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23 January 2007, 10:20 am

GAINZA And VILLAMBROSA Continue To Shine

29er World Championship 2007

San Isidro, Argentina

With promises for more breeze, the sailors eagerly left the shore today for day two of the 29er Worlds in San Isidro, Argentina. Two races were held in the 5-8 knot range, followed by a wait as the wind dropped, and the last two were races sailed in a building sea breeze with 10-12 knots.

Fifty crews from eleven nations and every continent are competing in Argentina, where today's winners were Matias GAINZA and Federico VILLAMBROSA (ARG) who finished sixth in the 2006 World Championship, and the father/son team of German and Martin BILLOCH (ARG). With dad on the wire, the team posted a 3,2,8,1 and moved themselves into fourth overall. GAINZA and VILLAMBROSA sailed flawlessly with a 5,3,1,2 keeping them atop of the leaderboard.

Female skippers and teams that remain in the hunt include Adela DESCHAMPS of Argentina, with crew 470 Olympian Juan DE LA FUENTE in seventh, and the British duo of Sophie WEGELIN and Sophie AINSWORTH, currently standing in ninth.

Pepe BETTINI and Matias KELLER (ARG) remain in second with Francsco PICCINI and Santiago DENERI (ARG) in third. PICCINI and DENERI held a 7,1,1,9 in today's racing.

More races are scheduled for tomorrow.

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.