Pic: Olivier Pinlou in action at IWA Junior, Youth and Masters World Championships, WPNSA. Credit Paul Wyeth / RYA.

French Youths on song at IWA Windsurfing Worlds

27 August 2009

France’s Olivier Pinlou leapt to the top of the Raceboard Youth rankings before insisting “I must do better tomorrow” on day four of the IWA Junior, Youth and Masters Windsurfing World Championships.

The 17-year-old from Bohars scored two thirds and a first on his RS:X today (Thursday 27 August) to overtake overnight leader Ali Masters (GBR) and nestle in the top spot with two days of racing remaining at the RYA Events-run Championships at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

Pinlou is one of four Frenchmen dominating the top five placings in the Raceboard Division with Britain’s Masters in third the sole challenger to the French supremacy.

But despite having worked his way into pole position, Pinlou felt he could have had an ever better day today.

He said: “I made a lot of mistakes in the last race and I must do better tomorrow. But I was not thinking at the start of the competition that I might come first so I am very happy with my performance so far.

“I am also very pleased that the other French sailors are doing so well, my friend Benoit (Bigot) is second and that is good for the team. Ali Masters is a great competitor and it is always hard racing against him so it should be a good end to the Championships.”

In the Raceboard Masters, five-time Olympian Joao Rodrigues (POR) continues to head the pack with two more second places seeing the Madiera legend extending his lead to eight points from second-placed Barrie Edgington (GBR) with Patrik Pollak (SVK) third.

But Rodrigues’ main threat for the title remains from 1996 Olympic champion Nikos Kaklamanakis who picked his up fifth and sixth race wins of the regatta to move up to fifth with just three more races required before he is able to discard his day one Did Not Compete (DNC) score.

With very heavy winds and blustery rain hampering the schedule yesterday all classes – except for the Raceboard Masters and one half of the Techno Under 17 boys’ fleet – completed three races today.

Britain’s Kieran Martin reasserted his authority in the Techno Under 15 boys’ competition posting two seconds and a first to secure a seven point advantage over France’s Albert Chaillot with Martin’s RYA Team GBR teammate Adam Purcell in bronze medal position.

Marta Maggetti has broken up the British domination of the medal places in the Under 15 girls’, the 13-year-old Italian edging into third behind Brit twins Imogen and Saskia Sills, Imogen notching two firsts and a second from their three races to leapfrog her sister into top spot.

Meanwhile, Maggetti’s Italian teammate Veronica Fanciucci has consolidated her lead in the Under 17 girls’ contest despite posting her three highest scores of the event so far. The 2009 European silver medallist sits eight points clear of Clidane Humeau (FRA) with Sylwia Skwarczynska (POL) in third tied on the same points as Humeau.

Split into two qualifying groups for the first three days, the first group of Techno Under 17 boys’ completed one race yesterday but the weather took a turn for the worse before the second group could complete their race so they returned this morning to try again to ensure all Under 17 boys’ had done six races before the fleet was split in the Gold and Silver fleet for the final series. 

With Gold and Silver Fleet completing two races this afternoon, Britain’s Sam Sills picked up a first and a sixth to lead overall on nine points, Spain’s Mateo Sanz Lanz sits in second on 16 with Louis Giard (FRA) a point behind in third.

Racing is scheduled to resume at 11am tomorrow.

The IWA Junior, Youth and Masters Worlds is the first of three back-to-back World Class events being run by the RYA, supported by UK Sport, being hosted at WPNSA over the next month with the RS:X World Championships taking place the week immediately following the IWA Worlds before the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta welcomes the cream of the World’s Olympic Classes sailors from 14 – 19 September.

To follow all the action from WPNSA visit www.ryaracingevents.org.uk