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11 August 2005, 10:04 am

DRAPER And HISCOCKS Make Strong Start

Schenker 49er European Championship 2005

Vallensbæk, Denmark

The first day of racing at the ISAF Grade C1 Schenker 49er European Championship in Vallensbæk, Denmark proved a great success for the Brits. Top team in the ISAF World Sailing Rankings and defending champions Chris DRAPER and Simon HISCOCKS (GBR) scored two bullets from four races to take an early lead. In the Schenker 29er European Championship the lead is tied overnight.

The first races in the qualifying series saw quite a change in the weather compared to the conditions for Tuesday's tune-up races. With the wind gusting up to 12 m/s the races were action packed from start to finish.

Behind DRAPER and HISCOCKS, fellow Brits Stevie MORRISON and Ben RHODES also scored two bullets to lie second overall, tied on points with fellow double race winners Pietro SIBELLO and Gianfranco SIBELLO (ITA). Two bullets also went to the American team of Morgan LARSON and Pete SPAULDING, who lie seventh, behind three teams tied on eight points in fourth, Olympic silver medallists Rodion LUKA and George LEONCHUK (UKR), Nico DELLE KARTH and Niko RESCH (AUT) and Allan NØRREGAARD and Jonatan PERSSON (DEN).

Olympic Champions Iker MARTINEZ and Xabier FERNANDEZ (ESP) are in tenth place after an inconsistent start with a bullet a second, a third and a seventh place.

The eight race qualifying series is scheduled for the first two days of the Championship. Friday, Saturday and Sunday will then host the final series where the 2005 European Champion will be decided.

Whilst the 49er fleets managed to complete all four scheduled races, the 29er blue fleet had to abandon the final race of the day. The race has been rescheduled for this morning before the fleets are again divided up for races five to eight. Finland's Silja LEHTINEN and Lauri LEHTINEN share the lead with Britain's Ed CHAPMAN and Tom PEEL, with Dylan FLETCHER and Nick HOLLIS (GBR) occupying third place.

Less wind is predicted for today's races, approximately 5-8 m/s from a westerly direction.

Top Ten After Four Races

Pos	Nation	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	Pts
1	GBR	Chris DRAPER	Simon HISCOCKS	1	2	2	1	6
2	GBR	Stevie MORRISON	Ben RHODES	2	3	1	1	7
3	ITA	Pietro SIBELLO	Gianfranco SIBELLO	3	1	2	1	7
4	UKR	Rodion LUKA	George LEONCHUK	2	3	1	2	8
4	AUT	Nico DELLE KARTH	Niko RESCH	3	1	2	2	8
4	DEN	Allan NØRREGAARD	Jonatan PERSSON	3	1	2	2	8
7	USA	Morgan LARSON	Pete SPAULDING	1	4	3	1	9
8	GER	Jan Peter PECKOLT	Hannes PECKOLT	3	1	4	2	10
9	POL	Marcin CZAJKOWSKI	Krzysztof KIERKOWSKI	1	4	3	4	12
10	ESP	Iker MARTINEZ	Xabier FERNANDEZ	2	7	1	3	13