By Sports Reporter/Doha
Germany’s Wagner Jan-Jaspe and Baldwein Dustin maintained their stranglehold on top spot after winning all the three races yesterday at the 47th World Military Sailing Championship (470 Class). Qatar, one of the fancied team in the competition, remained in fifth place.
On the opening day too Jan-Jaspe and Dustin had won all the three races and they continued their impressive run yesterday as well. The conditions did change on the second day, with the wind which made its presence felt on the opening day, staying away at Doha Bay. However, it didn’t matter for the German duo as they sailed with perfection to keep the other contenders out of their reach. Unless something goes terribly wrong in today’s final three races, Jan-Jaspe and Dustin are certain to walk away with the title.
In fact, the first three positions remained same as the opening day, the Germans were followed by Ukraine and India, who were second and third respectively.
Ukraine’s Broys Shvets and Pavlo Matsyev finished fourth in the day’s first race, but improved considerably in the next two taking the second spot. India’s Pushparajan Muttu and Narendra Singh Rajput came third in the first race, but slipped in second and third, finishing fourth and fifth.
Qatar’s sailors Sergeant Jassim al-Sulaiti and Corporal Waleed al-Shashani could not improve on their fifth place. They came fifth in the opening race, but improved considerably in the second finishing third. They could have finished higher if they had performed well in the last race, but they came home eight spot, which spoilt their chances.
Meanwhile, the leaderboard changed in the women’s section on the second day as Russians displaced France for the top spot. Alisa Kiriluyk and Liudmila Dmitrieva gave Russia, who were in third spot on Tuesday, the lead after they finished first in last race and second in other two.
France’s Camille Lecointre and Sophie De Turckheim had started brightly winning the first two race, but slipped in the last as they came home. On the final day, the title battle is expected to be between Russia and France as they have tallied the same number of net points, but Russia is ahead when taken into account number of first-place finishes.
Germany duo Victoria Jurczok, Anika Lorenz, meanwhile, overtook Ukraine for the third spot but only one point separate the two teams. The Germans came second in the last race which bettered their podium chances. While, Ukraine’s Anna Kyselova and Anastasiya Krasko finished fifth in two races and came fourth in the remaining one.
Participants in action during the 47th World Military Sailing Championship yesterday.
