Yachting Australia

Simone Green, Thursday, 25 September 2003

On the final day of competition at the 2003 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Cadiz, Australia secured three medals and finished qualifying all classes for the 2004 Olympic Games.

Australia finished equal second overall in the medal tally, with Great Britain taking two gold one silver and two bronze, and Australia and France level with one gold, one silver and one bronze.

It could have been so different with near misses in the women's mistral and the women's 470 classes, both crews finishing 4^th, after strong progression throughout the championship.

Coming into the 2003 World Championships, Australia had already qualified four of the eleven classes for the 2004 Olympic Games, therefore the Aussie’s were looking to secure places for the remaining seven classes.

Australia joins Great Britain as the only nations to qualify in all classes for the Olympics (except host nation Greece, who have automatic entry in all sailing events). In Cadiz, Australia qualified in the Mistral men and women, Finn, 470 women, 49er, Star and Yngling classes.

World Championship gold went to reigning world champions, Darren Bundock (AIS/NSWIS) and John Forbes (AIS/NSWIS) in the Tornado class. The win make it Forbes' sixth and Bundock’s fourth World Tornado title.

When asked if it gets easier Darren replied, ‘this year we have been in second place for a time and the standard is always improving. New sailors such as Mark [Bulkeley] and Leigh [McMillan] from Great Britain, keep coming along to keep us on our toes.’

In the only race of the day, Bundock and Forbes added another bullet to their total.

In response to a question on their tactics for the final race of the championship Forbes said, ‘the plan had been to stay around the British boat, but when we were first to the top mark the strategy changed a little. We were in front and they just followed us around for a few laps.’

The result in the final race of the 470 men’s class moved Nathan Wilmot (AIS/NSWIS) and Malcolm Page (AIS/NSWIS) from the bronze to silver medal position.

‘We are very happy with the silver because the 470 worlds are a very tough regatta, and this year we might be 2^nd, but we could have just as easily been 15th in this fleet,’ Page said.

Placed 14^th early in the regatta, Wilmot and Page continued an upwards surge, ‘we are pleased we worked our way up the ladder-it was very rewarding. It was a good regatta and I am happy for the other medallists.’

Mathew and Daniel Belcher (QLD) were the next highest ranked Aussie crew in the 470 class, finishing 14^th overall in the 98 boat fleet.

In their first Open 470 World Championship, ISAF Youth World gold medallists (in the 420 class), Nathan Outteridge (NSW) and Ayden Menzies (NSW) gained experience and confidence in Cadiz, finishing with three top ten results.

In the battle for third in the Laser class, Olympic bronze medallist Michael Blackburn (NSWIS) managed to hold onto his position and add another bronze to his collection. This was a great way to finish his comeback year in the Laser class.

A mishap at the start line of the final race left Jenny Armstrong (AIS/NSWIS) and Belinda Stowell (AIS/WAIS) in a tangle. Sitting in third after ten races, a 16^th in the eleventh (and final race) pushed the crew into 4^th.

‘We sailed well to get back so close to our opponents, but not enough to get the bronze’, Stowell reported.

The Australian sailors will now return home for a well earned break, before getting back on the water for the summer regattas (including Sail Melbourne which is the final Olympic Nomination regatta for most classes).

 

Final results:

Tornado – Final results (10 races)

1. Darren Bundock and John Forbes AUS (2,1,2,14,15,1,1,11,1,1) 34pts
2. Leigh McMillan/Mark Bulkeley GBR (1,7,1,12,2,3,2,10,11,2) 39pts
3. Santiago Lang/Carlos Espinola ARG (11,15,9,1,8,6,6,2,8,DNC) 66pts

470 Men – Final results (11 races)

1. Gabrio Zandoria/Andrea Trani ITA (1,1,2,2,1,20,8,7,5,15,9) 51pts
2. Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page AUS (2,12,1,7,12,5,6,1,12,1,26) 59pts
3. Gustavo Martinez Doreste/Dimas Wood ESP (6,2,4,5,1,2,19,11,1,10,31) 61pts
14. Mathew Belcher/Daniel Belcher AUS (5,1,5,6,11,20,4,19,7,20,33) 98pts
48. Nathan Outteridge and Ayden Menzies AUS (10,26,8,13,23,14,9,15,20,20,11) 143pts
69. Mark Padgett/Nick Behrens AUS (27,25,25,24,24,4,4,2,4,12,6) 130pts

Laser – Final results (11 races)

1. Gustavo Lima POR (1,1,3,2,1,1,8,1,6,9,3) 27pts
2. Robert Scheidt BRA (4,1,4,1,1,2,6,3,3,3,17) 28pts
3. Michael Blackburn AUS (5,1,5,1,1,11,2,10,13,27,13) 62pts
12. Brendan Casey AUS (7,2,15,2,7,2,12,17,7,30,12) 96pts
32. Tom Slingsby AUS (4,8,10,15,10,5,30,29,30,34,15) 156pts
70. Ricky Ironmonger AUS (13,25,10,3,6,OCS,18,7,37,24,OCS) 188pts

470 Women – Final results (11 races)

1. Sofia Bekatorou/Emilia Tsoulfa GRE (1,1,2,1,1,2,1,4,OCS,8,DNC) 47pts
2. Ingrid Petitjean/Nadege Douroux FRA (3,2,2,14,10,8,5,14,2,4,11) 61pts
3. Vlada Ilienko/Natalia Gaponovich RUS (2,4,6,3,3,6,10,DNC,16,10,2) 62pts
4. Jenny Armstrong/Belinda Stowell AUS (7,9,1,5,1,19,6,2,19,1,16) 67pts

49er– Final results (16 races)

1. Christopher Draper/Simon Hiscokcs GBR (3,2,2,1,4,2,2,2,2,6,1,2,6,7,DNC,DNC) 42pts
2. Christoffer Sundby/Frode Bovim NOR (2,1,8,3,3,1,8,11,7,1,20,4,20,14,1,6) 70pts
3. Rodion Luka/George Leonchuk UKR (4,4,2,8,2,7,3,10,5,10,2,11,7,25,5,3) 72pts
11. Chris Nicholson/Gary Boyd AUS (DNF,1,4,1,2,6,2,11,DNF,17,5,3,13,13,18,10) 106pts

Silver fleet - 14 races sailed

45. Ben Tardrew/Marcus Tardrew AUS (17,17,16,18,DNC,22,10,7,17,13,DNC,7,25) 202pts
50. Mark Turnbull/Nick Partridge AUS (14,13,4,11,11,9,17,21,18,17,20,BFD,BFD,22) 210pts

Mistral Women – Final Results (11 races)

1. Lee Korsitz ISR (1,4,3,6,1,32,2,2,14,5,17) 55pts
2. Barbara Kendell NZL (2,1,12,5,11,9,4,1,10,1,27) 56pts
3. Faustine Merret FRA (3,27,10,1,6,6,5,9,2,17,4) 63pts
4. Jessica Crisp AUS (4,10,1,10,29,11,6,7,6,10,1) 66pts
7. Allison Shreeve AUS (24,14,4,2,2,1,1,3,22,15,42) 88pts

Finn – Final Results (11 races)

1. Ben Ainslie GBR (3,5,7,8,19,4,1,2,1,10,3) 44pts
2. Rafael Trujillo ESP (9,8,1,5,5,10,19,1,6,1,2) 48pts
3. Andrew Simpson GBR (32,14,9,1,1,3,3,4,8,8,24) 75pts
8. Anthony Nossiter AUS (6,20,16,9,4,OCS,8,7,19,7,5) 100pts
31. Paul McKenzie AUS (56,26,41,44,44,31,43,13,31,38,12) 321pts
75. Dean McAullay AUS (75,69,70,72,63,70,72,71,66,60,65) 673pts
76. John Shallvey AUS (71,72,75,71,70,67,70,79,68,63,69) 696pts

Star – Final Results (10 races)

1. Xavier Rohart/Pascal Rembeau FRA (1,2,5,2,3,1,4,1,2,DNC) 21pts
2. Fredrik Loof/Andrew Ekstram SWE (3,6,2,3,2,3,1,DNF,1,7) 28pts
3. Iain Percy/Steven Mitchell GBR (13,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,19,23) 42pts
13. Iain Murray/Andrew Palfrey AUS (16,13,8,15,22,11,OCS,11,6,5) 107pts
16. Colin Beashel/David Giles AUS (9,DNC,DNC,1,4,4,21,6,18,12) 118pts
22. Ian Walker/Nick Williams AUS (OCS,10,16,16,26,16,11,5,7,35) 142pts
61. Michael Jones/Bill Sykes AUS (34,25,31,37,38,33,21,17,14,18) 230pts

Yngling – Final results (11 races)

1. Hannah Swett/Joan Touchette/Melissa Purdy USA (16,12,2,7,1,10,4,1,12,4) 54pts
2. Ulrike Scheumann/Wibke Buelle/Winnie Lippert GER (15,27,1,1,13,2,2,10,4,1,12) 61pts
3. Dorte O Jensen/Helle Jesperson/Rachael Kiel DEN (1,5,7,17,32,6,5,15,7,2,2) 67pts
16. Nicky Bethwaite/Kristen Kosmala/Katie Hage AUS (11,11,18,14,25,19,13,20,24,13,15) 158pts
23. Melanie Dennison/Caroline Aders/Fiona Herbert AUS (6,20,4,13,26,7,20,30,33,38,24) 183pts
41. Patricia Warn/Margaret Morgan/Joyce Warn AUS (41,41,DNC,DNC,38,39,39,DNF,DNC,DNC,DNC) 408pts

Mistral Men – Final Results (11 races)

1. Przemek Miarczynski POL (1,1,1,8,1,1,1,1,1,6,DNC) 22pts
2. Nikolaos Kaklamanakis GRE (4,3,2,OCS,1,21,5,4,3,3,7) 53pts
3. Gal Fridman ISR (3,4,1,DSQ,7,10,4,12,5,2,9) 57pts
17. Lars Kleppich AUS (13,9,17,OCS,8,8,52,16,11,7,11) 152pts
46. Michael Lancey AUS (21,20,18,24,17,37,55,45,37,29,OCS) 303pts

Silver Fleet – 9 races only
77. Jonothan Bonnitcha AUS (36,37,50,47,42,30,26,16,6) 239pts
89. Corey Plant AUS (46,46,37,40,49,41,23,24,29) 286pts

Europe – Final results (11 races)

1. Siren Sundby NOR (1,1,3,5,2,3,14,1,23,1,DNC) 54pts
2. Sari Multala FIN (1,1,2,1,33,53,1,15,1,6,1) 62pts
3. Mary Gaillard USA (9,4,3,7,5,8,21,33,5,9,10) 81pts
20. Sarah Blanck AUS (11,18, DNC,23,12,12,10,29,8,31,29) 183pts
85. Clare Hozack AUS (38,42,44,43,DNE,26,14,38,19,37,33) 349pts

Visit the website for all the latest information on the event http://www.cadizworlds2003.com

For more information please contact:

Simone Green, Media and PR Co-Ordinator, Yachting Australia

Phone: (02) 9902 2155
Mobile: 0402 278 178
Email: simone.green@yachting.org.au