The RS:X World Windsurfing Championships in Mussanah, Oman, concluded in spectacular style today with the Medal Races producing nail-biting competition and two extremely worthy world champions. Peina Chen, the 26 year-old super-fit Chinese sailor confirmed her overall win of the Women’s World Championship, while an eighth place for Frenchman Pierre Le Coq in the Medal Race was enough for him to retain his leading position and secure the Men’s title.

The championship couldn’t have finished on a better note with winds in the mid teens resulting in planing conditions that made the Medal Races in the afternoon particularly exciting. Peina Chen commenting on her win said: “It feels amazing to be world champion. For me today’s race was about trying to keep out of the way of the other girls whose results were important. I just enjoyed the day and the good wind.
“This event has taught me to focus more on myself and how to control my mind. I know that downwind I am faster than all the other girls, and upwind I am also good, so I now just need to trust myself because I know I can perform well.”

The race for the silver medal was intense but a fourth place for British Olympic bronze medallist, Bryony Shaw (32), in the Medal Race, was enough to lift her up the ranks and secure the title a clear 8 points ahead of Lilian de Geus (NED) who took bronze.
Shaw commented: “I had a really fun day today in those conditions and I am very happy to win the silver. I am very impressed with Peina from China and really pleased she won because she is amazingly fast.”

Pierre Le Coq, 26, was unstoppable this week and led the men’s division from start to finish. In his typical relaxed style, he was delighted with his result. “It is incredible, I am the world champ and I am so happy. The conditions today were perfect. We had good planning conditions and I really enjoyed racing with the top guys. I put my win down to training. I think I lived every day for the last three months for this world championship and it has paid off. Also, the French team are very strong and it is thanks to them, and the way they have pushed me that I am in this position today.”
Aichen Wang (CHN) who finished today’s Medal Race in sixth place, and just one point behind Le Coq overall, took the silver medal, while Olympic gold medallist Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED) won the bronze.

Eighteen year-old Stefania Elfutina (RUS) maintained her 10th overall in the world championship and clinched the 2015 Oman RS:X Under 21 Women’s Windsurfing Championship title. She sailed well all week and included a 1st place in her overall score line. “My aim was to make the Medal Race and I have achieved my goal. Sailing with Olympic medallists in the Medal Race was fantastic and I feel the experience has made me stronger,” she said.

The 2015 Oman RS:X Under 21 Men’s Windsurfing Championship title went to 19-year-old Mattia Camboni (ITA) who said he was delighted with his result. “I went into the Medal Race really relaxed today and enjoyed every minute. It was a good feeling to be so young and competing against some of the world’s more experienced sailors.”

After another tough day on the water, competitors joined friends, family and guests, including Guest of Honour His Excellency Ahmed Al Mahrazi – Minister of Tourism – and Her Excellency Maitha Al Mahrouqi – Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Chairwomen of Oman Sail for a spectacular Omani send off at the 2015 RS:X World Windsurfing Championships closing ceremony. From this event, many competitors head straight to Abu Dhabi to the ISAF Sailing World Cup, which takes place from 27 October to 1 November.

2015 RS:X World Championship Overall Results (top 10)
MEN
FRA-77 Pierre Le Coq
CHN-1 Aichen Wang
NED-8 Dorian van Rijsselberge
CHN-8 Zhichao Zhang
POL-82 Piotr Myszka
SUI-36 Mateo Sanz Lanz
ESP-7 Pastor Lafuente Ivan
FRA-1 Louis Giard
ITA-88 Mattia Camboni
CHN-6 Chunzhuang Liu

Full list of Men’s results

WOMEN
CHN-81 Peina Chen
GBR-94 Bryony Shaw
NED-3 Lilian de Geus
POL-8 Zofia Noceti-Klepacka
POL-21 Malgorzata Bialecka
ESP-5 Marina Alabau Neira
FRA-4 Charline Picon
ESP-1 Blanca Manchon
CHN-9 Jiali Sun
RUS-271 Stefania Elfutina

Full list of Women’s results

Event website: https://rsxclass.com/worlds2015/

 

After today’s racing, a total of six countries, in both Men and Women categories, have had Olympic qualification confirmed.
Countries qualified for the Olympics are as follows:

Women: HKG, JPN, NOR, AUS, DEN, GRE

Men: SUI, KOR, HUN, HKG, POR, MEX

 

RS:X Class

The Final Series at the RS:X World Windsurfing Championships in Mussanah, Oman, concluded today with the top 10 from each Gold fleet – Men and Women – now confirmed for the Medal Race tomorrow. Although she still needs to contest the Medal Race on Saturday, Peina Chen the super-fast Chinese sailor who has a clear 22-point lead, looks set to take an overall win of the Women’s World Championship.

Chen, who has dominated the fleet for most of the regatta, and has produced exceptional speed throughout, particularly downwind, says although she is fit, she is now looking forward to a rest once the Medal Race is over.

“It has been tough for everyone. Today the conditions were up and down and shifty and I feel very tired. I was happy with my performance though because I just focused on myself, and even if I had a relatively poor beat, I was able to gain places again downwind.”

Chen’s closest challenger this week was Malgorzata Bialecka (POL) who snatched the overall lead yesterday but had a relatively poor day today. She now has to include a 17th in her score line.

The conditions were challenging with the wind shifting back and forth so it was a case of staying completely focused throughout. The Women enjoyed generally fresher conditions in the afternoon, which is where Bryony Shaw (GBR) really came into her own. Shaw, bronze medalist in Beijing 2008, and winner of the RS:X European Championship earlier this year, posted a 4, a 5 and finished the day with a 1st, enough to lift her to 3rd overall in the Final Series.

One of the most impressive performances this week comes from 18 year-old Stefania Elfutina (RUS) who not only leads the 2015 Oman RS:X Under 21 Women’s Windsurfing Championship, but in finishing the Finals Series in 10th, she also qualifies for the Medal Race tomorrow.

Commenting on today’s race Elfutina, said: “I am shattered – it was all about pumping today. I am so happy though because my aim was to make the top 10 and I’ve done it.”

In the Men’s division, Pierre Le Coq (FRA), the 26-year-old dentist from Brest, Brittany, managed to secure a win in the Finals Series, but the Chinese really gave him a run for his money.

In the light, shifty airs he struggled to keep pace today while the Chinese duo Aichen Wang and Zhichao Zhang were unstoppable. Wang and Zhang finished the Finals Series in second and third place respectively and will be serious challengers in tomorrow’s Medal Race.

Le Coq commented: “The Chinese were on fire particularly in the light winds, planing downwind at great speeds. I also did some good races but physically I found it very tough today.”

Looking ahead to tomorrow Le Coq added: “My plan is to not match race, I just want to go out there and sail my best.”

Nineteen-year-old Mattia Camboni (ITA) is another impressive young sailor. He has led the 2015 Oman RS:X Under 21 Men’s Windsurfing Championship all week, and after today’s results, which included a 2nd place, he finishes the Final Series in 9th overall, which is enough to secure a place in the Medal Race tomorrow.

“I am so happy to have made the top 10 so I can race the Medal Race. It makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

Commenting on what makes him so fast, Camboni added: “Fitness. I find it really important to maintain fitness to be able to pump hard. I spend a lot of time in the gym and on the road bike.”

The plan for Saturday is to run a double-points scoring Medal Race for the top 10 in both the Men and Women fleets to determine the overall winners of the RS:X World Windsurfing Championships.

The remaining Gold fleet and Silver fleet competitors will race one fleet race to determine the final overall positions including the results of the 2015 Oman RS:X Under 21 Windsurfing Championship.

Results:
Men: http://os.om/1jD0UAS
Women: http://os.om/dafdkjh

Event website: https://rsxclass.com/worlds2015/

The RS:X World Windsurfing Championships in Mussanah, Oman, delivered another cracking day of competition for the opening races of the Final Series.

Thirteen knots of wind, mid-afternoon, was enough to create thrilling speeds for the men’s fleets both upwind and down and impressive tactical racing. The newly formed Gold and Silver fleets – determined by rankings from the Qualifying Series earlier in the week – really raised the intensity today. Given the fact that for many of the countries and sailors competing in Oman, this event acts as an Olympic qualifier, the competitors are fighting for every inch.

After a postponement due to lack of wind, the women were first off and managed to complete two races in generally light conditions.

Malgorzata Bialecka (POL) posted two second places to slip into the lead of the Women’s World Championship ahead of Peina Chen (CHN), event leader so far.

Bialecka, who has been constant in her performance, said the key to success at this event is fitness and consistency.

“It is a very tough event, very physical, so it is important to be fit and to build up consistent results. I think the break we had yesterday made me come alive again, because I felt I had a lot of power today.”

Peina Chen (CHN) who started the week well with a string of first places, and won the first race today, also had to settle for a seventh place to count, which puts her in second place overall, just one point behind Bialecka, the new leader.

The leader of Silver fleet after two Finals races is Joanna Sterling (AUS) with a four-point margin over Veronica Fanciulli (ITA).

The tempo has increased in the Men’s Gold Fleet too with new faces appearing at the front including 27-year-old Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED) – gold medallist at London 2012. Van Rijsselberge reveled in the freshening breeze and snapped up the first two races of the day. Although Pierre Le Coq (FRA) still retains the overall lead, there are now just six points between him and Piotr Myszka (POL) who is in second.

Le Coq, who was blocked in at the start of the second race today admitted it was not an ideal scenario.

“I probably started completely last in that one and although it looked promising at the start of the third race, the wind dropped and I didn’t sail well in that one either. Thankfully I had a good first race.”

Myszka, who spent the last month training at the Millennium Resort in Mussanah, said he really feels the benefit.

“For us this event is a country qualification for the Olympics, so we are not only concentrating on the medals at the worlds but also qualification to Rio. My aim is to be in a medal position. To achieve that it is a case of being in tip top condition, and achieving consistent results.

“I really believe that training here at the resort and acclimatising to the hot conditions has made a lot of difference to my performance.”

The current leader of Men’s Silver Fleet, after today’s three races is Pedro Pascual (USA) who sailed impressively to gain a sixth, fourth and a second place in the last race. Tom Squires (GBR) is lying second.

There are three remaining races in the Final Series tomorrow, starting at 12:00 local time (CET+2). The top 10 from the Gold fleets (Men and Women) in the Final Series will then go forward to Saturday’s double points-scoring Medal Race to determine the overall winners of the RS:X World Windsurfing Championships.

Results:
Men: http://os.om/1jD0UAS
Women: http://os.om/dafdkjh

Photos: http://www.omansail.com/rsxoman/photos/

Event Website: https://rsxclass.com/

Peina Chen (CHN) and Pierre Le Coq (FRA) continue to lead their respective fleets at the RS:X World Windsurfing Championships in Mussanah, Oman, but light tactical conditions made for some challenging racing on the second day. The wind, when it did fill in, was lighter than expected and never reached more than 8kts. This led to an exceptionally physical day where skilful pumping played a major part in success on the racecourse.

With three more qualifying races per fleet (men and women) to complete, racing got underway promptly at 1200. Men were first off and enjoyed some of the best breeze of the day. Although Le Coq has managed to maintain his overall regatta lead with another couple of wins to add to his already impressive scoreline, he didn’t have it all his own way today in the 85-strong fleet. In the second race of the day (White Group) Pastor Lafuente Ivan (ESP) sailed well, overtook Le Coq in the closing stages, and notched up his first win of the week. In Yellow Group, Zhichao Zhi (CHN), sailing his first ever world championship, seems to have super-fast all round speed. After today’s racing  he has a scoreline of 4,1,2 to lift him up the rankings to second overall.

Commenting on his impressive result, Zhichao Zhi from China, said: “This is the first time I have sailed abroad, and at a world championship, so I am delighted to be here and I am really happy to be doing so well. I think the reason I am fast in these conditions is because I am so light. The aim now is to continue to do well by sailing normally without too much pressure. I am really keen to learn from the other guys and to keep improving.”

Chatting about the challenging conditions, Pierre Le Coq added: “Three races in those conditions is very hard for us. Very challenging to be in front and to be consistent so I am really happy and I am ready for the rest of the week.

“It was very important to make good starts and good choices early on today because in these 20 minute races, it is difficult to come back if you make a wrong decision. Thankfully my speed was still okay but some of the other guys are really fast too so I need to keep an eye on them.”

In the women’s fleet 26 year-old Peina Chen who recently finished second at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao, retains the overall lead but said she found it extremely tough. Also, having to do penalty turns in the first race of the day for incident on the start line wasn’t a good start to the day.

One of the most notable performances came from Charline Picon (FRA). Picton who won the Aquece Rio International Sailing Regatta (Rio 2016 Test Event) two years in a row (14 and 15) and the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Santander, showed her true colours today with a stunning performance. In the closing stages of race 1, in the last short reach to the finish, she out-pumped race leader Zofia Noceti-Klepacka (POL) and, in fine style, snatched first place. She then went on to score another first place and a second, which lifts her up the rakings to second overall.

Picon commented: “I had a very good day today but it is tough here. Last week we had planing conditions but this week it is light and physically demanding. Also because there are a lot of sailors and countries using the event as an Olympic qualifier it is extremely competitive. Peina Chen from China, for example, is in very good shape. From here on it will be in more tough because we’ll be racing only the best girls in the gold fleet where every point is important.”

Peina Chen commenting on Picon’s speed said: “She also sailed smart in race two and on the last tack of the race I lost my lead to her. She then pipped me to the post for second in race three.”

On her performance elsewhere, Chen added: “Doing turns in the first race was not ideal but I tacked too fast, into Marina’s [Alabau Neira] water so naturally had to do something about it. I have to say it is really great racing because it is so close. I am however, looking forward to a rest tomorrow.”

Malgorzata Bialecka (POL) who won the final Blue Group race of the day, retains third place overall. She said today was all about starting right and pumping. “We had slightly less wind, and it was a bit shifty so the most important thing was pumping. I was incredibly tough however, so feel tired now. I do believe it is going to be a lot harder when we split in two fleets [gold and silver] because all the best girls are going to fight together so it will be pretty tough.”

The fleet can now relax and enjoy a well-earned day of rest and recuperation tomorrow (reserve day). Racing resumes on Thursday 22 October at 12:00 local time (CET+2). Men and women’s fleets will be split in to gold and silver fleet, according to overall rankings from the first two days (six races). The final races and medal races will take place on Saturday 24 October.

 

Day 2 Results:
Men: http://os.om/RSXday2Men
Women: http://os.om/RSXday2Women

Video Highlights: Day 2

Event website: https://rsxclass.com/worlds2015

All ten Olympic events will be contested in Abu Dhabi from 27 October to 1 November, with an open kiteboarding event joining the fray around Lulu Island off the UAE capital’s stunning Corniche.

With just 20 boats in each event the competition is set to be fierce. The ten Olympic events will contest an opening series and a Medal Race with the kiteboard fleet using a short track format.
ISAF has sent the invitations to the sailors who had 72 hrs to reply to confirm or reject the invitation. As number of sailors did not reply or rejected the invitation, there are some vacancies, so everyone who is still interested to participate at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final, please contact ASAP to ISAF Sailing World Cup Manager Mr. Antonio Gonzalez de la Madrid – [email protected]

It would be easy to travel by shuttle from the RS:X World Championships at Al Mussanah, Oman to Abu Dhabi. For the more detailed information, please read
more by clicking HERE.

The Abu Dhabi Sailing Club hired Ben Remocker  to be the Athletes Ambassador for Sailing World Cup Final this year.  Ben’s role will be to try and sort out anything the sailors want, from competition to equipment to accommodation, or shipping.
Please contact to Ben if there are any things he can help or who to contact with any info you’re looking for.
Mr. Ben Remocker – [email protected]

Accommodation packages provided by ORYX Int’l Tourism LLC.
Same as last year please find attached the accommodation packages and select as per your requirement and contact ASAP to Babar Saeed – Managing Partner:
Mr. Babar Saeed – [email protected]
Mobile:+971 50 902 4748

6 Nights/7 Days Package
7 Nights /8 Days Package

ISAF/RS:X Class