Spain accelerates away in 420 U19 Junior Europeans

The ninety-two boat U19 fleet moved into the six race finals series with 46 boats in each of gold and silver fleet for two races yetserday, whilst the U17 fleet wrapped up two more races to make it 8 races from 12 done and dusted for both age categories.

In the U19 Spain's Conrad Konitzer/Fernando Rodriguez are busy putting space between themselves and the chasing pack, sitting on a 24 point advantage. All change in the U17 fleet as Ange Delerce/Timothee Rossi (FRA) take over the lead on tiebreak.

U19
Series leaders and Spanish National Champions Conrad Konitzer/Fernando Rodriguez look to be in an unassailable position as they leapfrog to take the lead from Israel's Aviv Rozen/Tomer Hendel, who drop to second. The Spanish pair is the personification of consistency, counting an all top eight scorecard, and their worst score, the 8th, is discarded. Their 24 point advantage is even more significant, as all chasing teams count at least two high scoring finishes, so have no margin for error.

As rivals couldn't maintain consistency, yesterday's results of 2,3 sealed Konitzer/Rodriguez's advantage. The pair was looking strong for gold at the 420 Worlds earlier this month, but were forced to settle for bronze after upsetting their scorecard in the last three races, so a reversal of fortunes is certainly their goal.

Local team Jacobo Garcia/Antoni Ripoll move up to third overall, just one point ahead of team mates and 420 World Champions Martin Wizner/Pedro Ameneiro who have been steadily clambering their way to the top three.

Garcia acknowledged they are on a long shot now to catch the leaders, saying, "It is tough. Conditions are not easy but our results are good. The distance is huge and the leaders, Konitzer and Rodriguez, have not made a mistake yet, so they even have their discard untouched in case they need it."

Trying to redeem their performance after a high scoring first two days is no easy task for World Champion Wizner, who commented, "We don't feel very comfortable on the water, but we are getting back to our rhythm and improving. We started the event very badly, maybe we were tired with the previous event we had attended this Summer, but now we are enjoying again on the water, our good feelings are coming back and we see the podium closer and closer."

Reflecting on the mountain to climb to catch Conrad Konitzer/Fernando Rodriguez, Wizner continued, "This is their Championship, we all have to acknowledge that. When you do things well, you get results, when you don't, you need to learn. If they continue racing like that, Conrad and Fernando deserve winning the Championship."

A win in race 8 helps to keep Marina Garau/Blanca Cabot firm as U19 women leaders in 6th overall, with Zofia Korsak/Cendrowska Karolina of Poland just one point adrift in 7th. Third placed women are Melina Pappa/Maria Tsamopoulou (GRE) in 10th overall.

Spanish teams continue to exert a strong influence with 4 places inside the top 10, and twelve out of their 15 teams racing in the gold fleet.

U17
An all new top three in the U17 fleet sees the early dominance from Spain and Italy challenged on race day 4.

Brand new leaders in the U17 as Ange Delerce/Timothee Rosse of France crack the whip in the forty boat fleet to knock out back to back race wins, achieve the best daily scorecard of any team so far in the 12-race series and trade a third overall this morning to 1st tonight. The pair controlled the fleet from start to finish in the opening race, but had a bit more work to do in the second to cross the line out front.

Their upgrade knocks overnight leaders Oscar Pouschè/Luca Coslovich (ITA) to third, with Antonio Martino/Joan Catala (ESP) holding firm in second place on tiebreak with the series leaders.

There is no let-up in the U17 women's leaderboard as Neus Ballester/Andrea Perello (ESP) keep their kudos as top placed women in 8th overall. Closing the gap is the USA's Vanessa Lahrkamp/Katherine Mcnamara in 9th overall, with Israel's Noga Esther Tiano/Eden Gur the third placed women's team in 10th overall.

Provisional 420 U19 Results - After 8 Races
1. Conrad KONITZER/Fernando RODRIGUEZ (ESP 56259) - 21 pts
2. Aviv ROZEN/Tomer HENDEL (ISR 56457) - 45 pts
3. Jacobo GARCIA/Antoni RIPOLL (ESP 56675) - 48 pts
4. Martin WIZNER/Pedro AMENEIRO (ESP 56005) - 49 pts
5. Tal SADE/Noam HOMERI (ISR 54121) - 58 pts
6. Marina GARAU/Blanca CABOT (ESP 56762) - 60 pts
7. Zofia KORSAK/Cendrowska KAROLINA (POL 56370) - 61 pts
8. Amit BILIA/Gilad CAIN (ISR 56785) - 64 pts
9. Oliver HURWITZ/Ethan FROELICH (USA 56658) - 67 pts
10. Melina PAPPA/Maria TSAMOPOULOU (GRE 56340) - 74 pts

Provisional 420 U17 Results - After 8 Races
1. Ange DELERCE/Timothee ROSSI (FRA 56650) - 34 pts
2. Antonio MARTINO/Joan CATALA (ESP 56150) - 34 pts
3. Oscar POUSCHÈ/Luca COSLOVICH (ITA 56771) - 46 pts
4. Corentin TABORE/Oscar DUTEURTRE (FRA 56721) - 53 pts
5. Alberto MORALES/Miguel BETHENCOURT (ESP 56600) - 53 pts
6. Jacob DEDES/Aimilios SPANOPOULOS (GRE 56273) - 54 pts
7. Lampis GIANNOULIS/Simos MICHALOPOULOS (GRE 54484) - 54 pts
8. Neus BALLESTER/Andrea PERELLO (ESP 56769) - 57 pts
9. Vanessa LAHRKAMP/Katherine MCNAMARA (USA 56364) - 60 pts
10. Noga Esther TIANO/Eden GUR (ISR 53782) - 91 pts