420 Sailors Following In The Footsteps At The ISAF Youth Worlds
Tessa Parkinson and Elise Rechichi (AUS) sailed the 420 together at the 2004 ISAF Youth Worlds in Gdynia, Poland winning gold. And four years later the girls picked up gold for Australia at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition in the Women’s 470.
This year’s 420 sailor’s will be looking to emulate the Australians by picking up gold in the 420 at the 2011 ISAF Youth Worlds and will certainly have one eye on sailing the Women’s 470 at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Thirty two girls’ teams will sail in Zadar, Croatia in their bid for ISAF Youth Worlds 420 glory.
Maëlenn Lemaitre and Aloise Retornaz (FRA) missed out on the gold medal by four points at the 2010 ISAF Youth Worlds in Istanbul, Turkey. The French girls lost out to Switzerland’s Linda Fahrni and Maja Siegenthaler, but with no Swiss team competing, the French girls will be one of the main contenders for the gold medal.
Austrian 420 helm Lara Vadlau won bronze with Hannah Hanke in 2010 and she returns for the 2011 edition with Tanja Frank. Vadlau won Byte CII gold at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games and has also been sailing with Eva-Maria Schimak in the Women’s 470 on ISAF Sailing World Cup series. Her highest place finish of 23rd came at the Semaine Olympique Française in Hyéres, France and at the release of the last ISAF World Rankings the pair moved to a high of #74. With Vadlau’s experience she will be one of the favoured athletes in the 420 Girls.
ISAF Athlete Participation Athletes Agustina Barbuto and Nikole Barnes (ISV) are returning for their second ISAF Youth Worlds following their 14th place finish in Istanbul. At the 2011 ISAF Youth Worlds they will benefit from the coaching of the World Youth Sailing Trust Coach, Hugh Styles (GBR), who will guide the athletes throughout the week. Chilean 420 sailors Maria Sofia Middelthon Zanartu and Horwitz Von Appen Nadja and Ecuador’s Maria Jose Cucalon Ramirez and Andrea Susana Collin Pinto will also benefit from APP funding.
The 420 Boys fleet will see 34 boats and 68 sailors fight for the 2011 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship medals.
Spain’s Jordi Xammar won boys 420 gold as helm in 2010 with Joan Herp. Xammer will be back for his second ISAF Youth Worlds in Zadar with Alex Claville. The Spaniards won gold by 26 points in Istanbul and Xammer will be looking to repeat his performance with new crew Claville for a second year running.
Australia’s Angus Galloway and Alexander Gough finished fifth at the 2010 ISAF Youth Worlds and return for their second year. Galloway said, “Going over and competing at Youth Worlds has been our goal for the last few years. I think when you’re trying to achieve this in sailing you have to devote your whole life.
“It basically means everything; everything goes on the backburner to achieve these goals. It means a lot.”
Raúl Ríos and Fernando I. Monllor Pacheco (PUR) will be the 420 Boys APP athletes. Rios will be competing at his second ISAF Youth Worlds following his 18th place finish with Rogelio Fernandez in 2010.
India will be represented in Zadar in the 29er and the 420 Boys. Sachin Singha and Aman Vyas will be the 420 Boys representatives. Ahmad Latif Khan Ali Sabri Khan and Muhd Noor Nazmi Abdullah will sail for Malaysia and Singapore’s Russel Tsung Liang Kan and Jeremiah Yeo will also be making the trip.
Sailing begins on Saturday 9 July with 12 races scheduled until Friday 15 July.
