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 – 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.

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ISAF Worlds – RS:X Mens Latest

ISAF Worlds – Women’s RS:X Final Day