Singapore Awarded Swedish Sportsmanship Trophy In Denmark

The podium
positions were decided yesterday on the final day of racing at the 2008 Volvo
Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Århus,
Denmark. Although
narrowly missing out on the medals, the Singapore team did not leave Århus
empty handed.
    They won
the Bengt Julin Trophy for Sportsmanship, re-introduced at this year’s
championship and voted for by other teams and competitors. The team won this
for their friendly attitude and helpful manner towards everyone at the
championships, especially the Athlete Participation Programme (APP) sailors.
    The top
Singaporean finishers were 2007 SEA Games Silver medallists and 2008 Dutch
Youth Regatta Gold medallists in the Hobie 16 class, Low Wen Chun and Jonathan
Russel Chew in the SL 16 event.
    The focus
was on the battle for silver and bronze after French brothers Valentin and
Romain Bellet had secured overall victory. Of the four teams who had a shot at
a medal, Singapore
put in the best performance with a 2nd place but it was not quite enough.
    The
South African team of helm Matthew Whitehead and crew Michael Ovenstone, scored
their worst result of the regatta with a tenth place finish, but crucially
their closest challengers for second place overall, the British team of James
Ellis and Andrew Glover were only one place ahead. This gave Whitehead and
Ovenstone the silver medal, whilst Ellis and Glover won bronze on count back
from Singaporeans Chun and Chew.
    The Volvo
Trophy went to Great Britain
for the best performing nation, but the fight for second place was a close
match with New Zealand
pipping Australia
to the post with only two points separating them.
    The
competitors were awarded their medals and trophies at the Musikhuset in Århus
last night, bringing the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships to a
close. Next year’s event will be held in Buzios,
Brazil on 9-18
July 2009.
    Singapore was represented by:
    LO Jun Hao
– Laser Standard (23rd/45)
    Elizabeth YIN – Laser Radial (7th/40)
    Justin LIU
and Sherman CHENG – 29er Boys (15th/25)
    Griselda
KHNG and Cecilia LOW – 29er Girls (9th/18)
    Leonard ONG
– Windsurfing RSX Boys (21st/27)
    LOW Wen
Chun and Jonathan Russel CHEW (4th/16)
    Susan
FERRIS (Team Leader/Coach)
    Mark
PLUMMER (Coach)
    T C Chua
(Coach)
    Josephine KO (Physiotherapist)
    Andrew SANDERS (CEO, SingaporeSailing)