Percy and Simpson new Star world champions
João Pedro Nunes, ZDL
Posted: 22 Jan. 2010
Andrew Bart Simpson and a newly bewhiskered Iain Percy celebrate their win - Marcelo Rhenius Regattapix
Rio de Janeiro: British sailors Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson, the Beijing Olympic gold medallists have added to their list of triumphs, securing the Star World Championship this Thursday local time in Brazil.
Hosted by the Yacht Club of Rio de Janeiro (ICRJ), the British duo finished the Banco do Brasil race, the final race of the competition, in 18th place, which was their worst result of the event and used as a discard.
The Swiss team of Flavio Marazzi/Enrico De Maria, currently ISAF World Ranked no. 1, finished the race in 12th place, enough to give them the silver medal. Brazilians Multiple Olympic medallists and world champions, Torben Grael/Marcelo Ferreira made a late charge after taking a lot break from Star sailing and finished a surprisingly good third.
With his victory, Percy joins a very select group of two-time Star world champions. He won his first title in 2002, in Marina Del Rey, USA, competing with Steven Mitchell.
Born on March 21, 1976 in Southampton, Percy is one of the top sailors in the British Olympic team. He won gold in the Star Class at Qingdao in China in 2008, and in the Finn class at the Sydney 2000 Games. He also won the bronze medal at the 2005 Star Worlds and gold in the 2005 Star European Championship.
Percy and Simpson made a triumphant return to the yacht club at the end of the final race, sailing once around the pier to the applause of their competitors, staff, journalists and Yacht Club members.
The pair celebrated with a bottle of champagne. “It was a very tough day. The conditions weren’t great and nothing was going right. I just want to thank Andrew (Simpson), who was amazing. In races with light winds, the bowman is responsible for more than 90% of the speed," an elated Percy stated.
The final race of the competition brought together 73 teams from 19 countries. USA team Mark Mendelblatt and John Von Schwarz won today's race, followed by German sailors Alexander Schlonski and Frithjof Kleen.
Today was also Brazil’s best performance of the Worlds, as four of its teams finished in the top ten. Grael/Ferreira finished the race in third place, followed by Lars Grael/Ronald Seifert in fourth, then Alan Adler/Guilherme de Almeida in fifth and Beijing silver medallists Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada ninth place.
Grael and Ferreira were very pleased with their bronze medal win. "We are very happy because our goal was to be in the top ten and third place is an excellent result," said Grael, on winning his ninth World Championship medal today.
"We had very little time to train before the tournament and we grew throughout the competition. We will continue our Star sailing until the Pre-Olympic event in Brasilia, in February, and perhaps participate in the Bacardi Cup in Miami."
Today's race was a 10.5 nautical mile course of three upwind legs and two downwind legs held on an offshore course between Pai e Mãe Island and Rasa Island. Winds ranged between 6 and 8 knots, from the south-east and south-west under a hot sunny sky.
Race 6 final results:
1- Mark Mendelblatt / John Von Schwarz (USA) - 1
2- Alexander Schlonski / Frithjof Kleen (GER) - 2
3- Torben Grael / Marcelo Ferreira (BRA) - 3
4- Fernando Echavarri / Fernando Rodrigues (SPA) - 4
5- Lars Grael / Ronald Seifert (BRA) - 5
6- Fredrik Loof / John Tillander (SWE) - 6
7- Johannes Polgar / Markus Koy (GER) - 7
8- Gustavo Lima / Carles Nankin (POR) - 8
9- George Szabo / Rick Peters (USA) - 9
10- Diego Negri / Fernando Colaninno (ITA) - 10
12- Flavio Marazzi / Enrico De Maria (SWI) - 12
18- Iain Percy / Andrew Simpson (GBR) - 18
Final results overall with one discard:
1- Iain Percy / Andrew Simpson (GBR) - 20 (2+11+2+1+4+18)
2- Flavio Marazzi / Enrico De Maria (SWI) - 29 (30+1+6+4+6+12)
3- Torben Grael / Marcelo Ferreira (BRA) - 39 (5+25+21+7+3+3)
4- Lars Grael / Ronald Seifert (BRA) - 44 (35+15+12+10+2+5)
5- Alan Adler / Guilherme de Almeida (BRA) - 44 (6+5+11+13+9+74)
6- Diego Negri / Fernando Colaninno (ITA) - 52 (23+18+5+6+13+10)
7- Fredrik Loof / John Tillander (SWE) - 52 (8+9+18+19+11+6)
8- Eivind Melleby / Petter Pedersen (NOR) - 54 (9+10+4+16+16+15)
9- Robert Scheidt / Bruno Prada (BRA) - 64 (3+19+50+5+5+32)
10- Johannes Babendererde /Timo Jacobs (GER) - 66 (1+8+39+8+15+34)
16- Gastão Brun / Gustavo Kunze (BRA) - 73 (21+7+15+48+8+22)
21- André Mirsky / Marcelo Jordão (BRA) - 98 (33+6+22+3+35+34)
The Star World Championship 2010 is sponsoring by Banco do Brasil, Transpetro, Governo Federal, Gol Linhas Aéreas, Santa Constanza, Wollner and Secretaria Estadual de Turismo, Esporte e Lazer do Rio de Janeiro. The event is organized by Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro, International Star Class Yacht Racing Association (ISCYRA), Confederação Brasileira de Vela e Motor (CBVM) and Federação de Vela do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FEVERJ).
Further information and full results: www.starworlds2010.com
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