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11 June 2013, 02:48 pm

Five Time Lightning World Champion Takes Early Lead At 2013 Worlds

The International Lightning Class World Championship Opening Ceremony

©Lightning Class

International Lightning Class World Championship

Castiglione, Italy

The Lightning Worlds began on 10 June at Lake Trasmineo in Castiglione del Lago, Italy with only one race completed in breeze from 6-13mph.

Forty six boats from 10 countries took to the line. Sailors ranged in age from 12 to 80 years old. Current champions, Tito Gonzalez, Cristian Herman and Alberto Gonzalez, Jr took the bullet in the first race. Gonzalez is a five time Lightning World Champion from Chile.

Grant Alum Justin Coplan from Nyack Boat Club, New York, USA finished second with his team of Danielle Prior and Mike Carney. David Starck, sailing with his wife Jody and Ian Jones all from the Buffalo Canoe Club, Canada, finished third.

A second race was started but was abandoned due to lack of wind.

Racing continues tomorrow.

Results

Laura Jeffers

World Sailing TV

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.