49er Worlds - team progress
Written by Harvey Hillary | 06 January 2010
After 3 Days and 8 races, the top 25 have now gone through into Gold Fleet to decide the 2010 49er World Champions.
Some key points from the regatta so far:
- This is going to be a regatta won though patience! It’s been cold, it’s mostly been windy but most of all it’s been very gusty. The fact is you will get some bad luck and you will make mistakes on the racecourse. The team that stays in the here and now and patiently sails back from a deep 1st mark rounding will win the title.
- The Brits are coming! With 6 teams currently in the Top 13, it’s proof that our squad system is working. Pinky and Rick along with Morrison and Rhodes are right in the hunt at the top of the table, but it’s early days and we all expect it to be a high scoring Gold Fleet so there’s plenty of time to see some movement in the Medal slots.
- Iker and Xavier are going to be in the Top 3. This Spanish team have always been inconsistent but they’re fast and with 4 lap races they have been able to sail back into counting positions from some really deep 1st mark roundings.
- The GBR nippers have made some gains! Fletcher and Sign have had some of the best boat handling in the fleet in some very testing conditions. Last year they finished 13th and that was ahead of many people’s expectations. This year it looks like they have consolidated their position in the top 15 and they’ve put in some very impressive results so far. Equally impressive have been the new team of Evans and Powys. So laid back they seem horizontal but they got a grip on the conditions quicker than most of the fleet and currently stand 13th.
- Some nations have underperformed. The Danish and German’s will feel disappointed by the regatta so far. 2 of the best funded teams in world sailing and only 1 team in the top 10 mix.