Josh Junior, from Wellington, NZL, finished with Bronze Medal in the Laser Class. Image copyright Kieler Woche 2011.
by Daniel Smith
There was a fascinating finale in the Star class at Kieler-Woche as Flavio Marazzi and Enrico De Maria (SUI) grabbed a last gasp victory pushing the overnight Swedish leaders down to third place on the final day of Kieler-Woche and final day of the 2010-2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup
Fredrik Loof and Max Salminen (SWE) led the pack into the final day on 16 points, closely followed by the Swiss on 19 with Eivind Melleby and Petter Morland-Pedersen (NOR) in third on 22 points.
The Norwegians won the Medal Race but Marazzi and De Maria finished second to narrowly stay ahead. This left the Swedish duo needing a third place finish to seal the gold by a single point.
But unfortunately for them they finished fourth behind Italy’s Diego Negri and Enrico Voltolini (ITA) which handed the top spot to the Swiss whose 23 points was enough for gold. The Swedes were level on points with Melleby and Morland-Pedersen but finished behind them in the Medal Race so had to settle for bronze.
The Women’s Match Racing competition saw some exceptional competition throughout the week and it ended in fine fashion for Ekaterina Skudina (RUS) securing her second consecutive Kieler-Woche gold medal.
Skudina overcame Australia’s Nicky Souter in the Women’s Match Racing final 3-1. And in the Petit Final Souter’s compatriot, Olivia Price, defeated Genny Tulloch (USA) 2-0.
The scene was set for a Danish gold and silver medal leading into the 49er Medal Race with Peter Kruger-Andersen and Nicolai Thorsell leading the way by five points over compatriots Allan Norregaard and Peter Lang.
The leading Danes had an eight point lead over Tobias Schadewaldt and Hannes Baumann (GER) ahead of the Medal Race. But it was the Germans who walked away with gold after claiming the bullet following the Danes sixth place. And it was worse for Norregaard and Lang who finished dead last and dropped out of the medals altogether with Nico Delle-Karth and Nicolai Thorsell taking the bronze after a second place finish in the Medal Race.
Ed Wright (GBR), Jonathan Lobert (FRA) and Zach Railey (USA) all ended on 30 points after the Finn Medal Race. But Wright took the gold after he finished ahead of his rivals in third place in the Medal Race. Lobert came fifth to take the silver medal and Railey was sixth and goes home with bronze.
In the Men’s 470 Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page (AUS) rounded off their near perfect scorecard with another race win in the 470 Medal Race. The duo won seven of nine races throughout the week and with 13 points Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO) were 31 points behind them in second. Greece’s Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis and Panagiotis Kambouridis and Efstathios Papadopoulos were tied on 49 points. But the Mantis and Kagialis claimed the bronze medal after they finished ahead of their team mates in the Medal Race.
Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving (USA) claimed gold in the Women’s 470 after their second place finish in the Medal Race. Germany’s Tina Lutz and Susann Beucke came second on 32 points and Kathrin Kadelbach and Friederike Belcher (GER) were third on 34 points.
It was winner takes all between Germany’s Simon Grotelueschen and Phillip Buhl in the Laser and it was Grotelueschen who came out on top winning the Medal Race and the gold medal. Buhl had to settle for second place behind his compatriot in the Medal Race and on the leader board. New Zealand’s Josh Junior came through in third.
Paige Railey (USA) won gold in the Laser Radial after controlling the fleet throughout the week. Krystal Weir (AUS) came second and Tina Mihelic (CRO) picked up the bronze medal.
There was never any doubt who the winner of the Men’s RS:X would be after Przemyslaw Miarczynski (POL) led the fleet all week long. He wrapped up the gold medal on the final day with a third place finish in the Medal Race. Toni Wilhelm brought home the silver for Germany and Michal Majewski finished third to claim a second Men’s RS:X medal for Poland.
And in the Women’s RS:X Jessica Crisp (AUS) won the gold medal despite not winning a race throughout the week. Crisp proved that consistency is key when competing in the RS:X. Blanca Manchon (ESP), ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year, moved from fourth to second place on the final day with a second place in the Medal Race. She takes home the silver medal and Germany’s Moana Delle, who finished tied on 47 points with Manchon, takes home bronze after coming behind the Spaniard in the Medal Race.
The 2011-2012 ISAF Sailing World Cup starts in November with Sail Melbourne running from 6-12 November 2011 before the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Perth, Australia from 3-18.
Kieler Woche
