The Official
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Women's Fleet
The Women's fleet racing in Kerteminde is every bit as competitive. On form at the moment is Spain's Blanca Manchon, who has podiumed at all but two of the seven events she has competed in this year and is the the 2009-2010 ISAF Sailing World Cup winner.
"I have trained a lot for this event and the place is really similar to Weymouth," says Manchon. "I will try to enjoy Denmark a lot and be focussed on the wind because it will be difficult."
Manchon spent two weeks training in Kerteminde prior to Skandia Sail for Gold, where she finished second to France's Charline Picon. "It was good because we had all conditions, planing and not planing and I really like the place," she says of her training in Denmark. "We will have a good races and good wind."
Manchon reckons there are perhaps five who are likely to win the Worlds this year in the Women's class. Among those she rates are her Spanish team mate and 2009 World Champion, Marina Alabau, Charline Picon and the Italians. Among the Italian line-up at the Worlds is Beijing silver medallist and 2008 World Champion Alessandra Sensini, who like Ashley has been easing back into her Olympic campaign having this year competed at just two events - the Europeans where she was fourth and the Princess Sofia Trophy which she won.
The ISAF ranked world #1 at present is Team GBR's Beijing bronze medallist Bryony Shaw, who more generously reckons there are around eight of the 74 women competitors capable of winning. In addition to the dominant Spanish, French and Italians, Shaw also rates the strong Polish team including Zofia Noceti-Klepacka, the 2007 World Champion, who was third at the Europeans this year. "She has just come back from having a baby. She is in good shape. She has dropped a bit of weight. Power to weight is so crucial. She was always the dominant high wind sailor, so that has really helped her sailing."
Shaw reckons that she personally is also in good shape going into this championship. "It will be a hard fight, but I feel that this year has been going well and we have been hitting our goals. Speed-wise I am going pretty well and my fitness is up there for the light wind races."
Racing at the RS:X World Championships in Kerteminde starts this Sunday. There is a reserve day on Wednesday and the Medal Races for the top ten in each class are on Saturday 4 September.
The 2010 RS:X World Championships is one of many major international sailing events to be held in Denmark in recent years. This summer, Denmark has hosted the SAP 505 World Championship. Denmark is bidding for the ISAF Sailing World Championship 2014, which will be the World Championship for all Olympic classes. Denmark's official bid for the ISAF Sailing World Championship 2014 will be made this autumn.