Taylor and Mobbs (GBR) Lead RS500 Worlds in Aquavitesse

Six races have been completed at the 2010 RS500 World Championship hosted by Aquavitesse in the Netherlands and just two point separate the top two teams. Day three was a day of two halves with two fast and furious races sailed in 13-15knots of wind.

The first race saw the Dutch Magic Marine team of Berend Hilterman and Max Bloom establish an early lead. Behind them Alex Taylor and Bryan Mobbs (GBR) looked to be getting their sights focussed but Tim Wilkins and Heather Martin (GBR) were doing likewise in third! As they both ruthlessly hunted the Dutch boat down the gap between them got progressively less as well. This became a 12kt+ match race with Taylor and Mobbs slapping as close a cover as possible on Wilkins and Martin. Down the final run the gap got shorter and shorter on each gybe as Wilkins and Martin cut every corner. Finally it came down to the final gybe to the last mark before the short reach to the finish. It was like watching a leopard pounce. In fourth were Lennart van der Dool and Frank Leeuwen in their best race yet.

In the next race the two leaders reversed their positions and so ended the day all square with each other. Hilterman and Bloom popped in another third whilst James Tanner and Lucinda Blain (GBR) also found their stride coming home a very solid fourth. Johan Rook and Malin Broberg (SWE) misplaced their tomtom to get on the wrong side of the only major shift of the morning to ping in two sixth places.

Overall then the two leaders remain seperated by a mere two points whilst Hilterman and Blom and Rook and Broberg have fairly comfortable grips at present on their slots in third and fourth. Fifth to seventh place though are only seperated by three points with Tanner and Blain leading Hansebas Meijer and Fedor Couvert (NED) and Tobias Gustafsson & Max Freiman (SWE).

Non-Championship Race decides 'International Champion'
The second part of the day was the completion of a non-standard non-championship race. The format was a windward-leeward course with a gate in the middle with the fleet split into groups of three and set off with a one minute gap between each group. The Dutch sisters Stephanie and Chantalle Grootsholten were Queens after one lap but could not hang on to their lead. Showing absolute mastery were Hilterman and Blom who worked exceedingly hard to overcome their start time. They even extended by a little on the even harder working (for by now the wind was a steady 20 with gusts of 24 and serious waves) Wilkins and Martin. The Swedes were lighteningly quick but their recovery situation was affected by a couple of capsizes each! Top racing!

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