Day 4
Welcome back to Tallinn, in the eastern Baltic, a crossroads between all the compass points, where we’ve had winds and weather from all points over the 4 days of competition so far. Everything including a complete day lost to cold weather and dangerous off-shore wind. So, the Race Committee have been doing everything they can to try and make up the lost day, working the fleets, hard and safe.
The wind on Day 4 was good enough to make an early start, but already gusting quite strongly. All the fleets were sent out but the wind filled in even more, to over 20 knots, too much for the U13s, who were taken off the water after 1 race. The other, physically stronger fleets managed at least 3 more rounds, and some 4 rounds, taking them to 11 races, where they can discard their 2 worst scores. There were some surprise winners today, but by and large the podium positions are shaping up and it will take a big move on the final day, to make any significant change to some of the outcomes.
Given the strong winds, the U13s have been able to complete 10 rounds of racing. Still leading, as he was on day 1, is Italy’s Pierluigi Caproni, comfortably ahead of Latvia’s Viljams Preiss, and Italy’s Mathias Bortolotti.
In the Girls U15, who’ve completed 11 rounds, it’s looking like start-to-finish first place for Poland’s Maria Rudowicz, she’s 14 points ahead of of 2nd placed Spaniard Azul Sanchez-Vallejo, who is just 3 points ahead of the Russian rider, Uliana Vonogova.
After 11 rounds it's incredibly tight between place 1-2- 3-4 in the Boys U15 fleet, with the race wins being spread far and wide. Tiberio Riccini (Italy), Peleg Rajuan, Itamar Levi (Israel) are being chansed by Artun Senol from Turkey.
Russia’s Ovchinnikova Polina still leads in the Girls U17, 10 rounds of races so far, and the top 3 look reasonably comfortable, Czech Republic’a Kristyna Chalupnikova currently 2nd and Spain’s Barbara Winau-Ordinas in 3rd ahead of the early leader, Poland’s Nadia Kulik.
The Boy’s U17 fleet have put in the work, 11 rounds so far, which have seen Italy’s Fedrico Pilloni put on a near-faultless display, he leads Greek rider Petros Kontarinis by 8 points, with Spain’s Billy-James Coll-Tulloch looking assured of at least a bronze medal, he’s 22 points ahead of 4th place.
Without a doubt, the tightest situation is in the Womens Plus fleet, where after 11 rounds only 7 points separate 1st and 4th places, in order, Turkey’s Merve Vatan, Russia’s Daria Bannaya, followed by the 2 Greek riders Marina Cherouveim and Emilia Kosti.
The Mens Plus fleet has also completed 11 rounds, but there’s no doubting the likely winner, Italy’s Davide Antognoli has never finished lower than 3rd in any race and he’s well ahead of compatriot Alessandro Graciotti in 2nd. Behind them Greece’s Meletios Kalpogiannakis and Britain’s Boris Shaw are tied on 31 points, Kalpogiannakis.
With one more day of racing to come, Italy currently lead in a number of divisions, a great team performance, but there are still plenty of changes that can happen. Fingers crossed.