Jason & Lisa - WORLD CHAMPIONS - on the Podium

 FINAL - EMAIL JASE & LISA: jason-waterhouse@hotmail.com
The Multihull – Hobie 16 provided the final race of the championship, which also proved to be the closest and one of the most exciting. Australian cousins Jason WATERHOUSE and Lisa DARMANIN just held off the challenge from defending champs Romain BELLET and Valentin BELLET (FRA) to win gold by a single point.

“At the moment I’m more relieved than happy, but I’m still pretty happy!” WATERHOUSE said after a stressful day on the water. “We just got out there and tried to keep consistent. It was good breeze and we got off the line well, got up there and just tried to stay there.”

After a shaky start to the regatta 2008 champions, the French BELLET brothers, stormed back in the stronger winds which have typified second half of the series. However, they left their charge just a little too late and although they won today’s race it, the Aussies came in third to claim gold. Silver went to France, with Italians Francesco PORRO and Luca MARSAGLIA completing the podium.

Day 6
With results of 3, 1, 4, AUS moves into first place on a countback from Italy . . . defending champs France move into 3rd only 3 points back with a 1, 2, 1 day.
With only one race to be sailed tomorrow in normal racing format . . . (ie. NOT a medal race worth double points) . . . the competition between the top 3 will seal the gold!

 Day 5
No racing today . . . wind did not appear . . . they must be in Canberra??? 
First race start for tomorrow moved to 11.30 local time  . . . 3 races scheduled . . . 1 race gives them a drop!

 Day 4
Lay day today . . . schedule changed to allow 3 races on each of the next 2 days.

 Day 3
Racing in light & flukey winds . . . Jason & Lisa hang on to 2nd overall . . . with a protest pending . . . Result of the Protest: Hobie, race 4, AUS v NED, NED DSQ rule 10, 18.2(b)

 Day 2
Racing canned . . . too much wind!

Walter BODDENOR, Principal Race Officer, explained the situation, “Today’s wind conditions clearly exceeded the limits for racing and it was simply too dangerous to send the sailors out. Tomorrow the forecast is for light and shifty conditions so we will aim to complete the two races scheduled. Following the lay day on Tuesday, the seabreeze should return and will hope to make up today’s cancelled races in better conditions.”

 Day 1
In breezes in the 12 - 15 kt range Jason & Lisa won the 2 races of day one. . . . see full results below

 Pre Event
In the Open Multihull Event, last year’s champions will defend their titles in Buzios this year.  The French Multihull team is formed of brothers Romain BELLET and Valentin BELLET. The BELLET’s won last year’s title in the Sirena SL16, but face a different challenge this time around with competition held in the ever-popular Hobie 16. In fact so popular is the Open Multihull event this year, the equipment supplier Hobie Cat had to ship in extra boats to accommodate the record entry.

“It’s definitely exciting,” says skipper Romain, who, despite the increased competition, has just one goal in mind, “Last year we won and we want to win again this year! It’s very different as last year was in the SL16 and this year it’s in the Hobie 16 so it’s a new challenge. We started training in the Hobie 16 in January and it’s a very different boat.”

Lining up against the BELLET brothers the African challenge looks particularly strong this year. Matthew WHITEHEAD (RSA) won silver at the helm of the South African multihull last year aged just 16 and returns again in 2009 with new crew Calene LOUBSER (RSA).
Meanwhile, Stewart WALKER and David THOMAS (BOT) are the first Botswana sailors to ever compete at the Youth Worlds.
Another team to keep an eye on is that of Australian cousins Jason WATERHOUSE and Lisa DARMANIN.
Gaston CHEB TERRAB (ARG), silver medallist at last year’s Youth Worlds in the 29er, teams up with Pedro KOCOUREK (ARG) to form the first multihull team to represent Argentina at the Youth Worlds.
 

Follow all the action HERE

The first of tomorrow's races are scheduled to get underway at 12:00 local time (15:00 UTC).

Other Links
	Youth Worlds Website
	Multihull Final Results