After a busy year of Olympic racing the Brits have finished in solid positions on the RS:X ISAF world tour.
Bryony Shaw takes second position, with up and coming Izzy Hamilton in 15th. Whilst in the men’s fleet Nick Dempsey has to settle for fifth place and the next Brit is Tom Squires in eighteenth.
Check out a further report from ISAF below…
Women’s RS:X
Bryony Shaw (GBR) was unable to dislodge Flavia Tartaglini (ITA) from World #1 in the Women’s RS:X despite taking the honours at the inaugural ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The World Cup Final was a 100-point regatta and whilst Shaw took maximum points, Tartaglini’s eighth was enough for her to hold on to World #1 heading into 2015. Shaw remains at World #2 with Laura Linares (ITA) at World #3 and 2014 World Champion Charline Picon (FRA) at World #4.
The big mover in the Women’s RS:X is Russia’s Stefania Elfutina. The Russian claimed the spoils at the 200-point ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne, the first regatta of the 2015 World Cup series, and as a result climbs up to World #13 from World #29.
Elfutina was exceptional in Melbourne, dominating the field and as well as World Cup glory she secured the first invitation to the 2014 Abu Dhabi. Maria Aadland Mollestad (NOR) finished second behind the Russian and moves to World #21. Bronze medallist Joanna Sterling (AUS) claimed the second Abu Dhabi spot as the top Oceanic competitor. She sits at World #17, a personal best.
Men’s RS:X
France’s Louis Giard claimed gold at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi and as well as picking up $10,000USD in prize money he received the full 100-points on offer at the regatta.
Giard currently counts four regattas to his points total and with Abu Dhabi points he moves up 12 places to World #22.
Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) finished second in Abu Dhabi after winning the 200-point ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao in advance of the Emirati competition. He retains World #1 with a healthy points margin over Ricardo Santos (BRA) and Max Oberemko (RUS).
Lithuania’s Juozas Bernotas came through in 15th in Abu Dhabi and then put in a professional performance at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne, claiming the title and an invitation to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final. Bernotas is a big mover in the Men’s RS:X rankings, moving up to a personal best of World #7 from World #25.
Dmitrii Polishchuk (RUS) came through in second in Melbourne and climbs up to World #20.
