Alexandra Rickham & Niki Birrell (GBR) have won the 2010 IFDS Two-Person Keelboat World Championship in Medemblik
Photograph:Sander van der Borch
|
David Staley, Thursday, 15 July 2010
Alexandra Rickham & Niki Birrell from Great Britain have won the IFDS 2010 World in Medemblik, Netherlands. Today proved they can also play the game with stronger wind, but they had to fight hard for it.
The first race was a neck and neck battle with New Zealand, two Australian teams and the USA. They all took it up to Rickham & Birrell and they finished fifth, their lowest score for the regatta.
In the second race Rickham & Birrell were sailing for gold and finished fourth - good enough the World title. Two points behind were Scott Whitman & Julia Dorsett (USA), who sailed an extremely consistent regatta to claim the Silver Medal. Daniel Fitzgibbon and Rachael Cox (AUS) won both races today to secure the Bronze position.
The stronger winds on the final day clearly favoured the Australasian teams. Tim Dempsey & Jan Apel (NZL) have been feeling their way through their first major international regatta but revelled in the fresher breezes. Likewise for the second ranked Australian team of Ame Barnbrook & Lindsay Mason who have not competed internationally since the 2008 IFDS SKUD Worlds in Singapore.
Malaysia was another team who put in a very strong regatta in the generally light conditions, only dropping back to 8th after a couple of races in the heavier air.
The 2010 IFDS World Championships were the first Nations Qualifier for the 2012 Paralympic Sailing Competition. With GBR already guaranteed a spot as the host nation, the next top six nations (USA, AUS, CAN, SIN, MAS & NZL) should expect an invitation to compete in Weymouth in two years time.
For full results, daily video bulletins and some great photographs, visit the event website.
| 
