September 12, 2003
3 minutes reading time
Strong Winds on Day Four
20+ Knots on the penultimate day of racing in the championship led to only one race being sailed in the 2.4mR class and two in the Sonar Class in Athens.
.jpg "Strong Winds on Day Four")
20+ Knots on the penultimate day of racing in the championship led to only one race being sailed in the 2.4mR class and two in the Sonar Class in Athens.
The event so far has been characterised by an increasingly building breeze making for some rock and roll sailing conditions and an exciting, competitive atmosphere at the event venue. The current leaders in both fleets are the most consistent with the leaders in the Sonar only two points clear of the field.
Event multiple World and Olympic Champion Hieko KROGER (GER), leading the 2.4mR class on the penultimate day by 10 points has not had it all his own way. Before scoring a string of top three results he had a 15 place finish on day one in the lighter conditions and clearly revels when the breeze builds.
Second to Kroger at this point in the regatta is Thierry SCHMITTER (NED) proving that the Dutch are a force to be reckoned with in this field of sailing. He has sailed a strong series so far, only once dropping out of the top five. Damien SEGUIN (FRA), a single point behind Schmitter, is filling the bronze medal position. All to play for on the final day of racing today.
Things are even closer in the three person keelboat, the Sonar class. Two points separate gold from silver going into today’s racing, so expect some close, hard, Ainslie/Scheidt style racing for the final day in the championship.
Current leader Udo HESSELS (NED) and his crew have proved the consistent bunch so far in the regatta, but with only one win to their name against the four scored by second placed Dror COHEN, they could see themselves on the back foot today and need to score high to achieve.
There string of second places has seen their lead whittled down against the crew from Israel in second over the course of the week. But for some scores by Cohen and crew earlier in the week they would probably have a comfortable lead right now.
Today is the last day of racing when this year’s IFDS Champions will be decided. Full results are available on the event website at the address below.
Overall Top Ten
2.4mR
| Crew | Nat | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Points | Pos |
| KVOGER HEIKO | GER | -15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 1 |
| SCHMITTER THIERRY | NED | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | -17 | 20 | 2 |
| SEGUIN DAMIEN | FRA | -9 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 3 |
| THOMPSON PETER | AUS | 1 | 4 | -37 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 31 | 4 |
| OCS | ||||||||||
| STORDAHL JOSTEIN | NOR | -10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 33 | 5 |
| McLEAN MICHAEL | AUS | 5 | -20 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 41 | 6 |
| ERIKSTAD BJOKMAR | NOR | -11 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 46 | 7 |
| VAN.HOLSTEYN RUUD | NED | -21 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 51 | 8 |
| Mc COY DANNY | CAN | 7 | 12 | -37 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 58 | 9 |
| OCS | ||||||||||
| MILLBAND ANDREW | GBR | -22 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 59 | 10 |
Sonar
| Crew | Nat | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | Points | Pos |
| HESSELS UDO | NED | 2 | -4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 1 |
| VAN DE VEEN MARCEL | |||||||||||
| ROSSEN MISCHA | |||||||||||
| COHEN DROR | ISR | 6 | 1 | -7 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 2 |
| VAXLER BENNY | |||||||||||
| LEVY MICHAEL | |||||||||||
| ROBERTSON JOHN | GBR | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | -10 | 7 | 5 | 31 | 3 |
| THOMAS STEPHEN | |||||||||||
| STODEL HANNAH | |||||||||||
| TWOMEY JOHN C | IRL | 5 | 3 | -12 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 41 | 4 |
| O’MAHONY BRIAN | |||||||||||
| Mc GRATH SEANIE | |||||||||||
| KROKER JENS | GER | 3 | 7 | 1 | 7 | -12 | 5 | 12 | 11 | 46 | 5 |
| REICHL PETER | |||||||||||
| GROTE LUDGER | |||||||||||
| CASSELL ANDY | GBR | 10 | -18 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 49 | 6 |
| SUCKLING ED | |||||||||||
| HARDING BRIAN | |||||||||||
| Mc CARTHY PAUL | IRL | 7 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 13 | -17 | 5 | 10 | 55 | 7 |
| DOE CHRES | |||||||||||
| RYAN PAUL | |||||||||||
| MACKIE BRIAN | CAN | 13 | 10 | 13 | -14 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 57 | 8 |
| TINGLEI PAUL | |||||||||||
| MAC DONALD BRIAN | |||||||||||
| BEN YAKOV SHIMON | ISR | 16 | 11 | 6 | -18 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 59 | 9 |
| BARDA JOSEPH | |||||||||||
| EFRATI ARNON | |||||||||||
| KELLY KEN | CAN | 12 | -17 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 66 | 10 |
| STEEL PETER | |||||||||||
| WESTERGAARD KIRK |