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12 June 2005, 12:04 am

Leaders Hang On

470 European Championship 2005

Gdynia, Poland

The introduction of two gold fleets, placing the most successful sailors of the qualifying series together, sees Nick ROGERS and Joe GLANFIELD (GBR) and Ingrid PETITJEAN and Nadège DOUROUX (FRA) remain in the pole positions in the ISAF Grade C1 470 European Championship in Gdynia, Poland. However, after two races in the new fleets, their earlier dominance now looks a thing of the past.

Yesterday racing began in the gold fleets, although only after three hours of waiting for the wind to stabilize. The first starting signal for the women's gold fleet went off just before 1400 hours local time, but due to persistent wind shifts the race had to be stopped on the third leg. Eventually the wind did stabilize with a ten knot breeze from the east allowing two races in each of the gold fleets.

2004 Olympic silver medallists, ROGERS and GLANFIELD, are here defending their 2004 European title and had looked all but invincible in their opening six races. However, with the gold fleet pitting all of the Championship's most successful sailors together, the British pair had a less than perfect day with a ninth and a 14th place seeing their lead at the front reduced to a single point. Behind them, Javier CONTE and Juan DE LA FUENTE (ARG) seemed to adapt to the new fleet better and piled the pressure on with a 6,5 record for the day.

Of all the teams, ISAF World Sailing Rankings' leaders, Gideon KLIGER and Ehud GAL (ISR), seemed to be the most impressive on day four, and a second and a fourth place lifts them two places to third overall, within three points of ROGERS and GLANFIELD.

A bullet in the day's opening race helps Benjamin BONNAUD and Romain BONNAUD (FRA) climb into fourth, just ahead of their teammates, Ronan DREANO and Ronan FLOCH (FRA). The bullet in the day's second race also went to a French team, Nicolas CHARBONNIER and Olivier BAUSSET, although they still lie 16 overall. Álvaro MARINHO and Miguel NUNES (POR) had a terrible day with a RAF and an OCS knocking them back to tenth, although they look likely to move back towards the top of the leaderboard when the second discard comes into play after race nine today.

In 27th place overnight, winners of the ISAF Grade 1 Holland Regatta in Medemblik, Mathew BELCHER and Nick BEHRENS (AUS), frustratingly missed out on qualification for the gold fleet by a single place.

In the women's fleet, the number one team in the ISAF World Sailing Rankings, PETITJEAN and DOUROUX (FRA), looked a little more comfortable in the top spot than ROGERS and GLANFIELD. Second place followed by sixth means they have a six point gap at the top and are the only women's team with single digit finishes running across the leaderboard.

Nike KORNECKI and Vered BOUSKILA (ISR) move up one place into second, whilst a bullet in race eight sees current Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Champions in the 420, Elise RECHICHI and Tessa PARKINSON (AUS), move into the top three. The Australians leapfrog Marcelien DE KONING and Lobke BERKHOUT (NED) after the Dutch team ended the day's final race in 13th. Current World Champions, Therese TORGERSSON and Vendela ZACHRISSON (SWE) complete the top five, just ahead of Poland's highest team, Katarzyna TYLINSKA and Zuzanna GLADYS. A third and a ninth place sees 2004 Olympic champion in the Europe, Siren SUNDBY, and crew Karianne MELLEBY (NOR), move up another five places to twelfth, a position they look set to improve upon with the introduction of the second discard today.

Top Ten Men After Eight Races

Pos	Nation	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Pts
1	GBR	Nick ROGERS	Joe GLANFIELD	1	1	1	2	1	1	9	(14)	16
2	ARG	Javier CONTE	Juan DE LA FUENTE	1	5	2	2	1	1	(6)	5	17
3	ISR	Gideon KLIGER	Ehud GAL	6	2	2	1	2	(9)	2	4	19
4	FRA	Benjamin BONNAUD	Romain BONNAUD	2	3	4	(DSQ)	1	9	1	6	26
5	FRA	Ronan DREANO	Ronan FLOCH	4	6	5	1	2	4	5	(22)	27
6	NED	Sven COSTER	Kalle COSTER	3	4	1	1	4	4	18	(23)	35
7	ITA	Gabrio ZANBDONA	Francesco DELLA TORRE	3	2	(DSQ)	3	7	8	4	8	35
8	GRE	Andreas KOSMATOPOULOS	Andreas PAPADOPOULOS	8	(12)	3	3	5	7	7	2	35
9	GBR	Nic ASHER	Eliott WILLS	4	4	5	10	9	6	3	(11)	41
10	POR	Alvaro MARINHO	Miguel NUNES	1	1	6	2	3	5	(RAF)	OCS	45

Top Ten Women After Eight Races

Pos	Nation	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Pts
1	FRA	Ingrid PETITJEAN	Nadege DOUROUX	1	1	1	2	1	5	2	(6)	13
2	ISR	Nike KORNECKI	Vered BOUSKILA	(15)	2	4	1	3	2	5	2	19
3	AUS	Elise RECHICHI	Tessa PARKINSON	2	3	(17)	4	6	3	8	1	27
4	NED	Marcellien DE KONING	Lobke BERKHOUT	(14)	1	1	1	1	6	7	13	30
5	SWE	Therese TORGERSSON	Vendela ZACHRISSON	2	3	3	2	4	10	6	(BFD)	30
6	POL	Katarzyna TYLINSKA	Zuzanna GLADYSZ	4	2	2	6	3	7	(14)	8	32
7	SLO	Vesna DEKLEVA	Klara MAUCEC	7	4	2	7	2	7	(13)	3	32
8	GBR	Pippa WILSON	Sheena CRAIG	3	7	5	7	2	8	1	(10)	33
9	GER	Stefanie ROTHWEILER	Vivien KUSSATZ	6	5	6	4	4	3	(10)	7	35
10	FRA	Camille LECOINTRE	Gwendolyn LEMAITRE	8	8	8	3	7	1	(18)	4	39