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31 July 2007, 12:19 pm

RS:X Youth World Championships 2007

Pierre LE COQ in action

©Vincenzo Baglione

114 Competitors From 16 Countries For Inaugural Event

Sopot, Poland

One hundred and fourteen competitors from 16 countries and three continents have entered the first RS:X Youth World Championship in Sopot, Poland. The event is supported by the RS:X Under 21 Class Championship. Sixty-five youth boys, divided into two groups, will do battle with Pierre LE COQ (FRA), who has just returned from winning the gold medal at the 2007 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

After all the formalities of measurement and the practice race, the official opening ceremony took place last Saturday evening on Europe's longest wooden pier with the mayor of Sopot Jacek KARNOWSKI as the guest of honour.

Day one on Sunday, saw LE COQ lying in fourth place overall having posted a tenth and second. His compatriot, Damien ROUSSEL (FRA) had a much more consistent day taking two steady thirds but fighting it out at the head of the fleet Richard HAMILTON (GBR) and Christian FREIMUELLER (GER) look like they mean business.

Over in the girls fleet, Alisha KAWALLA (AUS) heads the fleet with Regina STADLER (GER) and Maja DZIARNOWSKA (POL) second and third respectively. Man Hei CHAN (HKG) is fourth.

Rory Ramsden (As Amended By ISAF)

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.