By Jodi Kelly/Clare Murray – Sail Melbourne Media Centre
www.sailing.org/news/
American’s Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving helped ease the bitter disappointment of missing Olympic selection with an emphatic 10-point world title victory ahead of World No.1 Italians Giulia Conti and Giovanna Micol.
“If there was ever a way to make me feel better about not being selected for the Olympics … this is it,” an ecstatic Maxwell said.
“I don’t know what the future holds but we’re going to savour today, that’s for sure.
“We’re going to campaign for 2012 but jobs, graduate school and marriages come before that,” Maxwell added.
Sydney based Perth girls Rechichi 22, and Parkinson 21, were delighted with their result and the kick start it has given them for the Olympic regatta in Qingdao next August.
Conditions for the top 10 double points medal race were perfect today for the lightweight combination, who overnight trailed triple world champions Marcelien de Koning/Lobke Berkhout (NED) by just one point.
In 7-10 knot shifty winds, Rechichi/ Parkinson sailed a near tactically perfect race to set themselves up for a podium finish. Knowing they had to beat the Dutch girls to have any chance of a bronze medal, they kept them insight for the entire race.
“On the second up wind we got a little bit out of whack and we tacked back and saw that we were pointing behind the Dutch girls …we were patient and just had to wait for the right shift and then they all pushed each other too close to the left lay – that gave us the option to tack around the top of them on the lay line, they had no where to go and they lost about a 100m or so,” a very happy Rechichi explained.
Rechichi/Parkinson will now both take a well earned vacation before heading overseas in March to begin their build up for Beijing. They won the Olympic test event in Qingdao last year and have now officially signaled their arrival on the international 470 sailing stage. Conti/Micol managed to win the medal race to consolidate the silver medal position, with Maxwell/ Kinsolving finishing fourth, Rechichi/Parkinson fifth and de Koning/Berkhout second last inthe 10 boat fleet.
Photo Credit ©Jeff Crow/Sport the Library
