ISAF Sailing World Championships 2007 – Finn Gold Cup Made for TV Finn sailing

ISAF Sailing World Championships 2007 – Finn Gold Cup
Cascais, Portugal, July 5-11
Tuesday 10 th July
Made for TV Finn sailing
After today's up and down racing, the Finn medal race tomorrow is about as
close as it's possible to get. The top seven sailors are within just
five points of each other and each has a shot at the world title.
You can't make up this stuff. The 2007 Finn World Championship has remained unbelievably tight all
the way through and today was no exception. Any sailor looking to build a points margin going into
tomorrow's medal race came back today disappointed, with most sailors in the top ten picking up at
least one high score.
The overnight leader Emilios Papathanasiou (GRE) got a 4 and 35. Fourth placed overnight Chris
Cook (CAN) got a 2 and DNF while fourth overnight Ed Wright (GBR) placed 19 and 4 and seventh
placed overnight Gasper Vincec (SLO) placed 1 and 33. This has left the top seven boats within just
five points of each other going into tomorrow's medal race and means that there is a fairly good
chance that whoever wins the medal race wins the 2007 Finn World Championship.
With the racing today on course area five, the fleet were expecting big winds and big waves again
and, although the wind remained shifty and patchy, for the most part the winds were moderate to
strong. The race officer set three rounds of windward-leeward course.
Gold fleet
In the first race today – which finally started after a 50 minute postponement to allow the wind to
settle down to a solid 20 knots – a large right-hand shift half way up the first beat left Gasper Vincec
(SLO) and Rafael Trujillo (ESP) in a great position on the right hand side of the course. Vincec
rounded first and went onto win the race by a comfortable margin, with excellent offwind speed. On
the second round Chris Cook (CAN) pulled through Trujillo to take second. Other contenders such as
Ed Wright (GBR) and Daniel Birgmark (SWE) were buried mid-fleet and could find no way out.
Series leader Emilios Papathanasiou (GRE) came home in fourth, and just retained the overall
championship lead. However all that was about to change.
THE SECOND RACE LOOKED LIKE IT BE A REPEAT OF THE FIRST, BUT THIS TIME THE LEADERS EMERGED
FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE COURSE WITH THE WINNER OF SATURDAY'S FIRST RACE, MARIN MISURA
(CRO) TAKING AN EARLY LEAD ROUND THE TOP MARK FOLLOWED BY JONAS HØGH-CHRISTENSEN
(DEN) AND WRIGHT. THOSE WHO TOOK THE PREVIOUSLY FAVOURED RIGHT HAND SIDE WERE LEFT
WITH A LOT OF CATCHING UP TO DO. THESE INCLUDED VINCEC, PAPATHANASIOU AND COOK.
The final upwind brought a change though. Høgh-Christensen explained, “At the final leeward gate I
went to the right hand one looking downwind and ED and Marin went to the left hand one. Then the
wind went left a bit and I picked up a bit on them. Slowly it went further until I was right behind the
Croation. Then coming into the top mark, I got a few right shifts right to take the lead and I had a good
offwind leg to take the win. The first race was tough though. I ended up 11 th after I was stuck in the
middle when the wind went right.”

VINCEC'S STORY IS QUITE THE REVERSE. “IN THE FIRST RACE, THE WIND WAS LIKE SATURDAY, WHEN
THE RIGHT PAID. I WAS SURE IT WAS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO FROM THE START AND I WAS FASTER THAN
RAFA, SO MANAGED TO WIN.” IN THE SECOND RACED OF THE DAY HE WAS NEARLY LAST. “I WAS TRYING
EVERYTHING AT THE START BUT IT WAS NOT HAPPENING, I WAS NEARLY LAST BUT I HAD EMILIOS
BEHIND ME! I NEEDED TO GET BETTER THAN 6 TH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE”
This means that Papathanasiou now has to count his 12 th from day two and drops to sixth overall.
PieterJan Postma (NED) takes the lead on 19 points, with Trujillo and Cook on 20 points, Wright on
21, Cook on 21, Vincec on 22, Papathanasiou on 23 and Høgh-Christensen on 24.
HØGH-CHRISTENSEN SUMMED UP, “ANYONE CAN WIN THE GOLD. IT WILL MAKE GREAT TV.”
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Get to know the sailor: Michael Maier
If I were not in Cascais I would be...maybe in Valencia sailing maybe I stay in the garden
My goal for this week is...stay in the top 20. I am just sailing just for fun, just for me. I am sending my
boat to China as I qualified for pre-Olympics At the Europeans in Hungary. For next year we have yet
to decide what we are doing. I still feel fit and able to go, so we have some decisions to make
My main strength is...going sailing. This day off is good for some but I prefer to go sailing, finish and
go home.
My proudest moment is...at the 2000 Finn Gold Cup in Weynmouth I finished 5 th, although I won
the Masters last year, which Luca pushed me into doing, When I sail with Master boys and see many
faces looking at me saying 'what are you doing here.' Maybe I'll leave the masters until I am a bit
older.
My friends would say that I'm....some friends tell me I'm completely crazy, some tell me I'm a little
bit crazy and some would say “So you're still sailing Finn eh?”
I am very bad at...unjust decisions. The worst moment for me was that in 1992, I was dropped from
the team just a few days before we left for Barcelona because they said the team was too big. I stopped
all Finn sailing as I was so angry. In 1993 I just sailed the Fin Gold Cup in Ireland. I tried speed board,
mistrals and things. But my friends told me to get back in the Finn and this is now my 28 th season. I
first won the Czech title in 1980, aged 18. I am very happy with this class. It is good.
My philosophy for life is...I started building car workshop for 15 years and I sold this before Athens
because I decided I must make a choice between sailing and work and I think I have made the right
decision
I think the favourites this week are...for me, I think Emilios has the best technique in this group. If we
have a little bit less than Saturday, his steering is perfect up and down wind. But any in the top 10
could do it. It's not east to say
The best thing so far about Cascais is...I cross the botanical garden before and after sailing and it is
my comfort zone. Sometimes I just stop and take it in
If I were in charge of sailing I'd...there is too much pressure sometimes for the Jury. 12 knots on
flat water and waves is different. Maybe we move the wind limit for free pumping, say 10 knots.
Sometimes you get flagged for absolutely nothing, just by moving or something. sometime the
decision is too hard, sometimes they seem to work to different rules.
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SILVER FLEET

THE SILVER FLEET ALSO SAILED TWO RACES IN THESE TRICKY CONDITIONS. GOING INTO
TOMORROW'S FINAL RACE, SANDER WILLEMS (NED) LEADS FELLOW DUTCHMAN STEFAN DE
VRIES (NED) BY NINE POINTS AFTER PLACING THIRD AND FIRST TODAY. WILLEMS LOST THE
FIRST RACE IN THE CLOSING STAGES AFTER A LONG BATTLE WITH PIOTR KULA (POL). ALTHOUGH
NONE OF THOSE IN THE SILVER FLEET CAN QUALIFY THEIR NATION FOR THE OLYMPICS THERE IS
STILL THE SMALL MATTER OF PRIDE.
MEDAL RACE
THOSE SAILORS WHO HAVE REACHED THE MEDAL RACE HAVE GUARANTEED THEIR
COUNTRY A PLACE IN NEXT YEAR'S OLYMPICS. HOWEVER FOR SOME HERE, A GOOD
PLACING COUNTS FOR EVEN MORE. BY PLACING IN THE TOP 10, NOSSITER HAS ALREADY
GUARANTEED HIS PLACE IN QINGDAO NEXT SUMMER. FOR TRUJILLO, TOMORROW'S RACE
DETERMINES HIS NATIONAL FEDERATION ATHLETE GRANT, AND HE STANDS TO LOSE OR
GAIN SOME 38,000 EUROS DEPENDING ON HIS RESULT. HOWEVER FOR HIM THE WIN IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN THE FINANCIAL REWARDS.
THE TOP TEN SAILORS ARE EACH FROM A DIFFERENT NATION, SO THESE TEN – NED, ESP,
SLO, GBR, CAN, GRE, DEN, CRO, SWE AND AUS – HAVE ALREADY QUALIFIED THEIR
COUNTRY FOR A PLACE IN QINGDAO NEXT YEAR. THE OTHER NINE PLACES ARE STILL WIDE
OPEN, WITH FRA, FIN AND NZL LEADING THE RACE. THE FINAL GOLD FLEET RACE
TOMORROW, SCHEDULED FOR 14.40 WILL DECIDE THE REMAINING NATIONS TO QUALIFY AT
THIS EVENT.
TOMORROW'S MEDAL RACE AT 16.30 WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE A SHOW. CURRENTLY THE
WIND IS KICKING THROUGH CASCAIS BAY AT WELL OVER 30 KNOTS, SO THE SAILORS ARE
HOPING THERE IS A NOT A REPEAT OF MONDAY WHEN THE STAR AND TORNADO MEDAL
RACES WERE ABANDONED.
FOR THOSE WHO LIKE MATHEMATICS, THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS FOR TOMORROW'S RACE.
IF POSTMA, TRUJILLO OR VINCEC WIN THE RACE THEY BECOME WORLD CHAMPION,
IRRESPECTIVE OF WHAT ANYONE ELSE DOES. FOR WRIGHT OR COOK TO WIN THEY NEED
POSTMA TO BE AT LEAST TWO PLACES BEHIND HIM. FOR PAPATHANASIOU TO WIN, HE MUST
PUT THREE BOATS BETWEEN HIMSELF AND POSTMA AND TWO BETWEEN HIMSELF AND ANY
OF THE THE TOP FIVE BOATS. IT IS CERTAINLY GOING TO BE AN EXCITING END TO WHAT HAS
BEEN THE CLOSEST FINN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN RECENT YEARS.
FULL RESULTS CAN BE FOUND ON THE EVENT WEBSITE.
LOTS MORE PHOTOS CAN BE FOUND AT
WWW.FINNCLASS.ORG/PHOTOS/FINN_GOLD_CUP_2007_PHOTOS.HTM

© 2007 ROBERT DEAVES, INTERNATIONAL FINN ASSOCIATION
REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WELCOMED WITH CREDIT TO AUTHOR.
CLASS WEBSITE: WWW.FINNCLASS.ORG
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
ISAF SECRETARIAT, MARKETING AND MEDIA DEPARTMENT
TEL: + 44 2380 635 111
FAX: + 44 2380 635 789
EMAIL: MARKETING@ISAF.CO.UK
LINKS:
ISAF SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: WWW.CASCAISWORLDS2007.COM
INTERNATIONAL SAILING FEDERATION (ISAF): WWW.SAILING.ORG
NOTES FOR EDITORS
ISAF SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007
OVER 1,300 SAILORS FROM 76 NATIONS ARE COMPETING AT THE 2007 ISAF SAILING WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIPS, FROM 28 JUNE-13 JULY IN CASCAIS, PORTUGAL. THE CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE THE
PRINCIPAL QUALIFICATION REGATTA FOR THE 2008 OLYMPIC SAILING COMPETITION, WITH 75% OF ALL
NATIONAL PLACES TO BE DECIDED. 'THE WIND IS CALLING' IS THE OFFICIAL MOTTO FOR THE 2007
WORLDS.
ISAF HAS APPOINTED SPORTSHOWS AND CSI SPORTS TO MANAGE TV PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION
BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE EVENT. FOOTAGE AND VNR’S WILL BE AVAILABLE – FOR MORE
INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT MARKETING@ISAF.CO.UK.