind almost completely died just 200 metres before the mark.

America's Sarah Lihan found her own personal gust out of the middle of the course to lead around the mark just ahead of Railey who led the rejuvenated right-hand pack down the reaches.

By the leeward gate, Railey had pulled out to an almighty lead. Despite the wind shifts she played a good defensive game to score a resounding victory, not only in that race but in the overall points score.

Railey was delighted with the win. It's been a challenging regatta, not least for the American who has also managed to take one of her university exams over the internet during the course of this week. 'Today was really hard, the hardest day so far. In the first race, the girls in the back were almost last, the fleet was doing big flip flops,' she said. 'After that first race, the door was wide open. It was anyone's game in the second race. It was definitely 50:50, we had all split to a side, and it was which ever side was going to make it out first.'

Laser Radial European Championship -

The European title was a great reward for Tina Mihelic of Croatia, who won three races this week. She would have run Railey close for the overall title had she not forgotten to sign off after racing on the first day, for which she incurred a 10-point penalty to add on to her score.

As it was, Mihelic only beat Steyaert by 2.5 points, and only 10 points separated second place to ninth place overall. So much depended on the outcome of that final race.

Most consistent performer on the final day was Alberte Lindberg with a 10,2 score. This elevated the Dane to fourth overall, just 1 point behind Steyaert. Lindberg is not local to Copenhagen, so she was no more clued up about the local conditions than the international competitors. She won a race the previous day and said she felt more comfortable racing in the gold fleet than in qualifying. 'I love to do the final rounds, I hate the qualifying but love the finals.'

Maiken Sch?tt was the next most successful Danish sailor in 12th overall. She had scored a third place earlier in the week after her coach gave her an old glove that originally was the property of triple Olympic Champion Ben Ainslie.

After scoring a 32nd in today's first race she decided it was time to bring out the Ainslie magic again, so she stuffed the old glove down the front of her buoyancy aid. She was fifth around the first mark, then up to fourth, but dropped away to eigth at the finish.

Even so, Sch?tt felt the hand of Ainslie had worked again, and said she would be taking the glove with her to Japan, the venue of the Laser Radial World Championships in just over a week's time.

European Championship Laser Radial Women 2009

09-16 July 2009 Charlottenlund, Denmark

Final results 17:44 on July 16, 2009

Gold Fleet

Sailed: 10, Discards: 2, To count: 8, Entries: 48, Scoring system: European Laser Radial Men 2009

Rank	Tally	Fleet	Nat	SailNo	Name	Date of Birth	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5	Q6	F1	F2	F3	F4	Total	Nett
1st	157	Gold	USA	195127	Railey Paige	1987	6.0	4.0	3.0	3.0	2.0	(10.0)	(45.0)	3.0	20.0	1.0	97.0	42.0
2nd	17	Gold	CRO	188792	Mihelic Tina	1988	(17.0)	17.0 DPI	1.0	10.5	1.0	9.0	1.0	9.0	7.0	(18.0)	90.5	55.5
3rd	57	Gold	FRA	185350	Steyaert Sarah	1986	2.0	1.0	1.0	6.0	(21.0)	9.0	(49.0 OCS)	24.0	1.0	14.0	128.0	58.0
4th	23	Gold	DEN	192678	Lindberg Alberte	1987	9.0	11.0	7.0	(20.0)	(18.0)	8.0	11.0	1.0	10.0	2.0	97.0	59.0
5th	204	Gold	FIN	190609	Multala Sari	1978	1.0	4.0	16.0	2.0	4.0	(24.0)	17.0	13.0	3.0	(22.0)	106.0	60.0
6th	125	Gold	NED	195274	Bouwmeester Marit	1988	5.0	3.0	16.0	1.0	(25.0)	5.0	6.0	(38.0)	2.0	24.0	125.0	62.0
7th	126	Gold	NOR	186926	Gjerpen Cathrine	1987	1.0	(17.0)	10.0	11.0	3.0	10.0	3.0	(17.0)	14.0	10.0	96.0	62.0
8th	8	Gold	BEL	188816	Van Acker Evi	1985	11.0	1.0	17.0	3.0	4.0	(27.0)	(28.0)	2.0	8.0	17.0	118.0	63.0
9th	152	Gold	SWE	194931	Olsson Josefin	1989	11.0	17.0	2.0	15.0	5.0	(43.0)	5.0	5.0	5.0	(23.0)	131.0	65.0
10th	68	Gold	GBR	195834	Dobson Charlotte	1986	3.0	2.0	6.0	4.0	(11.0)	4.0	30.0	(34.0)	18.0	3.0	115.0	70.0
11th	12	Gold	BLR	188568	Drozdovskaya Tatiana	1978	9.0	5.0	(32.0)	4.0	3.0	5.0	4.0	26.0	19.0	(49.0 DNF)	156.0	75.0
12th	26	Gold	DEN	192677	Sch?tt Maiken	1988	12.0	6.0	12.0	6.0	(19.0)	3.0	10.0	22.0	(32.0)	8.0	130.0	79.0
13th	134	Gold	POL	194948	Deberny Katarzyna	1980	3.0	5.0	21.0	12.0	(27.0)	2.0	21.0	16.0	4.0	(49.0 BFD)	160.0	84.0
14th	3	Gold	AUS	193378	King Gabrielle	1990	5.0	15.0	5.0	(25.0)	2.0	18.0	22.0	12.0	(24.0)	6.0	134.0	85.0
15th	128	Gold	NZL	194947	Winther Sara	1981	7.0	24.0	2.0	5.0	16.0	(49.0 BFD)	2.0	7.0	27.0	(49.0 BFD)	188.0	90.0
16th	20	Gold	CZE	192635	Fenclova Veronika	1981	12.0	19.0	6.0	(22.0)	8.0	6.0	15.0	20.0	(35.0)	7.0	150.0	93.0
17th	78	Gold	GER	194761	Goltz Franziska	1985	10.0	14.0	(31.0)	5.0	5.0	7.0	(34.0)	15.0	13.0	26.0	160.0	95.0
18th	38	Gold	ESP	192692	Reyes Lucia	1987	2.0	14.0	4.0	2.0	16.0	(23.0)	19.0	8.0	(47.0)	34.0	169.0	99.0
19th	37	Gold	ESP	192689	Reyes Fatima	1987	4.0	(21.0)	20.0	9.5	1.0	3.0	24.0	33.0	6.0	(37.0)	158.5	100.5
20th	35	Gold	ESP	182149	Cebrian Alicia	1983	4.0	2.0	26.0	7.0	(49.0 BFD)	7.0	8.0	19.0	(46.0)	29.0	197.0	102.0
21st	56	Gold	FRA	191336	de Turckheim Sophie	1981	(49.0 BFD)	16.0	14.0	1.0	(49.0 BFD)	2.0	27.0	6.0	43.0	4.0	211.0	113.0
22nd	133	Gold	POL	194841	Makowska Ewa	1990	8.0	(31.0)	3.0	14.0	7.0	1.0	37.0	(41.0)	17.0	27.0	186.0	114.0
23rd	90	Gold	GRE	194850	Kravarioti Virginia	1984	10.0	18.0	25.0	9.0	(49.0 BFD)	19.0	(44.0)	11.0	16.0	15.0	216.0	123.0
24th	106	Gold	ISR	192666	Edelman Nufar	1982	15.0	6.0	4.0	14.0	22.0	(37.0)	14.0	(30.0)	29.0	25.0	196.0	129.0
25th	83	Gold	GER	188817	Fasselt Lisa	1988	8.0	12.0	(36.0)	15.0	22.0	15.0	29.0	(36.0)	9.0	19.0	201.0	129.0
26th	65	Gold	GBR	192440	Young Alison	1987	17.0	20.0	19.0	12.0	18.0	(29.0)	7.0	18.0	21.0	(38.0)	199.0	132.0
27th	48	Gold	FIN	188375	Tenkanen Tuula	1990	(26.0)	13.0	8.0	7.0	24.0	6.0	20.0	39.0	(45.0)	16.0	204.0	133.0
28th	158	Gold	USA	181272	Lihan Sarah	1988	(49.0 BFD)	13.0	30.0	13.0	12.0	28.0	(35.0)	4.0	25.0	9.0	218.0	134.0
29th	156	Gold	USA	181722	Haeger Anne	1990	21.0	22.0	9.0	(31.0)	6.0	13.0	41.0	(46.0)	12.0	13.0	214.0	137.0
30th	64	Gold	GBR	195221	Brewster Andrea	1982	6.0	9.0	(15.0)	8.0	8.0	13.0	31.0	32.0	(37.0)	32.0	191.0	139.0
31st	256	Gold	USA	182841	Dennis Claire	1991	(29.0)	(28.0)	20.0	16.0	9.0	16.0	23.0	23.0	22.0	11.0	197.0	140.0
32nd	123	Gold	NED	182102	Blom Claire	1987	7.0	8.0	(35.0)	13.0	26.0	32.0	9.0	27.0	28.0	(49.0 BFD)	234.0	150.0
33rd	110	Gold	ITA	194433	Clapcich Francesca	1988	(21.0)	7.0	15.0	9.5	11.0	1.0	42.0	25.0	40.0	(49.0 BFD)	220.5	150.5
34th	24	Gold	DEN	192694	Hall Cathrine	1990	25.0	12.0	(32.0)	18.0	6.0	8.0	12.0	35.0	39.0	(49.0 DNF)	236.0	155.0
35th	72	Gold	GBR	195123	Snellgrove Hannah	1990	22.0	8.0	5.0	16.0	(32.0)	14.0	(46.0)	21.0	41.0	33.0	238.0	160.0
36th	27	Gold	DEN	192693	Gunni Sarah	1990	(28.0)	19.0	13.0	10.5	(49.0 DNS)	24.0	13.0	28.0	49.0 DNE	5.0	238.5	161.5
37th	39	Gold	ESP	189285	Gallego Duran Marina	1983	19.0	24.0	8.0	23.0	7.0	(27.0)	25.0	48.0	11.0	(49.0 DNF)	241.0	165.0
38th	74	Gold	GER	194745	Helbig Anke	1988	14.0	(27.0)	11.0	26.0	25.0	18.0	26.0	14.0	(34.0)	31.0	226.0	165.0
39th	11	Gold	BEL	192755	Maes Laura	1988	18.0	22.0	28.0	17.0	20.0	(49.0 DSQ)	18.0	(43.0)	31.0	12.0	258.0	166.0
40th	102	Gold	IRL	195100	Hanna Debbie	1983	16.0	23.0	22.0	19.0	(28.0)	4.0	38.0	29.0	(44.0)	20.0	243.0	171.0
41st	67	Gold	GBR	194448	Bassadone Christina	1981	(49.0 BFD)	10.0	18.0	27.0	10.0	12.0	(43.0)	40.0	33.0	21.0	263.0	171.0
42nd	100	Gold	IRL	190587	Murphy Annalise	1990	(32.0)	10.0	31.0	8.0	21.0	28.0	(49.0 OCS)	10.0	26.0	40.0	255.0	174.0
43rd	136	Gold	POL	195305	Szymczyk Natalia	1985	20.0	9.0	33.0	21.0	20.0	(37.0)	32.0	(44.0)	15.0	28.0	259.0	178.0
44th	132	Gold	POL	194843	Weinzieher Anna	1990	15.0	15.0	27.0	20.0	17.0	(30.0)	16.0	(45.0)	30.0	39.0	254.0	179.0
45th	258	Gold	USA	183905	Billing Emily	1991	16.0	(41.0)	38.0	23.0	15.0	12.0	(40.0)	37.0	23.0	30.0	275.0	194.0
46th	153	Gold	SWE	192262	Sigvardsdotter Sara	1990	13.0	27.0	12.0	28.0	9.0	(39.0)	33.0	(42.0)	38.0	35.0	276.0	195.0
47th	135	Gold	POL	191833	Tylinska Katarzyna	1982	23.0	18.0	17.0	17.0	(38.0)	23.0	36.0	31.0	36.0	(49.0 BFD)	288.0	201.0
48th	113	Gold	LTU	195203	Mileviciute Ausra	1988	26.0	16.0	(37.0)	28.0	15.0	11.0	39.0	(47.0)	42.0	36.0	297.0	213.0

Silver Fleet

Sailed: 10, Discards: 2, To count: 8, Entries: 48, Scoring system: European Laser Radial Men 2009

Rank	Tally	Fleet	Nat	SailNo	Name	Date of Birth	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5	Q6	F1	F2	F3	F4	Total	Nett
1st	139	Silver	POR	192660	Carmo Sara	1986	(49.0 BFD)	3.0	9.0	19.0	(49.0 BFD)	31.0	4.0	1.0	4.0	17.0	186.0	88.0
2nd	127	Silver	NOR	186399	Enger Eide Marthe	1989	(37.0)	30.0	10.0	24.0	34.0	(41.0)	15.0	10.0	6.0	4.0	211.0	133.0
3rd	105	Silver	IRL	192697	Brien Tiffany	1990	23.0	26.0	(34.0)	18.0	(49.0 BFD)	20.0	16.0	27.0	5.0	7.0	225.0	142.0
4th	80	Silver	GER	192349	Scheel Julia	1988	27.0	(35.0)	14.0	26.0	29.0	21.0	(49.0 BFD)	4.0	3.0	19.0	227.0	143.0
5th	195	Silver	NOR	194133	Uthaug Natcha	1991	24.0	37.0	21.0	29.0	(49.0 BFD)	(39.0)	9.0	9.0	12.0	9.0	238.0	150.0
6th	151	Silver	SWE	189017	Kuikka Fina	1989	19.0	11.0	29.0	(41.0)	23.0	(49.0 BFD)	22.0	7.0	34.0	6.0	241.0	151.0
7th	73	Silver	GBR	195207	Chapman Rosie	1987	(41.0)	31.0	11.0	25.0	30.0	29.0	25.0	2.0	(39.0)	3.0	236.0	156.0
8th	71	Silver	GBR	194680	Diamond Hannah	1990	(35.0)	(35.0)	24.0	29.0	10.0	16.0	32.0	13.0	25.0	8.0	227.0	157.0
9th	25	Silver	DEN	192669	Just Emsvang Line	1990	30.0	(38.0)	(40.0)	27.0	19.0	38.0	1.0	5.0	29.0	10.0	237.0	159.0
10th	76	Silver	GER	188510	Bauermeister Chris	1990	25.0	36.0	7.0	21.0	34.0	(44.0)	8.0	6.0	28.0	(49.0 BFD)	258.0	165.0
11th	147	Silver	SUI	194312	Luther Manon	1989	27.0	33.0	23.0	(38.0)	13.0	14.0	12.0	14.0	30.0	(49.0 BFD)	253.0	166.0
12th	154	Silver	UKR	179288	Gafenko Anstasiia	1988	31.0	(33.0 DPI)	23.0	31.0	14.0	22.0	13.0	32.0	(33.0)	1.0	233.0	167.0
13th	164	Silver	ISR	185736	Ben-horin Souffa	1991	18.0	25.0	27.0	(49.0 OCS)	(36.0)	26.0	24.0	18.0	2.0	28.0	253.0	168.0
14th	66	Silver	FRA	193790	Bolou Marie	1992	13.0	29.0	(40.0)	35.0	32.0	22.0	27.0	12.0	9.0	(49.0 BFD)	268.0	179.0
15th	46	Silver	FIN	188349	B?ckstr?m Lynn	1989	35.0	26.0	18.0	(44.0)	36.0	20.0	3.0	19.0	(38.0)	25.0	264.0	182.0
16th	86	Silver	GER	185663	Uecker Martje	1986	20.0	(46.0)	19.0	34.0	31.0	(35.0)	18.0	30.0	8.0	22.0	263.0	182.0
17th	142	Silver	RUS	194127	Shnitko Svetlana	1987	31.0	(39.0)	(38.0)	33.0	30.0	31.0	21.0	11.0	14.0	12.0	260.0	183.0
18th	75	Silver	FRA	185561	Michon Pernelle	1993	29.0	28.0	13.0	(30.0)	29.0	21.0	20.0	(36.0)	11.0	33.0	250.0	184.0
19th	93	Silver	HUN	183532	Kare Reka	1988	(49.0 BFD)	25.0	25.0	36.0	(49.0 BFD)	30.0	26.0	20.0	16.0	13.0	289.0	191.0
20th	101	Silver	IRL	190583	Murphy Claudine	1986	42.0	21.0	34.0	22.0	35.0	(49.0 BFD)	17.0	3.0	21.0	(49.0 BFD)	293.0	195.0
21st	112	Silver	LAT	192457	Aile Anna	1990	(36.0)	34.0	36.0	35.0	14.0	19.0	35.0	(39.0)	17.0	20.0	285.0	210.0
22nd	82	Silver	FRA	194387	Gadel Aliz?e	1992	39.0	20.0	(46.0)	(45.0)	39.0	43.0	11.0	31.0	10.0	18.0	302.0	211.0
23rd	109	Silver	ITA	192309	Sassetti Bianca	1989	41.0	(44.0)	39.0	32.0	23.0	33.0	(49.0 BFD)	16.0	13.0	16.0	306.0	213.0
24th	149	Silver	SWE	183967	Jonsson Cecilia	1990	14.0	29.0	33.0	30.0	28.0	(36.0)	(49.0 BFD)	8.0	24.0	49.0 BFD	300.0	215.0
25th	54	Silver	FRA	193553	Riou Am?lie	1992	34.0	34.0	(42.0)	24.0	(37.0)	17.0	37.0	21.0	20.0	31.0	297.0	218.0
26th	104	Silver	GBR	195159	Butterfield Sarah	1992	33.0	40.0	28.0	(42.0)	26.0	15.0	14.0	28.0	35.0	(49.0 BFD)	310.0	219.0
27th	181	Silver	LTU	189539	Plerpaite Saima	1991	30.0	30.0	22.0	(41.0)	(44.0)	25.0	41.0	38.0	1.0	34.0	306.0	221.0
28th	36	Silver	ESP	188318	Benavent Ascension	1985	38.0	33.0	(41.0)	32.0	(49.0 BFD)	25.0	5.0	15.0	37.0	38.0	313.0	223.0
29th	79	Silver	GER	185202	Ennulat Janine	1990	34.0	32.0	(46.0)	34.0	41.0	11.0	36.0	24.0	15.0	(42.0 DPI)	315.0	227.0
30th	42	Silver	EST	180326	Luik Anne-mari	1990	22.0	(42.0)	42.0	37.0	38.0	(49.0 BFD)	31.0	17.0	26.0	15.0	319.0	228.0
31st	141	Silver	RUS	181486	Maksutova Ksenia	1989	28.0	(47.0)	29.0	(45.0)	33.0	40.0	6.0	33.0	44.0	24.0	329.0	237.0
32nd	92	Silver	HUN	186702	Heged?s Fanni	1989	32.0	32.0	24.0	37.0	27.0	(42.0)	(49.0 BFD)	40.0	27.0	23.0	333.0	242.0
33rd	43	Silver	EST	184768	Pohlak Anna	1993	40.0	(43.0)	41.0	(43.0)	13.0	38.0	28.0	35.0	19.0	32.0	332.0	246.0
34th	96	Silver	IND	185820	Rau Rohini	1986	38.0	(42.0)	(43.0)	40.0	33.0	32.0	2.0	41.0	36.0	26.0	333.0	248.0
35th	124	Silver	NED	176869	Heerkens Debby	1985	(39.0)	37.0	(44.0)	39.0	31.0	33.0	29.0	22.0	23.0	35.0	332.0	249.0
36th	87	Silver	GER	185569	Steiner Paula	1990	33.0	(45.0)	45.0	39.0	37.0	(46.0)	19.0	23.0	18.0	39.0	344.0	253.0
37th	182	Silver	LTU	189536	Andrulyte Viktorija	1992	(49.0 DNS)	46.0	37.0	44.0	42.0	34.0	42.0	(47.0)	7.0	5.0	353.0	257.0
38th	84	Silver	GER	194751	Rattemeyer Lisa	1990	(36.0)	36.0	26.0	33.0	12.0	36.0	(49.0 BFD)	26.0	49.0 OCS	44.0 DPI	347.0	262.0
39th	63	Silver	FRA	190675	Fauthoux Sandy	1993	37.0	(40.0)	30.0	36.0	24.0	26.0	23.0	37.0	(49.0 DNC)	49.0 DNC	351.0	262.0
40th	55	Silver	FRA	190562	Abadie Charlotte	1983	40.0	38.0	(43.0)	42.0	40.0	(44.0)	38.0	34.0	22.0	11.0	352.0	265.0
41st	121	Silver	NED	194693	Righolt Amy	1987	24.0	43.0	(44.0)	43.0	(49.0 BFD)	41.0	7.0	29.0	43.0	36.0	359.0	266.0
42nd	148	Silver	SWE	185172	Bristulf Nor?n Caroline	1990	(43.0)	41.0	39.0	38.0	17.0	40.0	39.0	25.0	(49.0 OCS)	30.0	361.0	269.0
43rd	144	Silver	SLO	193700	Krasevac Marusa	1990	43.0	45.0	(47.0)	46.0	43.0	17.0	10.0	45.0	31.0	(49.0 BFD)	376.0	280.0
44th	242	Silver	SUI	174062	Testuz Fiona	1992	42.0	(48.0)	35.0	(46.0)	45.0	35.0	33.0	42.0	40.0	14.0	380.0	286.0
45th	77	Silver	GER	185657	Marchot Caroline	1990	44.0	44.0	(47.0)	(47.0)	40.0	34.0	30.0	43.0	42.0	21.0	392.0	298.0
46th	2	Silver	AUT	184973	Dapeci Catherine	1993	45.0	39.0	48.0	40.0	(49.0 BFD)	(49.0 BFD)	49.0 BFD	46.0	32.0	2.0	399.0	301.0
47th	45	Silver	FIN	185241	Gustafsson Johanna	1962	44.0	(47.0)	45.0	47.0	39.0	42.0	34.0	(48.0)	45.0	37.0	428.0	333.0
48th	85	Silver	GER	188334	Stegemann Laura	1990	45.0	48.0	(49.0 DNS)	(49.0 DNS)	35.0	45.0	40.0	44.0	41.0	40.0	436.0	338.0