RS:X Men ISAF Sailing World Championships 2007 Cascais

Men’s RS:X

The 2007 ISAF Sailing World Championships start in Cascais, Portugal on 28 June, with well over 1,600 sailors lining up to dispute 11 World Championship titles and Olympic qualification. The two windsurfing fleets are set to provide some of the most spectacular racing in the windy Cascais conditions – we take a look at some of the title favourites.

The RS:X windsurfer makes it debut at the Olympic Games in 2008, but whilst the board might be new, there are many familiar faces heading up the challenge for medals in Cascais. Both fleets offer at a fascinating contest between youth and experience and although the class is just over one year old, some engaging rivalries have already begun to form.

The Neil Pryde RS:X replaced the Mistral as Olympic equipment for the Men's and Women's Windsurfer events at the start of 2006. Compared to its predecessor the RS:X is more of a hybrid board, wider and shorter with a larger sail and more in line with the modern windsurfing world.

Cascais should provide a great setting for the windsurfers, with planing conditions (when the board lifts out of the water to ‘plane’ across the surface, reducing drag and increasing speed) prevailing. This should provide some spectacular racing and in theory will favour the taller, heavier sailors. However second guessing the wind is always a risky business and with just one discard in the series it is likely that success in Cascais will require more than just a one-trick pony.

Racing for the RS:X fleets begins on Friday 6 July. Two races are schedule for each day on 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 July, with the RS:X Medal Races on 12 July.

Men’s RS:X

The Basics
Event: Men’s Windsurfer
Equipment: Neil Pryde RS:X
Fleet size: 115
Olympic qualification places: 25
Reigning World Champion: Casper BOUMAN (NED)
Reigning Olympic Champion (on Mistral board): Gal FRIDMAN (ISR)

Leading Challengers

Przemek MIARCZYNSKI (POL)
Age: 30
ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 1
Career Highlights: 2003 World Champion, 2007 European Champion

The world #1 and newly crowned European Champion is the form sailor on the circuit. He won the last combined Worlds back in 2003 and the heavy winds in Cascais should suit him down to the ground.

Nicolas HUGUET (FRA), Nicolas LE GAL (FRA), Julien BONTEMPS (FRA)
Age: 30; 25; 31
ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 2; 9; 17
Career Highlights: HUGUET – 2005 Mistral World Champion; LE GAL – 2007 European Championship bronze medallist; BONTEMPS – 2004 Mistral World Champion

The current leading lights in the French team. Whether the competition for places within the team ends up diluting or intensifying their challenge could well be key to their success.

Nick DEMPSEY (GBR)
Age: 26
ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 3
Career Highlights: 2004 Olympic bronze medallist, 2006 European Champion

Dominated the European racing last year, culminating in the 2006 European title, but since a below-par performance at the Olympic Test Event has yet to recover that form. Still, the Olympic bronze medallist from Athens can never be discounted.

Maxim OBEREMKO (UKR)
Age: 29
ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 11
Career Highlights: 2006 ISAF World Sailing Games gold medallist

The Ukrainian is rarely out of the running at the top events. Showed he is completely at home with the new Medal Race format by grabbing the title with a bullet at last year’s ISAF World Sailing Games.

Tom ASHLEY (NZL)
Age: 23
ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 7
Career Highlights: 2006 World Championship silver medallist
Along with MIARCZYNSKI, ASHLEY has dominated the RS:X scene this year, although contrasting schedules mean the pair have rarely gone head-to-head. When they have, ASHLEY has come up on top. Silver medallist at the 2006 Worlds.

Casper BOUMAN (NED)
Age: 21
ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 13
Career Highlights: 2006 World Champion

The reigning World Champion excels in the breezy conditions predicted in Cascais. He has not had the best season so far, but then many of this year’s regattas have been held in usually light conditions.

Outside Bets

João RODRIGUES (POR)
Age: 35
ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 4
Career Highlights: 1995 Mistral World Champion

A strong start to the season has seen RODRIGUES climb up to #4 in the ISAF World Sailing Rankings. Although he is yet to record an event win on the RS:X, home advantage could well prove important.

Ricardo SANTOS (BRA)
Age: 27
ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 10
Career Highlights: 2005, 2002 Mistral World Championship silver medallist

After the heartbreak of missing out on the Olympic podium in the last race in Athens, SANTOS continues to provide the leading South American challenge on the new RS:X equipment. Win at this year’s Breitling Regatta in Medemblik will be a timely confidence boost.

Gal FRIDMAN (ISR)
Age: 31
ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 31
Career Highlights: 2004 Olympic Champion

The Athens gold medallist in the Mistral has yet to show the same speed on the RS:X, but FRIDMAN has always been a canny competitor well-practiced in timing his peak performances.

Chi Ho HO (HKG), King Yin CHAN (HKG)
Age: 26; 25
ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 24; 25
Career Highlights: HO – 2005 Kiel Week winner; CHAN – 2006 Olympic Test Event third place

Hong Kong’s two leading challengers will probably not be relishing the fierce Nortada wind, but if conditions are uncharacteristically light, expect them to shine.

Nikolas KAKLAMANAKIS (GRE)
Age: 36
ISAF World Sailing Ranking: 46
Career Highlights: 1996 Olympic Champion, 2004 Olympic silver medallist The Olympic gold medallist from Savannah and silver medallist from Athens has taken a slow and steady approach in his move to the RS:X. Beat FRIDMAN to win last year’s Cascais International Sailing Week.

Mike GEBHARDT (USA)
Age: 41
ISAF World Sailing Ranking: Not Ranked
Career Highlights: 1992 Olympic silver medallist, 1988 Olympic bronze medallist

A double Olympic medallist, GEBHARDT has been closely involved in the development of the RS:X class and is one of the most highly-regarded coaches on the windsurfing circuit. Aged 41, and not having competed on the ISAF Graded circuit since the Sydney Olympics in 2000, GEBHARDT just missed out on the gold fleet at the recent Europeans.

About The 2007 ISAF Worlds
The 2007 ISAF Sailing World Championships will take place from 28 June-13 July in Cascais, Portugal. 'The Wind Is Calling' is the official motto for the 2007 Worlds. The Championships are the principal qualification regatta for the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition, with 75% of all national places to be decided.

Source: cascaisworlds2007.com