Ashley Takes the Lead at World Champs

Ashley Takes the Lead at World Champs

Date Released: 28 September 2006
From: Jodie Perkins

Ashley Takes the Lead at World Champs
Tom Ashley leads the RS:X World Championships in Lake Garda, Italy with three days of racing remaining.

The 22 year-old from Auckland placed 4th and 10th in the two races sailed overnight to now share the lead with Casper Bouman, NED, who had a 5th and a 17th. Ashley and Bouman are on equal points at the top of the leaderboard, with Joeri Van Dijk retaining his place in third, just three points behind the leaders.

Moving last night into gold fleet competition, Ashley is up against the world's top wind surfers on the Olympic board. The regatta website reports on last nights racing…

"The Gold Men's fleet was a true spectacle. Lots of gold and reflective grey monoflim, bouncing light off the water and back again. Getting off the line with clear air and no obstacles was paramount," says the website report.

Ashley's start to race eight caught him trapped with a board stopped in front which stopped him dead in the water. The report tells how the kiwi climbed back up.

"Tom Ashley really fought back hard pumping pushing any one who got in his way," says the report, of the second race of the day. "A complete show of strength and character. To get a well earned tenth."

Barbara Kendall slipped one place overnight in the Women's division to 12th position overall. Old rival Allessandra Sensini of Italy hit the lead overnight showing top form after a long break from competition. Sensini has a record similar to Kendall with three Olympic medals under her belt, bronze in Savannah, gold in Sydney and bronze in Athens.

JP Tobin improved his overall placing overnight to step up two places into 17th.

With four races yet to run before the top ten then compete in a double-points medal race, the regatta is far from over yet. The medal race is scheduled for Saturday night NZ time.

At the conclusion of yesterdays racing a New Zealand delegate presented a bid to host the 2008 RS:X World Championships in Takapuna, North Shore City.

"After a video presentation, and a question and answer session with both Barbara Kendall and Paul Page. Everybody seemed quite fired up," says the website report. "A vote at the AGM will determine whether the Kiwi's are successful or not."

RS:X World Championships 2006
Men's Top Five after Eight Races

1 Tom Ashley, NZL - 11 points [1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 4, (10)]
2 Casper Bouman, NED - 11 points [1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 5, (17)]
3 Joeri Van Dijk, NED - 14 points [1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 5, 2, (28)]
4 Przemek Miarczynski, POL - 15 points [4, (6), 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1]
5 Nick Dempsey, GBR - 20 points [2, 4, 2, 1, 4, 1, 6, (6)]

New Zealand Men's Results after Eight Races

1 (Gold Fleet) Tom Ashley, NZL - 11 points [1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 4, (10)]
17 (Gold Fleet) JP Tobin, NZL - 54 points [5, 5, 5, 6, 5, 6, 22, (30)]
15 (Silver Fleet) Michael Lichtwark, NZL - 127 points
33 (Silver Fleet) Nick Lichtwark, NZL - 165 points
53 (Silver Fleet) Antonio Cozzolino, NZL - 131 points

Women's Top Five after Eight Races

1 Alessandra Sensini ITA - 16 points [4, 3, (5), 2, 1, 2, 1, 3]
2 Faustine Merret, FRA - 18 points [(dns), 3, 6, 4, 1, 1, 2, 1]
3 Zofia Klepacka POL - 19 points [1, 1, 2, 4, 3, 6, (22), 2]
4 Marina Alabau Neira ESP - 24 points [3, 2, 1, 2, 2, (dsq), 3, 11]
5 Antonia Frai GRE - 46 points [1, 9, 3, 6, (ocs), 8, 6, 13]

New Zealand Women's Results after Eight Races

12 (Gold Fleet) Barbara Kendall NZL - 60 points [11, 5, 1, 3, 14, 11, 15, (23)]
39 (Gold Fleet) Steffanie Williams NZL - 143 points [22, 10, 21, 29, 18, 16, (36), 27]
40 (Gold Fleet) Hayley Thom NZL - 144 points [10, 18, 26, 11, 22, 17, 40, (40)]
12 (Silver Fleet) Kate Ellingham NZL - 150 points [31, (32), 24, 21, 23, 26, 7, 19]
18 (Silver Fleet) Justina Sellers NZL - 174 points [(36), 33, 34, 28, 27, 24, 20, 8]

[ Full Results ]

ENDS

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