Sophies are back on top at Largs 

Weguelin and Ainsworth quick out the blocks after weather-delayed fifth day at 470 Europeans

The Sophies, Weguelin and Ainsworth, are back in the top spot at the 470 European Championships at Largs with just one more day of qualifying to go.  

It was the fifth day of races where patience was required to accommodate two of sailing’s occupational hazards.   

A complete lack of wind, unprecedented so far this week, eventually turned into a 10-knot northerly but delayed the start of the first race by 90 minutes.   Then in the second race the fleet endured an even longer wait when it had to clear the course to make way for a super tanker heading up the Clyde.   

Weguelin and Ainsworth, second on the overnight table, produced a fifth and third to nudge them ahead of Germans Annika Bochmann and Elisabeth Panuschka.  Both are now equal on 23 points.   



Together with Slovenia’s Tina Mrak and Teja Cerne on 26 points it makes for a very tight knit group of three at the top and the prospect of a thrilling medal race on Wednesday.  

“It was a snakes and ladders day, especially in the first race where everybody was chopping and changing places,” said Skandia Team GBR’s Ainsworth.  

“We are all so close on points so you have to be wary of getting separated from each other but we want to make sure we go into the medal race in a good position.  

“It was hard racing but good that we didn’t lose any points on either of the girls in the top three.  In the first the Slovenian was tacking on us a lot and getting a little bit lairy, with us and her crew, but probably more out of annoyance.”  

Ainsworth was quick to praise the British juniors, Anna Burnet and Flora Stewart, for a risky strategy which led to their winning the day’s first race.  

“It was great to see the young British girls doing so well,” she said. 

“They are doing really well and taking a risk where it is clearly paying off.  We are being a little bit more conservative so good for them.”    

Burnet and Stewart, the only all-Scottish crew competing in this week’s event, decided not to follow the rest of the fleet at the first windward mark.  

“When the whole fleet gybed off at the windward mark I made the call to keep going straight before we gybed, then we went low and sailed around everyone in front of us,” said Burnet.  

“We were first then so we knew we had to just keep in front of the other boats.  It was quite shifty and so it was difficult to keep on top of all the boats when they were going in different directions.   

“The Germans were right behind us but we came out ahead at the windward mark and kept our speed up to stay ahead.  It was very satisfying to win our second race.”  

In race two the Scots finished eighth, good enough to keep them in sixth place overall and increase their chances of making their first Medal race against seniors.  

Also flying the British flag in the women’s top 10 are Joanna Freeman and Katie Tomsett at five, whilst Amy Seabright and Eilidh McIntyre are in tenth spot.  

In the men’s event Britain’s Ben Saxton and Richard Mason moved down a place to third after what they described as an ‘awful’ Monday’s racing.  Their seventh and fourteenth places yesterday move them below Russian brothers Mikhail and Maxim Sheremetyev.  Croatia’s Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic are still top of the men’s table.   

Britain’s David Kohler and Philip Sparks maintain progress back up the leader board they led on day one.  Two fourth places on Monday edged them up one place to fourth overall.  

“We had to work hard today, especially in the first beat of the first race where we had to pull our way back through the whole fleet,” said Sparks.  

“We had a good run, got the right side of the tide on the second beat, got the shifts right and did the same again on the second run, getting the right side of the tide again.  

“But this is the first day we have been faster downwind. All the other days we have only been holding the other boats.”  

The 470 Europeans is hosted by the Royal Yachting Association at Largs Sailing Club, and is supported by UK Sport, EventScotland, North Ayrshire Council, the Scottish Sailing Institute, sportscotland, the International 470 Class Association and RYA Scotland.

Racing concludes Wednesday 4 July.  Full results and regatta information is available at www.470europeans2012.com