A host of potential Olympic stars of the future and those who still cut the mustard at the top level will descend on Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) from this Saturday (22 August) for the 2009 IWA Junior, Youth and Masters Windsurfing World Championships.[more]
Incorporating the Bic Techno Under 15 and Under 17 and Raceboard Youth and Raceboard Masters Worlds, the event brings together no fewer than 215 windsurfers from across the globe, as well as the age spectrum, for what is set to be six days of scintillating competition off the Dorset coastline.
Among the Brits looking to make worlds-winning waves in Weymouth and Portland will be 2007 Under 15 World champion and reigning Under 17 European champion Sam Sills from Launceston.
RYA Team GBR will also have high hopes in both the boys’ and girls’ Under 15 Techno 6.8 competition with both Cheadle’s Kieran Martin and Noelle Finch, from Clevedon, landing European crowns in the division earlier this year.
With a strong challenge expected to come across the board from the Israeli sailors, Louis Giard (FRA), Marcin Urbanowicz (POL), Kiran Badloe (NED) and Omer Sofer (ISR) are among the ones to watch in the boys’ U17 event, Sofer recently finishing fifth U17 on the RS:X 8.5 at the RS:X Youth Worlds.
In the boys’ 6.8 event, Mattia Camboni (ITA) and Albert Chaillot (FRA) are likely to be among the frontrunners while in the girls’ 7.8 competition, Lea Mattei (FRA), Veronica Fanciulli (ITA) and Clidane Humeau (FRA) – who dominated the medals at the Europeans – could all feature again at WPNSA.
Racing at the 2009 IWA Junior, Youth and Masters World Championships gets underway on Monday 24 August with Friday 28 August scheduled as a reserve day.
