Laser Radial European / World Championship 2007 July 27th to August 11th 2007 - The Hague, The Netherlands Home News NOR/SI Program Entries Weather Charter boats Contact Results Photos Booking facilities DVD Spectator boats Links Sponsors Live commentary, live interviews and lots of music during the event on Laser Radio

Report day 5 Laser Radial World and European Championship Scheveningen, Holland For only the second time in the Laser Radial World and European Championships the Race Committee was able to start on time.  The small high pressure system that was over the course area yesterday was replaced by a weak low pressure that produced a steady 9 to 11 knot north westerly wind.  The current was again a significant factor streaming from north, north east. With the fleets now split into gold and silver it was the first time all the top competitors sailed together and the pressure showed.  In the Women's European Championship fleet the building current held the fleet back behind the line and whilst not too strong the fleet split up the first windward leg.  Half way up the leg there was a clear change in the water colour after which the current appeared to be stronger.  A number of the women misjudged the current at the first mark including the top two overall, Evi van Acker BEL and Gintare Volungeviciute LTU  who both approached the mark on port and got trapped by the starboard tack boats being swept onto the mark.  Van Acker fouled another boat and then hit the mark in a raft that also involved Volungeviciute.  By the time she had the done 3 turns she was back in the late twenties and found it impossible to make progress through the fleet.  She and Volungeviciute both scored their worst result of the series.  Eftychia Mantzaraki GRE took advantage of other's misfortune to lead home Andrea Brewster GBR and Tina Mihelic CRO. The were no problems at the first mark of the second women's race.  Van Acker sailed a conservative race finishing fifth to maintain her overall lead. Volungevicuite was looking set to challenge Van Acker's overall position by leading the fleet home when she was given her second yellow flag of the competition for infringing the propulsion rules on the last downwind leg and had to retire from the race.  This left Gea Jutens NED to take the winning gun from Alberte Lindberg DEN.  Their first and second elevated them to 2nd and 3rd overall behind Van Acker. In the Men's World Championship the Eduardo Vianen NED looked solid after the first race of the day leading home joint second overall Ben Paton from GBR whilst his next 4 closest challengers all scored worse than 20th.  Surprisingly Vianen slipped up on the first windward leg of the second race of the day.  He said "I had a reasonable start but did not clear my wind".  His coach said "he stood on into the stronger current instead of tacking to stay in the weaker current".  Paton won the race from Timofey Zhbankov RUS and Marko Sestan CRO.  Vianen took his discard scoring a 38th and in doing dropped to second overall 7 points behind Paton. Two races more are scheduled for the final day. Both events are far from over. Provisional results after 6 races with 1 discard: Worlds Men: 1. Ben Paton GBR 10pts 2. Eduardo Vianen NED 17pts 3. Steven Krol NED 23pts Europeans Women 1. Evi van Acker BEL11pts 2. Gea Jutjens 23pts 3. Alberte Lindberg DEN 26pts

News archive: Youth WC Final Day Day 5 Day 4: Day 4 Report day 3 Day 2 Youth Worlds, Report by Jeff Martin Report day 1 Youth Worlds Laser Radio EC/WC Laser Radial Report finalday Report day 5 Report day 4 Report by Jeff Martin day 3 Interview with titleholder Evi van Acker (BEL) EC/WC, Day 1, Sunday July 30th, 2007 Training Free Wireless Safety & Conduct rules Sharing coach boat? Training on forehand Laser (Radial) Radio Mobile homes Committee vessel