Sailing her way to Athens

Yachting Victoria, Monday, 19 April 2004

Victoria's Sarah Blanck has claimed the Silver Medal at the prestigious Princess Sofia Regatta in Spain.

Simone Green, Saturday, 10 April 2004

The excellent wind conditions (around 13 knots) on the final day of racing at the 35^th Princess Sofia Regatta, in Spain, proved very beneficial to the Australian crews competing in the regatta.

The top Australian crews in each of the classes where Australia was represented, finished their final races on a high, all escalating up the leader board.

The best overall Australian performance came from Europe sailor Sarah Blanck (AIS/VIS) who has settled right back into form during her first regatta of the European season.

Since winning Sail Melbourne in December 2003, Blanck has been in Australia, New Zealand and the US training with her new Yachting Australia coach Erik Stibbe and training partner Meg Gaillard (USA) (who finished just behind Blanck in 3rd).

Blanck received silver at the medal presentation having moved from 11^th place on day one, to 2^nd place on the final day of racing.

Four races were sailed in the 470 women’s fleet, thus giving Jenny Armstrong (AIS/NSWIS) and Belinda Stowell (AIS/WAIS) a chance to excel. A 16^th, two bullets (1^st places) and a 6^th, moved the Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medallists from 8^th to 4^th in one hit.

'We had an up and down regatta, but finished with a great last day winning two races,' Stowell reported from Palma, Spain.

'A disqualification for a measurement error in race 8 cost us 2^nd place, but Jenny and I are happy with 4^th,' Stowell continued.

The final day of racing for current world champions Darren Bundock (AIS/NSWIS) and John Forbes (AIS/NSWIS), moved the pair from 7^th to 6^th overall.

Receiving two disqualifications (BFD and OCS) during the regatta made it difficult to finish in a top three position. The Tornado class were only granted one drop and therefore the pair were forced to carry one lot of maximum points.

Bundock and Forbes will now compete in the Tornado World Championship, where Forbes will be aiming to break his own record - winning seven Tornado world championships titles.

Other 2004 Olympic representatives finished just outside the top 10. 470 men Nathan Wilmot (AIS/NSWIS) and Malcolm Page (AIS/NSWIS) finished 12^th overall, the Australian Yngling crew finished 15^th and Anthony Nossiter picked up nine places to finish 17^th.

Sailing in their first international regatta together, Elise Rechichi (WA) has teamed up with Rike Ziegelmayer and Mathew Belcher (QLD) with Nick Behrens (TAS). The 470 girls finished with some promising results to take 24^th place overall, while Belcher and Behrens also sailing in the 470 class, finished 25^th.

Final results

Europe

1. Siren Sundby (NOR) (1,20,1,2,1,1,20,3,4,1,12,4) 30pts
2. Sarah Blanck (AUS) (20,7,1,5,5,11,1,10,2,5,6,30) 52pts
3. Meg Gaillard (USA) (7,13,5,1,1,6,3,4,1,18,21,17) 58pts

470 Women

1. Sofia Bekatorov/Emilia Tsolvea (GRE) (5,4,12,4,5,BFD,17,4,2,5,3,3)471pts
2. Vladlena Ilienko/Natalia Gaponovich (RUS) (3,18,15,2,10,3,8,17,4,OCS,8,2) 72pts
3. Natalia Via-Defresne/Sandra Azon (ESP) (15,OCS,7,1,1,9,15,2,8,6,12,18) 76pts
4. Jenny Armstrong/Belinda Stowell (AUS) (16,1,25,17,15,5,2,DSQ,16,1,1,6) 80pts
24. Elise Rechichi/Rike Ziegelmayer (AUS) (19,13,27,22,18,20,29,5,27,22,13,13) 172pts

Tornado

1. John Lovell/Charlie Ogletree (7,1,1,9,6,11,3,6,2,2) 37pts
2. Fernando Echvarri/Anton Paz (ESP) (5,8,9,18,4,2,10,5,1,5) 49pts
3. Yann Guichard/Christophe Espangnon (FRA) (14,18,DNC,4,1,18,7,12,10,1) 85pts
6. Darren Bundock/John Forbes (AUS) (9,3,4,21,BFD,1,OCS,2,4,3) 102pts

470 Men

1. Nick Rogers/Joe Glanfield (GBR) (15,22,10,6,13,3,15,5,3,3,22,1,3) 77pts
2. Johan Molund/Martin Andersson (SWE) (10,7,12,4,5,13,11,7,18,6,4,2,11) 79pts 3. Javier Conte/Juan de la Fuente (ARG) (1,1,6,4,1,12,14,13,1,9,20,21,BFD) 82pts
12. Nathan Wilmot/Malcolm Page (AUS) (20,1,14,17,7,5,7,3,30,DNC,17,7,4) 102pts
25. Mathew Belcher/Nick Behrens (AUS) (14,15,11,6,6,10,BFD,2115,24,5,BFD,23) 150pts

Yngling

1. Annelies Thies/Annemieke Bes/Petronella de Jong (NED) (1,4,12,2,15,13,5,3,3,1,2,12,10) 55pts
2. Alesha Thorpe/Karen Lambert/Michelle Vinsen (NZL) (3,23,6,9,9,8,2,4,16,8,7,1,4) 61pts
3. Kristen Wagner/Anna Hoell/Veronika Lochbrunner (GER) (14,3,3,5,3,2,15,5,25,3,17,9,7) 69pts
15. Nicky Bethwaite/Kristen Kosmala/Karyn Gojnich (AUS) (7,19,29,14,13,17,26,9,12,22,19,13,12) 156pts

Finn

1. Ben Ainslie (GBR) (1,1,1,1,1,1,3,14,1,DNC) 24pts
2. Marin Misura (CRO) (3,18,2,2,10,5,1,2,2,3) 30pts
3. Mateusz Kusnzierewicz (POL) (5,27,4,4,8,4,20,6,3,7) 61pts
17. Anthony Nossiter (AUS) (32,30,19,29,36,2,42,8,5,8) 167pts
35. Paul McKenzie (AUS) (39,37,35,16,17,25,50,42,19,31) 259pts

Regatta website - http://www.trofeoprincesasofia.org/dinghy/index.html