Five-time Olympian and 1996 Olympic Champion Nikos Kaklamanakis made light work of atrocious conditions in Portland Harbour to move stealthily up the Raceboard Masters rankings at the 2009 IWA Junior, Youth and Masters Windsurfing World Championships today (Wednesday 26 August).[more]
The Greek legend, also winner of three Mistral World Championships during a celebrated career, did not compete in the lighter breezes on his RS:X board on Monday’s opening day of the regatta opting to wait for conditions to become more favourable.
But the 41-year-old has been in sensational form since stepping on to the water on day two, winning all four races he has competed in, including the two run today in winds gusting over 30 knots and heavy rain.
Portugal’s own quadruple Olympian Joao Rodrigues continues to sit atop the pile in a fascinating Masters contest, Rodrigues posting two more second places to consolidate his lead while Skandia Team GBR RS:X coach Barrie Edgington moves up to second courtesy of two thirds.
Kaklamanakis is 10th with one more Did Not Compete (DNC) score to discard, which will kick in once the fleet races for an 11th time. They have currently completed six races.
Kaklamanakis is revered in his home country as one of Greece’s greatest ever sportsmen and for youngsters such as Stratis Doukas, who is competing at his first ever Worlds in the Bic Techno Under 17s, just being at the same event as a national hero is almost incomprehensible.
The 14-year-old said: “For me it is very inspiring to be next to an athlete like Nikos in the Greece team tent. Before I started windsurfing I knew he was a really good sailor but then he became my idol and to be so close to him here and to be able to ask his advice just makes me want to be like him.
“I have learned much already this week, to push myself further and further to be competitive with the best sailors. The standard of competition is very difficult but I learn all the time and want to learn much more.”
The Masters were the only division to race twice today, with the Raceboard Youth and Techno Open divisions both completing one race.
Britain’s Ali Masters, 17, remains in first place in the Youth section, scoring a third to put him a point ahead of Frenchman Oliver Pinlou with Benoit Bignot (FRA) third. Masters’ RYA Volvo Youth Squad teammate Izzy Hamilton, who celebrated her 17th birthday yesterday, is the top-ranked girl in the fleet.
Racing is scheduled to resume at 11am tomorrow.
