With one day to go until the end of the World Championship in Alicante, the first medals have been confirmed.

Brazilians Gonçalves and Vassel also secured the silver in the Women’s fleet

Alicante, 07/28/23.- Two crews have been proclaimed, in the waters of Alicante, 420 World Champions with a day to spare. They are the Spanish crew formed by Pol Mateu and Alejandro de Maqua in the Men/Mixed category and the Greek Iakovina Kerkezou and Danae Giannouli in the Women. The U17 is still open with three crews with a chance of the world title.

The Spaniards from Catalonia, Mateu and De Maqua got ahead of another Spanish crew, the Andalusian brothers Fernando and Carlos Flethes, 2022 World Champions in Hungary.

Mateu and De Maqua started with a good result, in the first race finishing in 16th place, a position that they discarded and in the second a 5th. This, together with the team in second place overall, the Spaniards from Canary Islands Miguel Angel Morales and Alejandro Martin, who made a 20 and a 6, meant that mathematically the Catalans are now proclaimed Champions regardless of the result they do in the only test tomorrow. After today’s races, the third position is occupied by the Greeks Dimitros and Nikolaos Sourlatzis. The two remaining places on the podium are still up in the air and  in fourth position the Canary Islanders Jaime Ayarza and Mariano Hernandez, are only six points away from the podium. In the Mixed category, Brazilians Gustavo Glimm/Luis Madudeira are leading.

In the women’s category, the Greeks Iakovina Kerkezou and Danae Giannouli have been confirmed as World Champions after an exceptional week, where they co-led from the first day, along with the Mallorcan Maria Perello and Marta Cardona. They have been able to stay ahead and win irrespective of the result of the final race tomorrow. The silver is also confirmed and goes to Brazil with Joana Gonçalves and Gabriela Vassel. Now the fight is focused on the bronze between two Spanish crews, the Catalans Nora Garcia de la Casa and Mariona Ventura occupy the third position, who are up against the Canaries Paula and Isabel Laiseca, who are currently fourth eleven points off the podium.

The Italian crews dominate in the U17 category, although everything is open with three crews having chances to win. Alession Cindolo and Marco Dogliotti have regained the lead, which they will try to defend on the last day, although their compatriots Lisa Vucetti and Vittoria Bonifacio, who have won both races today, have presented their candidacy for the title. On the other hand, the Germans Hanne Wehlre and Finn Meichle have fallen to third place, two points behind the leaders after an 11 and a 34. The first female crew is the German crew of Esther Rodenhausen and Luisa Sophie Becker who lie in fourth place overall.

It has been a difficult day for the fleet and for the Race Committees. The wind was reluctant to make an appearance. It was not until the early afternoon that a northeasterly breeze came in. It was very light with just 7-8 knots for the first race of the day, the tenth race overall and a second after a long wait with just 5 knots. The work of the Race Committees, chaired by Javier Blanco (Alfa) and Inés Cabrer (Bravo), did the impossible to be able to carry out two races in good conditions which they succeeded to do. 

Tomorrow, Saturday the 420 World Championship ends with the completion of a single race from 13:00 hours, where the champions will be confirmed and the rest of the podium places will be decided in the Men, Mixed, Women and U17 Men and Women.

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CLASSIFICATIONS (After five rounds)

Men/Mixed (130 participants)

1. Mateu/De Maqua (ESP), 49 points

2.Morales/Martin (ESP), 78 points

3.Sourlatzis/Sourlatzis (GRE), 89 points
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Women (64 participants)

1.Kerkezou/Giannouli (GRE), 20 points

2.Gonçalves/Vassel (BRA), 29 points

3.Garcia de la Casa/Ventura (ESP), 41 points
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U17 (83 participants)

1.Cindolo/Dogliotti (ITA), 63 points

2.Vucetti/Bonifacio (ITA), 64 points

3.Wehlre/Meichle (GER), 65 points

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