Weather conditions were stronger than anticipated on 1 January, race day 4 at the 420 World Championships, peaking at an average of 20 knots late in the day and gusting as high as 24 knots. Forecasters are still predicting softer pressure on Tuesday, which may please some of the visitors to Fremantle.

The conditions have really pushed teams to the limit, but equally are conditions which the 420 thrives in, bursting over the waves at full power.

420 LADIES
In the Ladies’ division, Nia Jerwood and Monique de Vries continued their good form with third and first placings, to hold their spot at the top of the points table, ahead of Victorians Laura Harding and Ellie Grimshaw, who finished the day with a pair of seconds. Maria and Pilar Caba from the Canary Islands and the 2017 420 European Champions, replicated yesterday’s scores of a fourth and a sixth to lie in third place overall.

Best result of the Championship so far, a win in race 7 pitched Great Britain’s Isabel Davies and Gemma Keers one place up the leaderbaord to sixth.

420 Ladies – Results after 8 Races
1. Nia JERWOOD/Monique DE VRIES (AUS 54798) – 12 pts
2. Laura HARDING/Eleanor GRIMSHAW (AUS 55158) – 17 pts
3. María CABA/Pilar CABA (ESP 56246) – 27 pts
4. Sophie MCINTOSH/Orla MULHOLLAND-PATTERSON (AUS 53663) – 31 pts
5. Sophie JACKSON/Laura THOMSON (AUS 55166) – 37 pts
6. Isabel DAVIES/Gemma KEERS (GBR 55517) – 43 pts
7. Arianna PASSAMONTI/Giulia FAVA (ITA 56047) – 50 pts
8. Solène MARIANI/Maude SCHMID (SUI 56274) – 53 pts
9. Clara OLIVE/Solenza MARIANI (FRA 56376) – 61 pts
10. Olívia BELDA/Elisa VON FRITSCH (BRA 54642) – 61 pts

420 U17
The British combination of Jack Lewis and Charlie Bacon, who were confident yesterday of handling the heavier conditions, were brought back to earth today with disappointing placings of 12^th and sixth, to slip to second overall in the Under 17 division.

Italians Tommaso Cilli and Bruno Mantero sailed beautifully today with a pair of seconds to maintain their spot at the top of the table. Spain’s Pol and Alex Marsans scored two fourth placings to hold down second spot ahead of their countrymen Demetrio Sposato and Gabriele Centrone. German brothers Florian and Maximilian Buscher had a disappointing race seven with a 13^th placing, but a third in the next race kept their chances alive. It was their worst day of the series.

Greece’s Ariadni-Paraskevi Spanaki and Myrto Papadopoulou lead the way as the highest placed girls team in eighth overall. The partnership picked up silver at the 420 U17 Junior Europeans, and if they can repeat their win from race 7 today have every chance of edging higher up the leaderboard.

420 U17 – Results after 8 Races
1. Tommaso CILLI/Bruno MANTERO (ITA 56076) – 25 pts
2. Pol MARSANS/Alex MARSANS (ESP 55846) – 26 pts
3. Demetrio SPOSATO/Gabriele CENTRONE (ITA 56563) – 31 pts
4. Florian BÜSCHER/Maximilian BÜSCHER (GER 55660) – 33 pts
5. Martín WIZNER/Pedro AMENEIRO (ESP 55163) – 40 pts
6. Tommaso SALVETTA/Giovanni SANDRINI (ITA 55951) – 45 pts
7. Jack LEWIS/Charlie BACON (GBR 56091) – 48 pts
8. Ariadni-Paraskevi SPANAKI/Myrto PAPADOPOULOU (GRE 54484) – 52 pts
9. Konstantinos VARDALIS/Panagiotis Giorgos MATSADES (GRE 54264) – 63 pts
10. Lluc REVERTE/Joan VILA (ESP 54984) – 74 pts

420 OPEN
The final series racing got underway today with the top 32 teams on the leaderboard advancing to gold fleet racing and the remaining 32 teams racing in the silver fleet for the final 6 races.

A sensational start to proceedings on day 4 of the 420 World Championships at Fremantle Sailing Club when Open division leader Chris Charlwood found that his jib forestay turning block was damaged. When it became clear that the damage could not be repaired, a new mast was organised while the remainder of the fleet sailed off to the course area.

In an amazing piece of work, the damaged mast and fitting was removed from the boat and replaced in time for the start of Race 8 and to be retrospectively measured immediately the boat returned to shore.

The outcome, was that Charlwood and Dawson dropped from the top of the Open fleet into third place overall after missing race seven. That they were able to score a ninth place with an untried rig is testament to their determination. Two Spanish boats now head the open table. The 2017 420 Junior European Champions, Carlos Balaguer and Antoni Massanet, with a third and a sixth today are clear leaders ahead of their countrymen Albert Torres and Francisco Mulet. The French pair Thomas Andre and Justin Baradat share third place with the Australians.

Scores are so close in the Open division that any of the top ten boats can still win.

420 Open – Results after 8 Races
1. Carlos BALAGUER/Antoni MASSANET (ESP 55947) – 17 pts
2. Albert TORRES/Francisco MULET (ESP 52779) – 20 pts
3. Chris CHARLWOOD/Josh DAWSON (AUS 54351) – 21 pts
4. Thomas ANDRE/Justin BARADAT (FRA 55986) – 21 pts
5. Edoardo FERRARO/Francesco ORLANDO (ITA 56278) – 23 pts
6. Enrique LUJÁN/Pablo LUJÁN (ESP 56331) – 23 pts
7. Andrea SPAGNOLLI/Kevin RIO (ITA 56028) – 28 pts
8. Enzo BALANGER/Gaultier TALLIEU (FRA 56030) – 35 pts
9. Eduard FERRER/Carlos DE MAQUA (ESP 55980) – 44 pts
10. Elias ARETZ/Pablo GARCÍA (ESP 56251) – 51 pts

Source: Bernie Kaaks / Fremantle Sailing Club

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