Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race
It’s good to get some pressure in the sails today, there was probably 10-15 knots on the course...
Friday 16 July 2010, 19:00 GMT
A spectacular summer day with warm sunshine and a gusty offshore breeze ranging from 8 - 14 knots provided a fantastic final day of racing at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship.
The weather conditions have tested the world's best youth sailors all week but at the end of the last day most of the competitors came off the water with broad smiles on their faces.
Spain claimed two gold medals whilst France, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Poland and the Netherlands all won one gold each. The French team retains the Volvo Trophy for the best overall performing nation in a repeat of last year, ahead of the British team in second position.
SL16
The SL 16 Sirena catamarans were the first medals to be decided at that this year's championship. In the fresher winds, race nine was won by the Kiwi team but nobody could catch the flying Aussies, Chase Lurati and Paul Darmanin. A fourth in the final race was enough to secure the gold medal by a 10 point margin.
"It's an amazing feeling, it's been ups and downs all week but we held everyone off to take the win," the jubilant Australians exclaimed. "It's good to get some pressure in the sails today, there was probably 10-15 knots on the course."
Are they destined to become legendary cat sailors like their Australian multihull champions Glenn Ashby and Darren Bundock? "We have had a few sessions with them to get some tips, they are really helpful."
Second overall is the Danish team of Daniel and Nicolaj Bjornholt who had raced a consistent championship, and the bronze medal goes to Taylor Palmer and Maximiliano Agnese of the USA who pipped the British team by one solitary point.
RS:X
In the girls' RS:X windsurfer division, Kamila Smetkala of Poland won the final race by a big margin to strike gold. Kamila came ashore overjoyed at her achievement, saying, "I was first at the top mark with a good lead and I looked over my shoulder and I was smiling, I am so happy.
"My coach is in Poland, so I will ring my mother and father and coach to tell them I've won," said a beaming Kamila.
Izzy Hamilton (GBR) had to settle for the silver medal for the second year running, but should be happy with her consistency in results. Ofir Halevy, who had led the regatta in the early part of the week, took the bronze medal.
In the RS:X boys' division, the first Spanish medal was confirmed when Mateo Sanz crossed the finish line in second in the only race of the day, to claim the gold medal from a disappointed Wonwoo Cho of Korea who had been leading the regatta all week. "I fell from first to second and I am sad but it was a great experience," said Wonwoo. He vowed to practice more and be back next year.
420
Jordi Xammar and Joan Herp from Spain have dominated the 420 boys' division throughout the championship to claim the second gold medal of the day for Spain. The Spanish boys dropped their seventh today but never fell out of the top four in seven races. They came ashore with the Spanish flag flying to celebrate with friends ashore. Jordi said of his coach, "He is the best coach in the world."
The silver medal went to the Portuguese boys Jao Villas Boas and Tomas Camelo and the bronze to Jeremy Bachelin and Alexandre Massard of Switzerland.
The Swiss were also successful in the girls' division, snatching the gold medal in the last race of the championship even though it was their worst result. They discarded their 19th place but proudly sailed ashore with their national flag flying alongside the Spanish boys. The Swiss girls were overjoyed at their accomplishment. "It's our first worlds title, we are so happy," said crew Marja.
Maelenn Lemaitre and Aloise Retornaz of France claimed the silver medal on the last race of the championship from the former leaders Lara Vadlau and Hannah Hanke, squeezing the British girls off the podium.
29er
The French boys rounded off the championship with a bullet in the last race to win gold in the high performance 29er dinghy. Their consistency throughout the championship held off the Kiwi team of Alex Maloney and Sam Bullock. The French pair go back to Western France to join the 29er World Champions in their home port. The 29er fleet completed 10 races during the championship week.
Laser Radial
In the Laser Radial girls' division, sailors have been jumping on and off the podium throughout the championship with a new leader almost daily. The Dutch girl Michelle Broekhuizen won the first medal for the Netherlands at these championships, taking the gold ahead of Heidi Tenkanen of Finland, who won the last race of the championship and had a strong second half of the week. Erika Reineke of the USA claimed bronze.
In the Laser boys' division, New Zealander Thomas Saunders won the first Kiwi gold medal, sailing a steady race in the puffy conditions. "There was a good breeze today. It's my last regatta in the Radial," he said. "I was going to Scotland for the Radial Worlds but I'm glad I came here!"
Thailand's Keerati Bualong performed well at the end of the week to claim silver for the Asian region, and the bronze went to Italy's Giovanni Coccoluto.
Overall Volvo Trophy
The Volvo Trophy for best performing nation went to France, with Great Britain in second and Spain in third.The ISAF Bengt Julien Trophy is a special trophy awarded to a competitor or National Team that has been nominated for displaying attributes to be encouraged in international competition. This year the prize has gone to the South African team.
Tonight the Closing Ceremony will mark the final act of the 40th anniversary edition of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Istanbul, where a record number of sailors have competed in their first Youth Worlds.
For full results and photos visit www.isafyouthworlds.com.
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