The Official
Website of the
International
Sailing Federation

Race seven of the series saw the fleet split at the start and it was the French team of Eric BREZELLEC in J' Suis who lead around the first mark with Marie-Claude HEYS (GBR) in Jenga tacktick nudging his transom and Ruairidh SCOTT (GBR) in Team Volvo third. Working hard on the downwind leg, Jenga tacktick nipped past J' Suis and held her lead finishing out in front with J' Suis second and Team Volvo third.

Needles and Pins and the German team of Peter HECHT and Ulrich MUENKER were certainly one of the favourites to win this regatta and at times have found good form. It all came together for them in race eight. At the first and second marks it was the French team in Apolojee in first place and Peter WANSTALL (GBR) in Jem second with Robert NAPIER (GBR) in Jura hot on his heels. At this point Needles and Pins was way back in the fleet, but by the second windward mark they had worked their way to second place. Their bullet at the finish was well deserved. Apolojee took second place and Team Volvo made it in third.

Consistency wins regattas and prior to race nine of this ten race championship there must have been a bit of a team huddle on board SCOTT's Team Volvo. With their worst result to count being a 13th they knew they just had to hang in there to take the Silva J/80 World Championship title. That said, Team Volvo were not to have things all their own way and the Swedish team of Ola BURMARK sailing Thule were first up the beat to the windward mark. By the second beat they had slipped to second and the French team of Eric HERVE in Jiotoo had taken the lead. At this point Team Volvo were in fourth place. By the third lap of the course Jiotoo had extended their lead over Thule and as they rounded and popped their kite they were joined by a pod of dolphins on their bow. At the finish it had all changed again and it was Jiotoo (with dolphins) in first place, Team Volvo second and Laurent ABIGNOLI (FRA) in Tendrisse third.

For SCOTT and his crew in Team Volvo, using a borrowed boat owned by the RYA, second place in race nine was enough to win them the Silva J/80 World Championship with a race to spare. A truly impressive result for an extremely skilled and charming young team. However, with the final race of the series due to be sailed this morning, there is still much to win or lose for the 52 other teams at this event and even with the winner decided, the atmosphere is no less tense and exciting than it has been since racing started on Monday.

Top Ten After Nine Races