Croatian Stipanovic new leader on Laser Standard, Radial races abandoned for lack of wind

Thursday was a day of anticipation for the Laser Standard and Laser Radial European Championships & Trophy 2010 in Tallinn, Estonia. The starts were postponed for three hours for lack of wind, and while the Laser Standard athletes managed to sail two races, Laser Radial will have to make up for the postponed races tomorrow.

On Laser Standard, the first race was held in around shifty, up to 8 knots wind. Australian Ryan Palk took the first final race, with German Philipp Buhl second and Tonci Stipanovic third. The second race began after waiting for the wind to stabilize its speed, this time Germans took the double lead with Simon Grotelschen first, Buhl second and Greek Evangelos Chimonas third.

Phillip Buhl who sailed to the second place in both races said the day was unbelievable for him. “I have been having problems with the gold fleet this year, but even in this shifty and light wind I could sail two second places today, so I am unbelievably happy. I am normally better in the strong wind cause I am a bit heavier. I think today it was important to sail on the right side and I did 100% right. I feel a bit of pressure on me for tomorrow but it is important to sail with pleasure.” 20-years old Buhl, who had initially set his goal into the TOP16, now wants to finish the European Championships & Trophy in the TOP5.

Overall, the Laser Standard have a new leader – Croatian Tonci Stipanovic with 30 points. “I want to finish in the TOP3 – this is my goal for this regatta. I hope we will have better wind tomorrow, so I can do it,” Stipanovic said.

The Croatian is followed by Philipp Buhl, who managed to climb from the 8^th overall place to no 2 with his today’s performance, Buhl’s score is 34.

Current third with 36 points comes Olympic winner and current world champion Paul Goodison of Great Britain, who admitted to aiming for gold tomorrow. “I am still trying to win. I think I have a good chance when another discard comes in,” he said. “Today was a bit up and down. The first race was pretty good, I got a 4^th but the second race wasn’t so good. The wind completely disappeared and it wasn’t really fast sailing. I think the forecast has a bit better breeze for tomorrow so hopefully we’ll get two good races and finish off the championships.”

While the Laser Standard gold and silver fleets sailed two final races today and bronze fleet one race due to the dying wind, Laser Radials were not so lucky. After several hours of waiting for the wind, the first final race began but was abandoned in mid-way due to wind dying down again. Finally the Radial athletes were called back on land and will continue the abandoned race tomorrow, along with two final races originally scheduled for the last day. Hence, the TOP3 remains unchanged with Tina Mihelic from Croatia as the leader, Charlotte Dobson from Great Britain at the second and Belgian Evi Van Acker at the third place.

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