WELCOME TO THE 420 WORLDS

186 teams set to descend on Valencia, Spain

The 420 World and Ladies World Championships is open to teams from around the world, across the two events – Open and Ladies. Each 420 National Class Association is entitled to send up to 7 teams in each event, with the host nation Spain entitled to up to 14 teams in each event.

As at the time of writing, 186 teams have entered the Championship representing 28 countries around the world. There are 11 teams from 27 nations contesting the 420 Worlds and 75 teams from 18 nations the 420 Ladies Worlds.

The global depth of talent is significant, evidenced by the fact that in the past three years teams from Greece, Singapore, Argentina, Great Britain and Italy have been crowned as World Champions.

The racing format at the 2013 420 Worlds will see teams split into approximately equal fleets for racing, with up to 50 boats in each fleet for the Qualifying Series of 6 races, with 2 held per day, with the fleet reseeded after each day’s racing. Fleets will then be re-seeded for the Final Series, with the top boats qualifying to the Gold Fleet, the next boats to the Silver Fleet and so on. Again 6 races will be held, with three races per day.

Fleets race trapezoid courses, with a target time for each race of 45 minutes.

Teams
There will be teams competing at the 2013 420 World and Ladies World Championships from every continent of the world – Angola to Chile, Singapore to Australia, Canada to Hungary – with approximately 200 teams from 40 nations expected to compete.

Many nations hold qualification events to select the teams which will represent them at the 2013 420 World and Ladies World Championships, so we can expect the world’s best youth sailors on the starting line.

Some teams are still completing the entry process with their national qualification events to decide the teams heading to Valencia still in progress. Some of the 2012 podium finishers have now moved onto the next stage and next class in their sailing career, particularly in the Open fleet, so expect new rivalries to unfold in Valencia.

Over in the Ladies fleet will be the 2012 silver medallist from Chile, Nadja Horwitz, who is sailing with new crew Carmina Malsch. Aged 17 years old, Horwitz will be keen to improve on her silver medal in Austria, and will be heading to Valencia straight from the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships. We are also expected at least one of the Singaporean Ladies Worlds 2012 podium finishers to be back to defend their medals.

You can guarantee that there will be a diverse range of nations amongst the top 10 finishers.

As host nation, Spain is given the benefit of being allowed to send 14 teams in each event, and we can expect to see some close battle as these young teams strive for victory on their home waters.

Spain is a very successful 420 sailing nation, and there no doubt will want to retain the Francis Mouvet Trophy, which was awarded to Spain last year as the top overall nation at the 2012 420 World and Ladies World Championships.

Click here for the Entry List

Medals and Trophies
Alongside the medals awarded to the top placed boat in the Open and Ladies World Championship fleets, the top junior teams will also be recognized with medals awarded to the highest placed juniors in each fleet, for those crew who are aged 18 and under at the end of the year.

The following trophies will also be presented:

World Championship International 420 Class Challenge Cup
This trophy is awarded to the highest placed boat in the Open Championship
First awarded: Bendor, France, 1961
Current holder: Alex Kavas/George Kavas - Greece

International 420 Class Ladies World Champion Challenge Cup
This trophy is awarded to the highest placed boat in the Ladies Championship
First awarded: Neiuwpoort, Belgium 1986
Current holder: Rachel Lee/Cecilia Low - Singapore

William Sanchez Trophies
These two trophies are awarded to the highest placed boat, both aged 16 or under, at the end of the year. One for the World fleet and one for the Ladies fleet.
First awarded: La Rochelle, France 2000
Current holder Open: Giacomo Ferrari/Guilio Calabro - Italy
Current holder Ladies: Kimberly Lim/Savannah Siew - Singapore

The Huck Scott Memorial Trophy
This trophy is awarded to the youngest boat crew competing in the 420 World Championship, in either the Open or the Ladies. The lowest combined age (helm and crew), at the end of the year will be used.
First awarded: Freemantle, Australia, 1995
Current holder: Eduard Fiala/Jan Fiala - Czech Republic

John Merricks Trophies
These two trophies are awarded to the highest placed team, both aged 18 or under, at the end of the year, one for the World Fleet and one for the Ladies fleet.
First awarded: Hayling Island England, 2003
Current holder Open: Alex Kavas/George Kavas - Greece
Current holder Ladies: Kimberly Lim/Savannah Siew - Singapore

Francis Mouvet Trophy
This trophy will be awarded to the nation who has the highest placed 3 boats in the World Championship using both the World and Ladies fleets.
First awarded: For pre-world fleet race Italy 1991. 420 World Team Race Trophy 1996 – 2003. (No team race due to weather 2004). National Team award as above from 2005
Current holder: Spain

Past Champions
2012 420 World and Ladies World Championships - Lake Neusiedl, Austria

2011 420 World and Ladies World Championships – Buenos Aires, Argentina

2010 420 World and Ladies World Championships – Haifa, Israel

15/7/2013 14:58