Windsurf: RS:X Olympic Class - Male and Female
SENSINI STILL SECOND HEAD TO HEAD WITH KENDALL. FABIAN HEIDEGGER, FEDERICO ESPOSITO AND LAURA LINARES STEPPING UP POSITIONS
The Italians stepping up their performance in the two final races held in the fourth day of races in the New Zealand World Championships. A very determined Heidegger slipped from 18th place to 13th, Federico Esposito comoing down 11 places to 15th place and Laura Linares who earns seven places and is in 17th place. Flavia Tartagliani, penalised by an OCS in the 7th race is in 16th place. The race to the top between Alessandra Sensini and Barbara Kendall get tougher as Kendall beats the Italian by 6 pionts, followed by the Spanish athlete, Alabau. In the male category Tom Ashley is still in the lead followed by the Isralian Shahar Zubari, who takes Lafuente's place, followed by the Polish athlete Miarczynski.

 

The final phase begins in Auckland, New Zealand with the RS:X Olympic Class World Championships. Another two races were held today with light winds and a cloudy sky. Alessandra Sensini keeps her second position of 20 points tight with a third and ninth place today. Her oponent Barbara Kendall commands the classification with 14 points. Marina Alabau who is third in the general results 6 points away from Sensini and Faustine Merret (Gold Medal Athens 2004), is fourth with 8 points away.
 

Laura Linares		Marina Alabau

The young Italian athletes in the race, both of whom are in the Gold Fleet, are not far away, Flavia Tartagliani in 16th place and Laura Linares 17th. Tartagliani was penalised by an OCS in todays first race while the seventeen year old Laura Linares stepped up seven positions. Fabian Heidegger gains 5 positions and is 13th only 12 points away from 10th place, with a possibility of making it into the first 10 places for the Medal Race. Federico Esposito made a great recovery from 26th to 13th place thanks to a 13th and 3rd place in todays races, in the general classification he is in 15th place. The New Zealander Tom Ahley is leading the male category. The other Italian athletes in the Silver Fleet are: 29th Guido Carli, 41st Alessandro Giannini and 43rd Marcantonio Baglione.
 

Tom Ashely		Fabian Heidegger

Another two days of finals and then on Saturday the 19th the Medal Race between the first 10 athletes. In todays fourth day of the championships the first three competitors of each category went in the water with coloured bibs representing their positions in the general results, yellow for 1st place, blue for 2nd place and red for 3rd place. Critical moments for many countries as nations may qualify for the 2008 Olympics. Italy has already qualified in both male and female categories at the World Championships that were held in Cascais in 2007. On Friday the 18th another two races are programmed with the Medal Race to take place on Saturday, which will be held between the first ten athletes of each category.



Male General Results

1. Tom Ashley (NZL)
2. Shahar Zubari (ISR)
3. Przemyslaw Miarczynski (POL)
4. Piotr Myszka (POL)
5. Joao Rodrigues (POR)
6. Ivan Pastor Lafuente (ESP)
7. Jon Paul Tobin (NZL)
8. Nick Dempsey (GBR)
9. Nicholas Le Gal (FRA)
10. Samuel Launay (FRA)


13° Fabian Heidegger - 15° Federico Esposito - 88° Guido Carli - 100° Alessandro Giannini - 102° Marcantonio Baglione - 117° Michele Cicerone (ITA)


Female General Results

1. Barbara Kendall (NZL)
2. Alessandra Sensini (ITA)
3. Marina Alabau (ESP)
4. Faustine Merret (FRA)
5. Blanca Manchon (ESP)
6. Mingli Duan (CHN)
7. Charline Piccon (FRA)
8. Peina Chen (CHN)
9. Bryony Shaw (GBR)
10. Lise Vidal (FRA)


16^ Flavia Tartaglini - 17^ Laura Linares (ITA)



Regatta Web Site

Photo Gallery: Albaria
www.oceanphotography.co.nz
http://www.sail-world.com/nz/

Video 1st WOMEN REGATTA: ALESSANDRA SENSINI WINS

Video 1st MEN REGATTA


Overall Standing RS:X Men

Overall Standing RS:X Women

Athletes' Schedule

Nations Qualified