Tuesday proved to be a challenging day for the sailors,
as strong gusts passed across the race area under dark
and threatening clouds. Wind speeds in excess of 16 knots
were usual with gusts reaching well over 24 knots in some
areas of the course. The sailboards regularly exceed 20 knots
in speed during racing, which was fast and exhilarating.
After racing, Joe Bennett, current leader of the boys RS:X class, said “It was a hard days sailing, due to the fact that we only completed two races on Monday, out of a scheduled three, so today we were playing catch-up and sailed four”. Winds were gusting up to an estimated 24/25 knots and, as Joe said, “board speeds were well above 20 knots, which made sailing really exciting – the faster the better”.
The board sailors will be sailing twelve races to complete their series, without a lay-day, so fitness and strength is very important to them. After six races (including one discard) Martin Olmeta (FRA) is second, with Mattia Camboni (ITA) third.
In the girls RS:X there is also a British leader after their first six races, Saskia Sills, who is closely followed by her fellow countryman Noelle Finch and Veronica Fanciulli (ITA) third.
Elsewhere within the fleets many nationalities are beginning to show their sailing skills with Joyee Forida (ITA), Celine Carlsen (DEN) and Ines Sobral (POR) leading in the Laser Radial Girls, after five races, and Tobias Herndorff (DEN), Robie Gilmore (IRL) and Finn Lynch (IRL) leading in the Boys Laser Radial.
The 420 class is led by Clara Addari and Arianna Perini (ITA) after their first five races and the boys fleet is led by Davide Marrella and Francesco Rossi (ITA), also after five races. German teams are placed first and second in the 29er class with Jakob Meggendorfer and Andreas Spranger placed first and Ole Knuk and Niclas Kath second, with Simon Betheau and Emile Amoros (FRA) placed third.
Racing on Wednesday will see the Sailboards and 29er sailing three races, while the 420 and Laser Radials sail two. Racing continues daily until Friday 10th August.
For more information go to http://www.sailing-aarhus.dk/eurosafyouthsailing/ and for a range of photographs http://www.flickr.com/photos/sailingaarhus/7733762636/
Follow the racing from 11.00 each day with TracTrac.
