Champions Crowned

After hours of waiting with no wind across the race area, at 1324 hours local time the Race Committee took the decision that there would be no racing today. Back competing in their first ISAF Graded regatta since Athens, CONTE and DE LA FUENTE secured their first win in an Graded event since the Semana de Buenos Aires back in 2001. ROGERS and GLANFIELD claim the title, European Champion for the second year running, although this time by finishing second behind a non European team. PETITJEAN and DOUROUX continue their formidable run of victories. In the last few months the ISAF World Sailing Rankings' leaders have been invincible and add the European crown to two ISAF Grade 1 Regatta victories this year.

Javier CONTE and Juan DE LA FUENTE are back to winning ways © MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/ Getty Images

Original story...

Yesterday's variable weather conditions caused problems across the two fleets with the long time leaders having their worst day of the Championship so far. For defending Champions, ROGERS and GLANFIELD, this meant slipping out of first place, but PETITJEAN and DOUROUX managed to salvage their day and retain the lead with a bullet in the final race.

The first race got underway at 1105 hours local time in sunny conditions with a light wind of around ten knots. By the third and final race of the day the wind was gusting up to 20 knots and the leaderboard had a different look to it.

Argentina's 2004 Olympic representatives CONTE and DE LA FUENTE now lead the men's fleet after ROGERS and GLANFIELD stumbled in the opening two races finishing 14 and 25. A bullet in race twelve insured they stay second and means the 2004 Olympic silver medallists still go into the final day today with a chance of the title. The Championship though is now in the hands of the Argentineans, who will start today with an eight point lead after three top five finishes yesterday. ISAF World Sailing Rankings leaders, Gideon KLIGER and Ehud GAL (ISR) move back into third after a 13,5,6 record for the day. They lie just three points behind ROGERS and GLANFIELD and also have a realistic shot at the title.

Action from Poland © Kuba Pawluk

Sven COSTER and Kalle COSTER (NED) had a poor end to the day and fall back to fourth overall, just ahead of Benjamin BONNAUD and Romain BONNAUD. After a miserable couple of days, Álvaro MARINHO and Miguel NUNES (POR), came back strongly with a 4,2,10 record lifting them three places to six. The Spanish team of 1999 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Champion in the Laser, Francisco SANCHEZ, and crew Alejandro RAMOS, had a spectacular start to the day with two bullets, but a 25 in race twelve halted their rise up the leaderboard to 15.

Winners of both the ISAF Grade 1 Semaine Olympique Française in Hyères and the ISAF Grade 1 Holland Regatta in Medemblik, PETITJEAN and DOUROUX, faltered in the first two races yesterday before coming back in race twelve. Their excellent record throughout the Championship means they can discard both of yesterday's poor results and therefore still lead, but now by just five points over Nike KORNECKI and Vered BOUSKILA (ISR). The Israelis put the pressure on early yesterday with a bullet in race ten and a fourth place to follow it. However, ninth place in the day's final race could prove to be a very costly result. World Champions, Therese TORGERSSON and Vendela ZACHRISSON (SWE) remain third, although they look out of the race for the European title lying 21 points behind the leaders. They will now need to concentrate on the battle for third with Vesna DEKLEVA and Klara MAUCEC (SLO) and Marcelien DE KONING and Lobke BERKHOUT (NED) close behind.

Men's Results

Pos	Nation	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	Pts
1	ARG	Javier CONTE	Juan DE LA FUENTE	1	5	2	2	1	1	(6)	5	(8)	5	3	3	28
2	GBR	Nick ROGERS	Joe GLANFIELD	1	1	1	2	1	1	9	(14)	5	14	(25)	1	36
3	ISR	Gideon KLIGER	Ehud GAL	6	2	2	1	2	9	2	4	(14)	(13)	5	6	39
4	NED	Sven COSTER	Kalle COSTER	3	4	1	1	4	4	(18)	(23)	2	2	14	12	47
5	FRA	Benjamin BONNAUD	Romain BONNAUD	2	3	4	(DSQ)	1	9	1	6	(19)	9	6	8	49
6	POR	Alvaro MARINHO	Miguel NUNES	1	1	6	2	3	5	(RAF)	(OCS)	20	4	2	10	54
7	GRE	Andreas KOSMATOPOULOS	Andreas PAPADOPOULOS	8	(12)	3	3	5	7	7	2	4	7	8	(13)	54
8	GBR	Nic ASHER	Eliott WILLS	4	4	5	10	9	6	3	(11)	10	3	(24)	2	56
9	ITA	Gabrio ZANBDONA	Francesco DELLA TORRE	3	2	(DSQ)	3	7	8	4	8	6	8	(17)	11	60
10	FRA	Ronan DREANO	Ronan FLOCH	4	6	5	1	2	4	5	(22)	13	12	13	(22)	65

Women's Results

Pos	Nation	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts	R11	R12	Pts
1	FRA	Ingrid PETITJEAN	Nadege DOUROUX	1	1	1	2	1	5	2	6	2	(7)	(11)	1	22
2	ISR	Nike KORNECKI	Vered BOUSKILA	(15)	2	4	1	3	2	5	2	3	1	4	(9)	27
3	SWE	Therese TORGERSSON	Vendela ZACHRISSON	2	3	3	2	4	10	6	(BFD)	4	5	(16)	4	43
4	SLO	Vesna DEKLEVA	Klara MAUCEC	7	4	2	7	2	7	13	3	1	(21)	(OCS)	2	48
5	NED	Marcelien DE KONING	Lobke BERKHOUT	(14)	1	1	1	1	6	7	13	(17)	6	10	3	49
6	AUS	Elise RECHICHI	Tessa PARKINSON	2	3	(17)	4	6	3	8	1	8	9	9	(19)	53
7	POL	Katarzyna TYLINSKA	Zuzanna GLADYSZ	4	2	2	6	3	7	(14)	8	(14)	4	3	14	53
8	GBR	Pippa WILSON	Sheena CRAIG	3	7	5	7	2	8	1	10	(11)	(11)	8	7	58
9	GBR	Christina BASSADONE	Saskia CLARK	5	(DSQ)	7	8	5	5	4	(BFD)	9	3	2	10	58
10	GER	Stefanie ROTHWEILER	Vivien KUSSATZ	6	5	6	4	4	3	10	7	5	10	(15)	(13)	60