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

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