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Gold Cup 2004 - Rio de Janeiro - Day 4
Wednesday
18 February
Ben Ainslie
moves into the lead
The Finn
Gold Cup in Rio de Janeiro saw two more races today
in superb conditions in Guanabara Bay with fresh winds
and great waves. A win in race 5 and a 12th in race
6 saw Ben Ainslie (GBR) move into a 7 point lead over
Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) with just three races to
go. David Burrows (IRL) moved up to 3rd after some consistent
races.
Race five
got underway in 8 to 10 knots of breeze in a warm north-east
wind. The windward leeward course was set and most sailors
started down near the pin end. The majority of the fleet
headed towards the left of the course. Sebastian Godefroid
(BEL) and Ben Ainslie (GBR) moved towards the right
and then tacked back to the left. These two rounded
the top mark first and second followed by Rafael Trujillo
Villar (ESP, Ali Enver Adakan (TUR).....stop! You don't
want to know all that. I mean we are in Rio. It's two
days to the carnival, the sun is out, it's 30 plus degrees,
the wind is blowing, the water is sparkling and there
are some great waves to surf down. What more could a
Finn sailor want out of life?
The scene
is awesome. The cloud has cleared giving a great view
of the Sugar Loaf, Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado,
Cococabana beach and some really impressive mountains
behind. The mere mention of the romantic names of places
in Rio conjures up a life on the beach, of beautiful
people, partying, girls, sand and awesome scenery. Do
you really want to know who rounded what mark in what
order? I guess you do...
Ah hmm..to
continue...and Anthony Nossiter (AUS). The overnight
leader, Mateusz Kusznierewicz was struggling somewhere
in the mid-20s. The leaders split gybes on the first
downwind with Ainslie going to the left and Godefroid
heading right. The top sailors were in their element
now as the wind increased allowing them to show off
their great pumping and surfing skills - under the ever
watchful eye of the Jury of course. Godefroid rounded
the gate in the lead but went wrong up the second beat
to let Ainslie through to the lead which he held to
the finish. Godefroid eventually finished 4th behind
Ali Enver Adakan and Sander Willems (NED).
One of the
most experienced sailors in the fleet, Sebastian has
been sailing Finns for 14 years and will step out of
his hiking pants after the Olympics in Athens this summer.
Not doing quite as well as he expected here Sebbe spent
the winter months sail testing, however it didn't’t
quite go according to plan. “When we put together
this new sail we sailed every day in a large swell and
7 to 8 knots. In Rio until today we have had flat water,
so I am lacking a bit of speed.” On his plans
after the summer, Sebbe says, “I am planning to
go into the Tornado after the Olympics. I got a taste
for speed without too much effort sailing the trimarans
and also really liked the teamwork that’s involved.
If you sail Finns for so long, it can get a bit boring,
so it’s good to sail other boats for a change.”
Tucking into a big sandwich he continues, “I am
also doing some triathlons, the first one is is September,
straight after the Games, but it should help me lose
some weight for the Tornado.”
Race six
started in 12-15 knots and for the first time in the
regatta the traditional Olympic course was used with
an upwind finish. After one general recall, the pin
end marker was moved and many boats opted to start at
the committee boat, Ainslie among them. However shortly
after the start the wind shifted back and left those
at the starboard end with some catching up to do. The
majority of the fleet headed left again and at the top
mark it was Guillaume Florent (FRA) leading Rafael Trujillo
Villar, Emilios Papathanisiou (GRE), Balazs Hadju (HUN),
Anthony Nossiter (AUS), Jonas Hoegh Christensen (DEN)
and Andrew Simpson (GBR). Ainslie was somewhere in the
30s and had a lot of work to do.
Large waves
and an increased wind facilitated two fantastic reaches,
but it was still Florent at the leeward mark ahead of
Trujillo and Papathansaiou. The fleet virtually all
banged left again on the second beat. Papathanasiou
emerged round the top mark in the lead followed by Florent
and Trujillo. Positions remained the same on the run
and the final beat, with Simpson moving up to fourth.
With a bad
result apiece today, the top two from yesterday, Ainslie
and Kusznierewicz, swapped positions going into the
penultimate day. David Burrows is just 5 points behind
the Pole and this group are 11 points ahead of the chasing
group. It could be an interesting day as positions 4
through to 10 are separated by just 6 points, so tomorrow
will be very important for some.
After racing
Ainslie commented, "In the first race I got it
just about right. I started at the pin end, rounded
the top mark in second place and then moved into the
lead on the final run. In the second race, after the
general recall, they moved the pin end mark and I made
a mistake by deciding to start by the committee boat.
Anyway, soon after the start the wind shifted back,
and those who started at the pin crossed me by miles.
I rounded the top mark in the 30s, but managed to pull
up a lot offwind and a few on the final beat, so I am
reasonably happy with a 12th."
One other
person who should be mentioned is David Howlett, the
GBR coach here. Now David keeps an close eye on his
boys and makes sure they all know what is going on and
gives them every assistance - even going as far as giving
some good advice on the odd occasion. So imagine the
reaction when coming alongside your beleaguered author,
who expected a tow in after a hard days racing, he comes
up with, “You’re the kind of person who
is always saying they don’t sail enough, so here’s
your big opportunity.” And with that he roars
off back to the club. To add insult to injury, on the
way out to the race course today, he comes alongside
in a similarly jocular tone (hey very funny!) and comments,
“I would give you a tow but you need the practice!”
And roars off again in a cloud of spray. Great advice
if ever any was needed…
Three more
races are still to be sailed in this championship, two
tomorrow and one Friday. Tomorrow Ainslie could make
history and become only the second sailor ever to win
the Gold Cup in three consecutive years.
Was that
poetic enough for you Sebbe?
Results up
to race six attached (some amendments from yesterday).
Copyright
2004
Robert Deaves - International Finn Association.
Reproduction in full or part welcomed with credit to
author.
Class website: www.finnclass.org
Event website: www.atividade.com.br/finn
Photos: www.cob.org.br (click on noticias then banko
de imagens and
follow instructions)
For
more info: www.icrj.com.br
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