Boards Windsurfing » isaf Windsurfing

RS:X U Turn?

co.editor — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 15:00:06 +0000

Are we about to see a U-turn by the ISAF regarding RS:X?

This is what was reported yesterday on the Surfer Today website

The ISAF Events Committee has approved the “Submission 055-12″ to get Men and Women RS:X Windsurfing in the upcoming Rio 2016 Olympic Games, replacing Men and Women Kiteboarding.

The proposal made by the International Raceboard Class Association argues that kiteboarding “has not proven to be ready for inclusion in the Olympic Sailing Regatta” and was approved by the ISAF Events Committee.

This means that this radical proposal – which simply wants kiteboarders out of the Olympic Sailing events – will need at least 75% of votes at the ISAF Council meeting. Is it an extreme counterattack?

The ISAF Council is responsible for deciding the events and equipment used at the Olympic Sailing competition. The same slate is then used at the ISAF Sailing World Championships and ISAF Sailing World Cup.

The final decision will be made on the 10th November 2012. What will be the final formula? Only kiteboarding, only windsurfing or a mixed blend of sports?

Could We Yet See RS:X In Rio?

pic courtesy – ISAF Youth Worlds

Sills Nominated For ISAF Award

co.editor — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 09:16:58 +0000

Saskia Sills is hopeful that her ship will come in and she’ll pick up the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award.

The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards are the highest award a sailor can receive in recognition of his/her outstanding achievements by the world of sailing.

For the 2012 Awards there are 9 Nominees, five male and four female, but there can be only one winner in each category. The winners will be announced at the Awards Presentaion on Tuesday 6 November in Dublin, Ireland.

Inspired to take up sailing by her older brother, Saskia Sills took to windsurfing like a duck to water and has impressed on the international scene.

At her first international regatta in 2009 Sills took her inaugural world crown, the Techno 293 Under-15 World Championship at just 13-years-old. Two years later the rising starlet of windsurfing added the Under-17 title to her list of achievements.

In 2012 Sills moved up into the RS:X where unprecedented success has continued to follow her every step of the way. At only her second international RS:X regatta Sills won Under-17 gold at the RS:X European Championship and bronze overall, aged just 15.

Less than two weeks later the Brit took to Dublin Bay, Ireland for the 2012 Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship. As the second youngest sailor in the fleet and in amongst the defending champion and Youth Olympic Games gold medallist the Brit could not be touched. She came out of the blocks flying and double bullets on the opening day sent out a message to the 23-boat fleet. As the week progressed her rivals were left in her wake as she sealed a comprehensive victory.

Good luck to Saskia from us here at Boards!

Info courtesy of ISAF

Follow link for more on Sakia here

Sills - hopeful for award

ISAF RS:X Olympics 2016 Announcement

co.editor — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:54:40 +0000

An appeal against the extraction of the RS:X Olympic Windsurfing Class has gone live on the ISAF website -

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has been notified of a legal challenge by the International RS:X Class Association Ltd to the decision taken at the ISAF Council meeting in May 2012 to select Kiteboarding for the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition.

ISAF intends to fully defend the decision of the ISAF Council, which was made in accordance with the ISAF Regulations and the defined decision making processes of ISAF.ISAF expects the normal submission process to be used in order to ask Council to reconsider its decisions and therefore ISAF is extremely disappointed that this course of action has been taken, not least because responding to legal claims will incur substantial and unnecessary legal costs for ISAF and for the Class itself.

More here

ISAF

ISAF Worlds – RS:X Mens Latest

editor — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:52:52 +0000

With the medal race soon to start, check the latest from the RS:X ISAF Mens Worlds right here…

There was fast wind and equally fast windsurfing in the Men’s RS:X Gold fleet racing Saturday, with Piotr Myszka (POL), Dorian van Rijsselberghe (NED) and Przemyslaw Miarczynski (POL) filling the top three places overall.

Just one point separates world number one Myszka (24) and van Rijsselberghe (25) ahead of Sunday’s Medal race.

Race 9 and 10 on Saturday produced mixed results, and slightly shuffled the top 10.

Miarczynski, now third, swapped positions with Nimrod Mashich (ISR), now in fourth.

The first race of the day was marked by two things; a constant divide of athletes and a consistent top three that lead for much of the race.

Andreas Cariolou (GRE) took a third of the sailors to the left, while Tom Ashley (NZL) lead the remaining two thirds right.

Fifteen minutes into the race and a strong top three emerged. Ashley blazed the trail, with Piotr Myszka (POL) and Ricardo Winicki Santos (BRA) following.

After another split, Elliot Carney (GBR) sped ahead, warding off teammate Nick Dempsey while Greece’s Byron Kokkalanis was tailed by Miarczynski.

Dorian van Risselberghe appeared to be lost in the crowd for much of the race, but in a dramatic turn of events, began to overtake his rivals. First, Cariolou, then, Santos.

“I’m pretty confident – I’m wearing my lucky hat, my lucky sunglasses and my lucky undies,” van Risselberghe said this morning.

But despite van Risselberghe’s efforts, he couldn’t gain enough pace to outdo Ashley and Myszka.

Ashley spent most of the race well out in front, but Myszka caught up to cross just one second later. That win saw Ashley move from 9^th to 5o^th overall.
In race 10, no-one could come between the two Polish sailors Myszka and Miarczynski.

“It was hard on the last race; I think I’m a bit slower on the port on the upwind so I was afraid Piotr (Myszka) was going to catch me there,” Miarczynski said.

“But finally, I thought, I have nothing to lose and went on the other side – to the downwind. I was behind him on the end just before the gate and finally I got the gust and I caught him.”

Van Risselberghe once again started poorly, but in the second race of the day he didn’t recover.
“Bad luck today,” he said on returning to beach at Bathers Bay.

Similarly, Nimrod Mashich (ISR) fell short of his recent winning streak, placing 8^th and 9^thon Saturday.

The Medal Race will see another tough competition between the top three.

“I think I have already won a medal so tomorrow (Sunday) I will try and defend my first place title,” Myszka said.

The Medal Race for the Men’s RS:X World Championship is scheduled to start at 1510 local time on Centre Course on Sunday 18 December.

Medal Race competitors (subject to protest):

Piotr Myszka (POL)

Dorian van Rijsselberghe (NED)

Przemyslaw Miarczynski (POL)

Nimrod Mashich (ISR)

Tom Ashley (NZL)

Jon Paul Tobin (NZL)

Byron Kokkalanis (GRE)

Joao Rodrigues (POR)

Ivan Pastor (ESP)

Julien Bontemps (FRA)

www.perth2011.com for more

ISAF Worlds – RS:X Mens Update

editor — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:23:19 +0000

The latest from the RS:X Mens at the ISAF Worlds in Perth, for full results check the link at the bottom of the page…

Israel’s Nimrod Mashich heads the leaderboard after four races in Men’s RS:X at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships with two top ranked Polish sailors, including the world No. 1, just four points astern.

Blue fleet

The second day of the RS:X races began with Dorian van Rijsselberghe (NED) leading a good distance ahead of the blue fleet in race 3, until a lapse of attention led him off track.

Dropping from a clear first place down to seventh after the third marker, he wound up in 15^th position. Rijsselberghe redeemed himself in race 4 however, coming first, 15 seconds ahead of Tom Ashley (NZL).

Race 3 went to Zachary Plavsic (CAN), the first win at the Perth 2011 World Championships for the Canadian RS:X team.

“It is definitely rewarding,” he said. Plavsic placed 11^th in race 4, explaining “It’s a game of snakes and ladders out there.”

Race 4 saw a change of course to a slalom configuration as winds crept up to 20 knots.

Despite putting up a good fight, Nicholas Dempsey (GBR) placed 13^th and 5th. “I should have won,” he said. “I had to keep stopping because of the seaweed. The conditions aren’t great either. The wind died after being pretty thick at the top and I watched them all sail past me.”

Yellow fleet

Prezemyslaw Miarczynski (POL) won race 3 today, however Nimrod Mashich (ISR) maintained his overall number one position by placing second, and winning race 4.

Mashich said: “Today was really good for my confidence and now I’m relaxed and ready to focus on the next few days.”

“Israel is doing really well in the RS:X and the 470s,” he continued. “We have a big history in our country for windsurfing. We have a big base for training and now, even though we are young, we have a good foundation.”

When asked what was driving him, he said. “I just really, really, really want to win!”

Full results: www.perth2011.com/results

ISAF Worlds – Women’s RS:X Final Day

editor — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:19:17 +0000

On the last day of the Women’s RS:X ISAF Worlds, hundreds lined the shores to witness the final medal race showdown.

Lee Korzits (ISR) is the golden girl of Women’s RS:X at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships.

Poland’s Zofia Noceti-Klepacka won the silver medal and Spain’s Marina Alabau took the bronze.

It was a battle of the three best in the world and it was also a race between three good friends in Sunday’s (11 December) Medal Race on Centre Course at Bathers Bay.

When the athletes returned to shore, Lee Korzits’ name stood for gold.

“When I go onto the water I am like a warrior, even to my friends. On the beach we are like best friends but in the water we are competing,” Korzits said.

“These girls are my team. We all won, all three of us.”

Korzits’ friend and competitor, Zofia Noceti-Klepacka (POL), said the Medal Race had been “the hardest of [her] life” but she was glad Korzits won the championship.

“I’m so happy Lee won. She is my best friend. I am happy for her and Marina. We are really good friends, sisters,” Noceti-Klepacka said.

The race, with light winds and seaweed, tested their strength and balance. The sailors had to pump furiously to get to the windward mark, but found it easier in the downward, with Maayan Davidovich (ISR) sailing ahead of her competitors to take first place.

But the win was not enough to secure her a place in the top three.

The bronze medal went to Marina Alabau (ESP), who said after the race that she knew her hard work during the week would pay off.

“It’s not been my conditions but I’ve had a really good week and I’ve pushed hard all the time to win,” Alabau said.

“I pumped and pumped until my arms were tired, and now I’m very happy to leave in third place today.”

The medal race played before a crowd of hundreds lining the breakwater, eager to catch a glimpse of the red sails.

At the grandstand, Korzits’ supporters brandished an Israeli flag, while Noceti-Klepacka’s supporters chanted her name for the duration of the race.

When the athletes came ashore, Korzits draped her flag around her shoulders and said she was ecstatic to win gold for her country.

“I’m so happy that I can stand behind my country and my flag and hear the national anthem today so far away from my home,” she said.

It was evident that the rivalry between the women was left on the water as they set off to celebrate their medals.

“I’m packing my sail away and going to get ready to party,” said Marina Alabau.

ISAF Worlds – Womens RS:X Day 3

editor — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:13:42 +0000

Day 6 Women’s RSX: Polish star sails for victory in honour of deceased friend

Poland’s Zofia Noceti-Klepacka had more on her mind than just winning RS:X races at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships on Thursday, 8 December.

Noceti-Klepacka, 25, said her turnaround from Monday’s racing, where she had a 10^th and an 18^th to winning two of Thursday’s three Gold fleet races was because of a personal tragedy.

“My head has changed. My friend died, so I was very sad. On the first day my head wasn’t in the sailing, but everyone spoke to me and told me to sail for him.

“I am sailing for him. Sometimes there are things more important than sailing,” she said.

“My first day was really bad but now I’ve recovered. Now I can fight for a medal. I feel very fast.”

Noceti-Klepacka didn’t just win races six and seven in the Gold Fleet. She smashed the opposition as she headed home by large margins, firstly in light winds and then in a moderate sea breeze.

“I was really happy with my first race today, it was really light winds, four knots. Everyone thinks I’m good in windy conditions but I’ve shown I’m also good when there are light winds.”

She said she was happy to be sailing at the top of the fleet. “I’m not scared of any conditions. If it’s light winds, medium winds or very windy conditions, I can sail everything. Top five finish for sure.”

Her results in Thursday’s racing, which included a sixth in race eight, saw her lift to third overall.

Israel’s Lee Korzits leads the Women’s RS:X competition in the ISAF Worlds on 14 points with Spain’s Marina Alabau second on 20.

Noceti-Klepacka in third place has 27 points, two clear of Great Britain’s Bryony Shaw.

France’s Charline Picon in on 30, followed by Huang Ye (CHN) on 35, Italians Laura Linares (45) and Flavia Tartaglini (52) and China’s Li Ling (56).

While the top-ranked sailors came good in the eighth race to maintain their top-10 rankings, thoughts are turning to those just outside the top grouping, which will contest Sunday’s medal shootout.

Saturday’s two races will complete the 10-race programme and one elite athlete hovering on the precipice is Italian Alessandra Sensini, the Sydney 2000 gold medallist, who is sitting in 10^th place.

World champion Blanca Manchon (ESP) is 13^th and Germany’s Moana Delle slipped from 11^th to 14^th with three double-figure races, her first of the week.

“My performance was average. I had two bad starts. The first race, there were light winds and I was on the wrong side of the course, which made it hard to catch up. I had another bad start in the second race.

“I don’t mind about conditions but 10 knots would be best and I would be most confident. I just wish for decent starts and consistency. Qualifying in the top 10 would be nice,” Delle said

In the Silver fleet, Greece’s Angeliki Skarlatou won two races after a 16^th.

ISAF Worlds – Womens RS:X Day 2

editor — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:36:33 +0000

Bryony Shaw continues to hold on to 2nd place during a challenging second day for the women’s RS:X racing.

The women’s RS:X competition opened in testing conditions on the Centre Course off Bathers Bay on Wednesday, 7 December, proving a challenge to athletes who had not experienced 15 knot winds for some days.

But after three races for both fleets, Israel’s Lee Korzits holds the lead from Bryony Shaw (GBR) and Marina Alabau (ESP).

World number one Blanca Manchon sits in thirteenth place overall and veteran windsurfers Alessandra Sensini (ITA) and Jessica Crisp (AUS) are in 15thand 16th places respectively.

Yellow Fleet

The Yellow fleet started with Europeans dominating the top five in race 3, including a surprise climb from Marina Alabau (ESP), who shot from 12^th place to first.

The star of Monday’s racing – Lee Korzits (ISR) – maintained her stronghold in second place, only eight seconds behind Alabau.

But Alabau’s win was only temporary. She ended race four 18 seconds behind Korzits, the winner.

Race 5 saw some different athletes take the lead, including Sigrid Rondelez (BEL), Laerke Buhl-Hansen (DEN) and Zhu Hali (CHN).

Blue Fleet

Race 3 saw a battle between some of the biggest names in women’s windsurfing.

Bryony Shaw (GBR) claimed victory over world number one Blanca Manchon (ESP) who came second, with Alessandra Sensini (ITA) third.

Also right up there were Charline Picon (FRA) and Maayan Davidovich (ISR) in fourth and fifth places.

A wind shift in race five saw a dividing line of sailors. While Shaw continued to starboard, Picon made a daring move in the opposite direction. Blanca Manchon followed Picon, a move which paid off handsomely with a win for Manchon.

The world number one was in good spirits after the race, vowing her change of tactics had been a success.

“Before race three, I spoke to my coach to work out a plan for the wind direction and considered the possible options. I was the only one who saw the wind in the direction it was in, so I just had to concentrate on my mark and get ahead,” Manchon said.

Women’s RS:X competitors will be back on the Centre Course at 1200 local time Thursday.

Sarah-Quita Nominated for 2011 World Sailor of the Year

Duncan — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:45:16 +0000

Sarah-Quita in action at home on Aruba, by JC / PWA

In under a week ISAF and Rolex will welcome sailors and guests to the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2011 in Puerto Rico.   The ceremony will be held in the historic Cuartel de Ballaja, a former military barracks in the mid-19th century, and an impressive backdrop to a night that welcomes some of the best sailing talent the world has seen.   This year there are four female and five male nominees who have been shortlisted for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year award based on their achievements during the qualifying period of 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011.

The 2011 nominees are:

Female

Dee Caffari (GBR) – Record Breaking Round The World Yachtswoman

Sarah-Quita Offringa (ARU) – Double Professional Windsurfing Association World Champion

Alexandra Rickham (GBR) – ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion and IFDS World Champion

Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) – ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion

Male

Ben Ainslie (GBR) – Match Racing World Champion & ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion

Lorenzo Bressani (ITA) – Melges 24 and 32 World Champion

Rob Douglas (USA) – Outright World Speed Record Holder

Iker Martinez & Xabier Fernandez (ESP) – IMOCA60 and 49er Success

Nathan Outteridge (AUS) – International Moth World Champion and 49er Champion

Click here to find out more about the nominated sailors and their achievements.

The winners will be selected by the ISAF Member National Authorities (MNAs), the national governing bodies for sailing around the world, who have been invited to vote for the one male and one female nominee who they believe most deserves the Award.  HM King Constantine, ISAF President of Honour, will announce the winners who will be presented with the prestigious ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year trophy and a distinctive Rolex timepiece.

Note: El Cuartel de Ballaja was built in 1864 and initially used to house Spanish troops and, in 1898 it became the quarters for American soldiers following the Spanish-American War. During World War II the building was used as a military hospital and has recently been renovated by its owners, the Puerto Rican government.

Visit the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards microsite at www.sailing.org/worldsailor

Sarah-Quita Offringa

Starboard Formula 167 Wide – The Widest Race Board Ever!

Duncan — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:56:14 +0000

Starboard Formula 167 Wide

With the ISAF issuing its list of approved boards for the 2012/2013 Formula Windsurfing seasons, one board stands out with a remarkable design. The “Starboard Formula 167 Wide” features a 90cm wide tail, making it the widest Formula racer ever in the world of course racing. A closer inspection of that tail also reveals ergonomic heel recessions for comfortable downwind runs and multi-layered, oversized cutaways helping up- and downwind characteristics. Starboard tells us this board is mainly designed to make the best of out light-wind conditions or for medium to heavyweight riders. But they also offer an alternative for high-wind course racing, which is the more standard Formula 167. Best suited to medium and light weight riders, this board features the same heel recessions of its cousin, but the oversized cutaways are slightly adapted to accommodate its different tail width: a still very respectable 84cm.

Remi Vila, head of racing R&D:

“Because the ISAF only registers new Formula boards every two years, these Formula boards will be the ones to beat for the next two years. Directly influenced by our racing program and refined by some of the best Formula racers in the game, the new Starboard Formula boards have a whole range of innovations.”

More at www.star-board.com

Strong start for Dempsey and Shaw in Holland

Duncan — Thu, 27 May 2010 21:05:04 +0000

Scant information about the windsurfing coming from the RYA at the moment, but seems Nick and Bryony are doing pretty well at the latest Olympic classes sailing event. Here are the highlights so far – including every word about the RS:X class!

Nick Dempsey (in Hyeres rather than Holland, unfortunately...)

Day 1

Britain’s sailors were quick out of the blocks on the opening day of the ISAF Sailing World Cup series fifth leg in Holland (Wednesday 26 May).

GBR crews top the results tables at this early stage of the regatta in the 49er and 470 events, while Lucy Macgregor’s team secured a 100% record in their opening round of the Elliot 6m women’s match racing event.

RS:X World Champion Nick Dempsey picked up 3,1,3 from his three opening races.

Day 2:

It was a test of patience for all on the second day at the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Medemblik, as the light winds across the Ijsselmeer led to long delays to racing on Thursday (27 May).

With many classes not released from the shore until the fickle breeze returned at 5pm, there were late finishes for the Laser, RS:X, Finn and 470 women’s fleets who returned home as the sun was setting at this fifth ISAF Sailing World Cup of the season.

Nick Dempsey and Bryony Shaw are in strong positions in the RS:X windsurfing fleets – Dempsey added a fourth to his scoreline in his only race of the day to remain in third overall, while Shaw saw a solid comeback on a tricky day to sit in fourth overall.