WINDSURF: JUNIOR, YOUTH AND MASTER CHAMPIONSHIPS, Marsala 1st/5th august
Class: Mistral, Techno 293, Raceboard
PACO WIRZ RECONFIRMS HIS POSITION AMONGST THE MASTERS. IN THE TECHNO CLASS CARLI AND LA VELA WIN. IN THE MISTRAL CLASS A GREAT SUCCESS FOR ISRAEL, HONG KONG AND POLAND, FOR ITALY GAGLIANO AND FIORE REACH THE PODIUM IN THE UNDER 15’s
 

di Fabrizio Dalle Nogare

In Marsala the World Junior and Master Championships began with the under 17’s Techno category and the under 20’s Raceboard category who raced with a new rule within the weighing in procedure. The Chinese boy Kwok Po Ma from Hong Kong took the under 20’s title in the Mistral Class. Amongst the Italians Guido Carli and Davide La Vela from the under 17’s and the under 15’s Techno Class had success in their races whilst Paco Wirz took the title amongst the Masters. On the podium out of the categories recognized by ISAF there was also Marco Andreucetti, third amongst the Master category, and Alessandro Gagliano and Giovanni Fiore from the Junior category in the Mistral class.
This World Championships finished in Marsala in Sicily with a prize giving ceremony to all those competing dividing them into three age groups, under 20, 17, and 15. This new format considered last year in the Baltic Sea and put on trial in Marsala, even if there was a good turn out of competitors, saw a reduction in the nations present, from 19 nations in the 2005 edition held in Sopot, Poland, to the 11 nations present this year in Sicily where the absence of Greece, Australia and Japan was noticed. Even the number of competitors slightly dropped from 269 last year to 243 in this years edition, even with two new groups, the Techno under 17, and the Raceboard under 20 that included the new RS:X table. The Italians who competed in this event were 61 in total, in which 30 in the Techno Class (21 under 15 and 9 under 17), 20 in the Mistral Class (15 junior and 5 youth) and 11 competitors amongst the Raceboard category. Amongst the other nations present France had the largest number of participants with 46 athletes and Great Britain with 38 athletes ( both countries as like Spain weren’t lined up amongst the Mistral athletes). Poland had 37 athletes (26 of whom were in the Mistral Class) and Israel with 20 athletes (12 Mistral), while Hong Kong’s all seven athletes raced in the Mistral Class. It was noticeable the reduction of the athletes competing in the Mistral under 20 category, taken over by the RS:X Olympic Class, and the two new categories.
The Mistral Class took six titles recognized by ISAF (under 20, under 17 and under 15 male and female) against two per head in the Raceboard and Techno 293 Classes, that had graded without distinction males and females ( something to reassess in the 2007 edition). On the Mistral tables there was a total of 62 athletes, with a great success and a high number of participants especially in the Junior category (under 17 and under 15) in which prizes were given to the same athletes on the podium from last years edition. It’s evident that there were too many Mistral boards to group the up with the other classes. It might seem an overstatement but for lots of reasons there was a boycott in comparison to a class that strong as it remains to be to with its 62 competitors coming from 5 nations and 2 continents, with a group of prestigious athletes proved once again that it can hold up as its made up of people free of operant conditioning.
Hong Kong, Israel and Poland took away the best medals, with two gold’s each. Italy won two medals in the Mistral Class with Alessandro Gagliano and Giovanni Fiore who both came in at second and third place in the under 15 category, whilst Valentina Faille ( fourth in the women’s under 20) and Giorgia Avara (under 15) didn’t quite make it to the podium for a few points.
A good success for Kwok Po Ma ( Hong Kong) in the under 20, who had a great beginning from the first day. Behind him was Omri Hazor from Israel and Pak San Heung from Hong Kong. The first of the Italians was Alessandro Giannini from Naples who said “I was very satisfied with my results and happy with the fact that I was able to race against and keep up with some really strong athletes from Asia and Israel. In the Mistral race young athletes continue to race against each other and I admire them, even though in this edition the nations present were less than last year”. A disappointment in the women’s under 20 for Valentina Failla who once again was only a few points away from the podium, the three places on the podium went to the two Israeli girls Sivan Davidovich and Nitsan Maayan and to the Polish girl Kamilia Tomkiewicz. The most numerous fleet was in the men’s Junior category, with the Israeli Ron Asulin winning followed by his co national’s Kinarti and Machley. In this category the first Italian was Marco Baglione who came in at 11th place. Amongst the women’s junior category Hei Man Chan ( Hong Kong) took first place followed by the Israeli girl Bar Korsitz and the Polish girl Kamila Smetkala. In the women’s under 15 Giorgia Avara from Italy took fourth place followed by the two Polish girls Jackowska and Masal.
Amongst the gold medals taken by Italy in the World Championships at Marsala, two went to the Techno 293 Class, to Giudo Carli who took first place in the under 17 category and to a local boy from Marsala Davide La Vela who dominated the under 15 category. Paco Wirz took for the fourth year running the World Master title after a battle with Paul Leone, a British guy brought up in Palermo. The podium was completed by Marco Andreuccetti, another Italian Giuseppe Castelli had to satisfy himself with his fourth position.
Recognition for other athletes in other category’s in which Laura Linares from Marsala stands out winning amongst the women’s Raceboard category and taking an important overall result of tenth place in the general results, dominated by the French who had six athletes in the first six places. In the new Raceboard youth category the gold medal went to Kevin Festocq followed by Vianney Andre and Arthur Le Vaillant.


Results
Class Mistral
Class TECHNO 293
Class RACEBOARD

Mondiali Giovanili e Master 2005 in Polonia

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