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24 November 2006, 09:44 am

French Pair Lead The Way

Tornado South American Championship 2006

San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Olivier BACKES and Paul Ambroise SEVESTRE (FRA) got off to a winning start at the ISAF Grade C1 Tornado South American Championship in San Isidro, Argentina. The French pair took the opening bullet in the 32 strong fleet, as they prepare for the ISAF Grade W Tornado Worlds starting on 5 December.

BACKES and SEVESTRE, the Olympic Test Event winners, took the lead early in the first race and never looked back, cementing victory by going left on the final upwind. 'They were just brilliant,' said Fletch, the legendary Australian coach. 'In control from the start to the finish.'

Iordanis PASCHALIDES and Kostas TRIGONIS (GRE) took second place in light and shifty conditions of around 6-12 knots. Recently crowned Argentinean Champions and Olympic bronze medallists Santiago LANGE and Carlos ESPINOLA (ARG) were third and the best placed of the South American teams.

Mischa HEEMSKERK (NED) came in fourth sailing with Mitch BOOTH's (NED) former crew Herbert DERCKSEN (NED). Behind the Dutch in fifth place were Olympic silver medallists Team Advanced Equities, John LOVELL and Charlie OGLETREE (USA).

OGLETREE described their race, 'We sailed a solid race to move up every leg to round the last leeward gate in second. We chose the right side on the last beat and then the wind shifted 30 degrees left ahead of a rain cloud and we lost three boats. A fifth is a 'keeper' in this tough fleet and we are looking forward to tomorrow.'

Race two was abandoned after the boats reached the first mark the wind shifted 180 degrees. It could not be restarted as the Navy sent out an alert of stormy weather and the Race Committee decided to bring the boats back to the club.

Top Ten

Pos	Nation	Helm	Crew	R1	Pts
1	FRA	Olivier BACKES	Paul SEVESTRE	1	1
2	GRE	Iordanis PASCHALADIS	Constantinos TRIGONIS	2	2
3	ARG	Santiago LANGE	Carlos ESPINOLA	3	3
4	NED	Mischa HEEMSKERK	Herbert DERCKSEN	4	4
5	USA	John LOVELL	Charlie OGLETREE	5	5
6	GER	Johannes POLGAR	Florian SPALTEHOLZ	6	6
7	GER	Roland GAEBLER	Gunnar STRUCKMANN	7	7
8	ESP	Fernando ECHAVARRI	Anton PAZ	8	8
9	ESP	Toni RIVAS	Fabian ESCUDÉ	9	9
10	AUS	Darren BUNDOCK	Glenn ASHBY	10	10