#isafyw12 – If conditions were challenging yesterday, they were even more so on day two of the Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships in Dun Laoghaire. A westerly to southwesterly breeze, blowing off the town was making the wind both shifty and gusty out on the water for the 343 potential future Olympians, who have congregated in the emerald isle from all four corners of the globe. One squall passed over the fleet measuring 25 knots. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS BY BOB BATEMAN
Despite the testing conditions on the water, today competitors in the eight classes all completed three races and having completed five races in total have now been able to discard their worst result.
Ireland's Finn Lynch had a challenging day in the Laser Radial Boy's fleet where at the end of day two he lies ninth of 58 boats. "I'm thinking that yesterday was easier, but it was pretty tricky both days so far - shifty and unpredictable," said Lynch, adding of his results: "It was not great, it could have been better, but it was okay." The 16-year-old from Carlow scored a 14-16-22, the final being his discard.
The big squall struck the 420 Men's fleet on the first beat of their second race bringing with it a huge shift in wind direction. "I couldn't do anything about it," said Lynch, who said that thankfully afterwards he had managed to claw back positions. "I think it's pretty good we've got all the races in. Its lots of fun - I'm enjoying it so far."
Despite the Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships being the number one event of the year for all sailors of 18 and under, because it is in his home port, Lynch says it feels "a bit odd." Normally when sailing at a major regatta he has to travel abroad. "It doesn't really feel like going to a World Championships, being just 40 minutes from my house."
In theory local Dun Laoghaire sailors competing at this event should be able to benefit from local knowledge, but Lynch says this has yet to benefit him. "There's advantages and disadvantages, but I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages in this case. Today was so unpredictable but hopefully towards the end of the week it'll start to come good."
In the Laser Radial Girls, Sophie Murphy scored a 25-13-19 today, the first being her discard, leaving her 17th overall in the 42 boat fleet.
"The first race wasn't good at all. The second two races a little bit better, but it was just very tough conditions out there, really shifty, so it was very easy to gain or lose like 20 places just in one leg," said Murphy. "It was a really interesting day, consistency is what it was all about, so if anyone managed that, I'm sure they did very well." Norway's Line Flem Host continues to lead despite scoring an inconsistent 10-2-23 today.
Murphy agreed that conditions were harder today than yesterday, with the wind at times dropping to just 4 knots, but it was the squalls that proved most challenging. "You have to know which way it's going to go, because being on the right side of those shifts is really important." Local knowledge she said didn't help her with the wind but it did with her understanding of the tides on Dublin Bay.
Looking ahead to the rest of the week – racing concludes on Friday - Murphy said: "Every race I'll take as its own race. When you get into the competition you can worry less about the points."
Elsewhere in the SL16s, Alexander Rumball and Rory McStay scored a 10-15-7 and now lie 10th in the 15 boat fleet, a place behind Jordi Booth, son of double Olympic Tornado medallist Mitch.
Sean and Tadgh Donnelly in the 29er skiff, had a consistent 10-12-14 today, in a class where Spain's Carlos Robles and Florian Trittel are dominating, having won today's first two races and now on just five points after their discard.
In the 420 Men's class Patrick Crosbie and Grattan Roberts had a disappointing day with a 20-17-16 score today leaving them 16th overall in the 30 boat fleet. "The first two races weren't good," said Roberts, adding that they had lost out on the first upwind legs. "In the first and second race, we got caught on the wrong side of a shift. The wind was up and down, it was never consistent."
Racing continues at 1200 tomorrow with two races, with conditions forecast to be stronger and even more gusty.
The 42nd International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Youth Sailing World Championship (AKA the Youth Olympics of sailing) is taking place from 13th – 21st July 2012. After a highly competitive bidding process, Ireland is honoured to have been chosen to host this much celebrated event which is renowned for providing the world with its first glimpse of future sailing stars and Olympians. 350 sailors aged 16 – 19 years of age, accompanied by 150 coaches, from 63 nations representing six continents are sail in ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship. 250 boats across eight classes (including Laser Radials, 420s, SL16_s and 29ers) will be raced by these sailors.
The ISAF Youth World Sailing Championship was first held in Sweden in 1971, has taken place every year since and has earned itself a unique place in the international sailing calendar. This premium event is renowned for providing the world with its first glimpse of future sailing superstars. Fifteen of the sailors who won medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games are past medalists at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship. 2012 Irish Olympic Team member Annalise Murphy also came up through the ranks of the ISAF Youth Worlds when she competed in a Laser Radial in 2006 in Weymouth. Throughout its history, the ISAF Youth Worlds has visited over 20 nations, covering every continent, and over 100 different nations have competed. France is currently the most successful nation, winning the Volvo Trophy on a record 10 occasions and holding a record 62 medals: 20 Gold, 27 Silver and 15 Bronze. The Royal St. George Yacht Club, the National Yacht Club and the Royal Irish Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire have been appointed to host the championship in association the ISA (Irish Sailing Association.) There will also be a public festival of events in DL focused on next weekend (Friday 13th – Sunday 15th July) to complement the sailing Championship.
ISAF Youth Worlds 2012
Day TWO results (& overall points)
Laser Radial (Boys)
1st - Mitchell Kiss (USA) 34pts 2nd - Marco Zani (ITA) 34pts 3rd - Mark Spearman (AUS) 39pts
Laser Radial (Girls)
1st - Line Flemhost (NOR) 15pts 2nd - Pinar Kaynar (TUR) 18pts 3rd- Agata Barwinska (POL) 21pts
420 (Boys)
1st – Guillaume Pirouelle/Valentin Sipan (FRA) 11pts 2nd - Pieter Goedhart/Lars Van Stekelenborg (NED) 22pts 3rd - David Charles/Alex Charles (ESP) 25pts
420 (Girls)
1st - Anabel Vose/Kirstie Urwin (GBR) 7pts 2nd - Carrie Smith/Ella Clark (AUS) 18pts 3rd- Ilaria Paternoster/Benedetta Disalle (ITA) 18 pts
29ers
1st - Carlos Robles/Florian Trittel (ESP) 5pts 2nd – Lucal Rual/Thomas Biton (FRA) 9pts 3rd – Quinn Wilson/Dane Wilson (USA) 14pts
SL16 Catamaran
1st – Rupert White/Tom Britz (GBR) 6pts 2nd - Paul Darmanin/Lucy Copeland (AUS) 10pts 3rd - Henri Demesmaeker/Phillip Hendrickx (BEL) 10pts.
RSX Boys
1st – Wonwood Cho (KOR) 9pts 2nd- Matta Camboni ( HKG) 10pts 3rd - Kieran Martin (GBR) 14pts
RSX Girls
1st - Saskia Sills (GBR) 5pts 2nd - Veronica Fanciulli (ITA) 13 pts 3rd - Anastasiya Valkevich (BLR) 17pts
