420 & 470 Junior Europeans in Bulgaria - Day 2
by 420 and 470 Class Associations 12 Aug 2015 16:26 BST
10-15 August 2015
Race day 2 at the 420 and 470 Junior Europeans saw an increase in breeze out on the two race courses off Bourgas, Bulgaria.
Two races for the 420 Open and Under 17 fleets and three for the 470 see a leaderboard hierarchy starting to become established.
The 470 Men have finished their 5-race qualification series, with the 470 Women continuing a single-series. In the 420 Open, gold and silver fleets will be decided after tomorrow's 2 races, with the 420 U17 fleet sailing a single series.
470 MEN
Matteo Capurro/Matteo Puppo (ITA) climbed from 8th to 1st with a three race score of 2,3,1 and the discard kicking their 10th place from race 2 off their scoreline. Holding a world ranking of #37, this long term partnership is intent on claiming their first podium finish at a Junior Europeans. They were close in 2013, leading early in the Championship series, before mast breakage forced them off the race track, ruining any hope of a medal finish. In 2014, Capurro was too old to compete at the age-restricted Junior European Championship, but returns to the race track in 2015 as the age limit increased to 23 years and under to support the transition to 470 senior fleet racing.
A new partnership making a first time appearance at a 470 Championship are Alexandros Kavvas/Akylas Drougkas (GRE), who ended day 2 in second overall. The pair has racked up many years of experience separately, and from their form so far it would be difficult to guess they teamed up just a few days ahead of the Junior Europeans. Making a return to world class competition is Alexandros who, with his brother, won the 2012 420 Worlds, before stepping up to the 470 Class.
"We didn't expect we would do so well," said Kavvas. "We have trained a lot over the past two years, and there are some good boats in Greece to train with. We know we are good sailors and have good handling in the boat, so the only thing was to work on our teamwork and sail as best we can. We spent 3 or 4 days together before the event and then just the 5 races so far."
Reflecting on the Championship so far, Drougkas said, "I have missed racing a lot, and I feel really confident since getting in the boat together with Alex. I think that is why we can sail well and have an open mind. The fleet is really competitive and most of all we are enjoying it."
Another pair who made their mark in the 420 before transferring to the 470 are twin brothers David and Alex Charles from Spain, who sit in third overall. In the same year Alex Kavvas claimed 420 Class gold, the Charles brothers secured 420 World Championship bronze medals, and won the ISAF Youth Worlds. A different class to master, rewards in the 470 have been harder to come by, but still include a bronze medal at the 2014 Junior Europeans. For the future, the brothers have their sights on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The 470 Men fleet is now split into gold and silver groups for the 6-race final race, leading up to the top 10 medal race on Saturday 15 August.
470 WOMEN
Another ISAF Youth Worlds Champion in the 420 Class who has stepped up to the 470 is the current leader of the 470 women Silvia Mas of Spain and her crew Paula Barcelo. Mas won ISAF Youth Worlds gold with former crew Marta Davila in 2014, and interestingly Davila won the 2015 420 Worlds at the end of July with her new helm Marta Garrido.
Three races for the fleet today, and the series discard came into play after race 3, changing the shape of the leaderboard. An up and down series so far for all teams with front of fleet scores sitting alongside double digit results. All teams are already counting a discard score, so races need to start being more consistent to take the advantage.
Second overall to Roberta Caputo/Alice Sinno (ITA) and third to Bàrbara Cornudella Ravetllat/Sara López Ravetllat (ESP).
Italians Benedetta Di Salle/Alessandra Dubbini, who won the 470 Women Junior Worlds last week currently sit in 5th place. Although, their 11th place in the final race of the day is discarded, their gap to the top of the leaderboard has increased to 13 points.
420 OPEN
Three wins from four races puts the USA's Wiley Rogers/Jack Parkin in a class of their own so far at the 420 Junior European Championships. Fresh off the back of a silver medal haul at the 420 Worlds in Japan on 25 July, the team has kept their momentum and focus.
Split into two groups, the 90 boat 420 Open fleet will race two more qualification races tomorrow before being split into gold and silver for the 6-race final series.
An all top 5 scoreline to Nita hasson/Tal Harari (ISR) keeps them in second, with Souzana-Ioli Bakatsia/Nikoletta Efstathia Papageo (GRE) in third overall and top girls' team.
Leaderboard shuffles will be plenty tomorrow, when the series discard kicks in after race 5. Gainers will include Marc Llado/Javier Gonzalez (ESP) who, despite winning race 4, languish back in the pack in 33rd overall, but are set to bounce back to the front once they discard their UFD penalty from race 3. The pair won the silver fleet at the 420 Worlds, but will expect to be higher up the pack at the Junior Europeans.
420 Under 17
At the 2014 420 Worlds, Ido Bilik/Ofek Shalgi (ISR) not only won the bronze medals, but were also awarded the William Sanchez Trophy as the highest placed team aged 16 and under in the year of the Championship. Rock forward one year and the team, still both only 15 years old, are thriving in the opportunity to race against their own age group in the new under-17 year old category. A 1,2 today places them 5 points above the Spanish brother partnership of Carlos Balaguer/Ignacio Balaguer, with Italy's Andrea Spagnolli/Kevin Rio in third.
Top placed girls team are Theresa Loffler/Theresa Heilingbrunner (GER) in 5th overall.
The 420 U17 fleet is racing a single 12-race series, with 2 races scheduled on Wednesday 12 August.
2015junioreuropeans.420sailing.org/en