Britain claimed the European place on offer for the Paris Olympics on the final day of gold fleet racing, with the two top GBR teams also making the cut for the 2024 World Championship medal race on Sunday.
Vita Heathcote and Chris Grube will go into the medal race in second place, 9 points behind the new leader, Jordi Xammer and Nora Brugman (11, 6) of Spain.
Long time leaders, Japan’s Tetsuya Isozaki and Yurie Seki had their worst day (16, 12) and are now in third place, 5 pts off Heathcote and Grube,
The German pair, Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort (15, 17) are in fourth, a further 3 pts off a podium place.
Nitai Hasson and Noa Lasry (5, 4) of Israel are 5th and Camille Lecointre and Jeremie Mion (4, 10) of France are 6th, and they will all be in contention for a podium place.
Britain’s Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris (8, 14 ) are in 9th with 89 pts.
The final medal race is looking very tight, and although Xammer and Brugman have a 9 point advantage the podium places are looking very open.
Strong winds made the difference Saturday, playing to the Spanish and British pairs strength, while the Japan crews who had dominated in the lighter breeze struggled.
The Medal Race is set to take place in even bigger breeze so expect the unexpected . . .
470 World Championship – Leaders after 11 races, 1 discard (61 entries)
1st ESP 44 Jordi XAMMAR and Nora BRUGMAN – – 1 6 – – 56 pts
2nd GBR 4 Vita HEATHCOTE and Chris GRUBE – – 9 2 – – 67 pts
3rd JPN 8 Keiju OKADA and Miho YOSHIOKA – – 16 12 – – 72 pts
4th GER 11 Simon DIESCH and Anna MARKFORT – – 15 17 – – 75 pts
5th ISR 15 Nitai HASSON and Noa LASRY – – 5 4 – – 78 pts
6th FRA 1 Camille LECOINTRE and Jeremie MION – – 4 10 – – 82 pts
7th SWE 349 Anton DAHLBERG and Lovisa KARLSSON – – 2 7 – – 84 pts
8th JPN 22 Tetsuya ISOZAKI and Yurie SEKI – – 25 -25 – – 85 pts
9th GBR 55 Martin WRIGLEY and Bettine HARRIS – – 8 14 – – 89 pts
10th AUT 1 Lara VADLAU and Lukas MAEHR – – 6 -16 – – 90 pts
