Star - World Championship 2012 - Hyères FRA - Day 1, Clarke/Björn CAN 12th, Mendelblatt/Fatih USA 13th

Unusual South wind entering the Bay of Hyères over the Porquerolles Island prevailed on the first day of the Starboat World Championship creating difficult conditions. After some start postponements, the wind established around 10-15 kn to allow for the only race of the day.
With an impressive start-to-finish victory, Xavier Rohart/Pierre-Alexis Ponsot FRA demonstrated their excellent form. Lööf/Salminen SWE and O'Leary/Burrows IRL follow on the ranks 2 and 3. In the tight fight for the remaining four Olympic berths, it was the former Tornado Olympic Champion Fernando Echevarri ESP with Fernando Rodriguez ESP as crew who set a first mark finishing 4th. Andersen/Just DEN as 9th, Spitzauer/Habermüller AUT as 10th and Lovrovic/Lovrovic CRO as 11th occupy at present the remaining quota places. Clarke/Björn CAN 12th and Mendelblatt/Fatih USA 13th are the best North Americans. The results, the well edited video of the day and the report (f) and in English.