ADVANTAGE ITALY AND GERMANY HEADING INTO MEDAL RACE

Race 10 broke yesterday's Leader Board Tiebreaks and Top 10 Medal Teams decided

Lake Garda was like a millpond as teams arrived at Fraglia Vela Riva for race day 5 this morning. But in predictably unpredictable Lake Garda fashion, the breeze kicked in to get racing underway at the scheduled start time of 1300 hours to deliver a stable 15-17 knots.

Equipment failure for Kevin Peponnet/Baptiste Berthier (FRA) immediately after the start of race 10 put them out of contention and opened the door for Simon Sivitz Kosuta/Jas Farneti (ITA) to secure another race win and break the tiebreak of the two leading teams. A race win for Germany’s Annika Bochmann/Elisabeth Panuschka (GER) has now given them a 3 point lead at the front of the 470 Women Fleet.

Kevin Peponnet/Baptiste Berthier (FRA) © Elena Giolai

The weather was more of a challenge for the planned race 11, with a 180 degree wind shift forcing the Race Committee to abandon racing for all three fleets.

470 Men/Mixed
Major disappointment today for France’s Kevin Peponnet/Baptiste Berthier who went into the day at the top of the leader board on equal points with the Italians, but ended it with a penalty score.

“Just after the start we broke the mainsheet block, so we had to abandon the race and get ready for the second race. But the second race didn’t happen,” explained Peponnet, who is frustrated but knows the situation was out of their control. “It is not an error of our part, it is an equipment failure. We will not give up to tomorrow. It is only 11 points.”

The French now find themselves 11 points behind leaders Sivitz Kosuta/Farneti going into the Medal Race tomorrow, with the Italians guaranteed a podium finish. The two teams two are comparable in performance, so it will be a tough call for the French to put the required five boats between them to claim gold.

Farneti was pleased with their performance around the track, ““We started really well in the middle of the starting line and headed on the right hand side up the track, close to the other teams. At the first mark the wind shifted left, so we ended up rounding back. But we got the advantage in the downwind and got to fourth, and then took the lead upwind.”

Simon Sivitz Kosuta/Jas Farneti (ITA) © Elena Giolai

The Italians crossed the line 200 metres ahead of the second placed Greek team, Alex and George Kavas.

“It is not a lot of points difference and in the medal race anything can happen, so we will pay attention to Peponnet and Kavas,” concluded Farneti. Sivitz Kosuta reflected on Lake Garda Medal Races, saying, “ I remember one time Iulia Conti and Giovanna Micol were in the Medal Race for Eurolymp here on Garda and finished the Medal Race first. Then the wind went and none of the other teams finished in the time limit and were DNF. Anything can happen here on the lake!”

The Greeks would need to finish first, the Italians last and the French fourth or lower for the gold medal to end up in the hands of the Greeks. The teams in fourth and fifth also have a shot at silver and bronze medals.

The 470 Men/Mixed Medal Race is scheduled to start at 1330 hours, with the one final race for all other teams at 1200 hours.

470 Men – Top 10 Overall after 10 Races
1. Simon Sivitz Kosuta/Jas Farneti (ITA) - 25 pts
2. Kevin Peponnet/Baptiste Berthier (FRA) - 36 pts
3. Alexander Kavvas/George Kavvas (GRE) - 42 pts
4. Mike Wood/Hugh Brayshaw (GBR) - 45 pts
5. Magnus Masilge/Moritz Klingenberg (GER) - 48 pts
6. Clément Ikhlef/Clément Pequin (FRA) - 55 pts
7. Benjamin Bildstein/David Hussl (AUT) - 73 pts
8. Sacha Pelisson/Nicolas Rossi (FRA) - 75 pts
9. Antonios Tsimboukelis/Alexandros Triantafyllos Bakat (GRE) - 85 pts
10. Max Deckers/Duko Bos (NED) - 88 pts

470 Women
A race win for Annika Bochmann/Elisabeth Panuschka (GER) puts them back in the driving seat ahead of the deciding Medal Race. They won the race in the last leg to the finish, in a boat behind boat situation with the Polish pair.

“We are a little bit surprised about them,” said Bochmann referring to Ewa Szczesna/Irmina Mrozek Gliszczynska (POL). “We have sailed against them for two or three years, and they have just recently got so good,” she continued.

On their approach for the Medal Race, Bochmann added, “Tomorrow, we will sail always the same. We hope for wind from the south and will have a safe start, sail as fast as we can. We will not try to sail anyone behind, I think that makes no sense.”

This is Bochmann’s last year eligible to compete in the junior fleet, so a gold would wrap up her junior career perfectly. Bochmann has enjoyed impressive success at 470 Championships, and her Junior Europeans pedigree with her previous crew includes second at the 2011 Junior Europeans, first in 2010, third in 2009 and a gold again in 2008.

The German’s margin over Maëlenn Lemaître/Aloïse Retornaz (FRA) is just 3 points, but they can draw on far more Medal Race experience than the young French team. The two came head to head in the Medal Race at the 2012 470 European Championships last month, with the French finishing that race in 10th and the Germans in 5th.

Amy Seabright/Eilidh Mcintyre (GBR) go through to medal race in fifth © Elena Giolai

Lemaître/Retornaz (FRA) are still newcomers to the 470, having previously raced the 420. They won the bronze medal at the 2011 420 Ladies World Championships, and finished 22nd at last year’s 420 Junior European Championships.

Ewa Szczesna/Irmina Mrozek Gliszczynska (POL) are four points behind the French.

There is all to be lost and gained in the 470 Women fleet, with no medals guaranteed to any of the top three teams, and the teams in fourth and fifth also within reach of podium finishes.

The 470 Women Medal Race is scheduled to start at 1430 hours, with the one final race for all other teams at 1200 hours.

470 Women – Top 10 Overall after 10 Races
1. Annika Bochmann/Elisabeth Panuschka (GER) - 23 pts
2. Maëlenn Lemaître/Aloïse Retornaz (FRA) - 26 pts
3. Ewa Szczesna/Irmina Mrozek Gliszczynska (POL) - 30 pts
4. Joanna Freeman/Katie Tomsett (GBR) - 33 pts
5. Amy Seabright/Eilidh Mcintyre (GBR) - 49 pts
6. Anna Burnet/Flora Stewart (GBR) - 55 pts
7. Roberta Caputo/Giulia Paolillo (ITA) - 79 pts
8. Linda Fahrni/Maja Siegenthaler (SUI) - 79 pts
9. Nadine Böhm/Karoline Göltzer (GER) - 92 pts
10. Sasha Ryan/Jaime Ryan (AUS) - 93 pts

Results

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Top Image: Sasha Ryan/Jaime Ryan (AUS) last boat through to Medal Race Top 10 © Elenai Giolai

16/8/2012 19:08