Windsurf / Press Release n.5  21 April 2005

XX Edition World Festival On The Beach
Palermo Mondello 11-22 May 2005

THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY OF WINDSURF PROTAGONIST IN ATHENS CONTINUES IN HYERES.
THE ISAF RANKING AND THE QUALIFICATION FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN MONDELLO ARE THE MAIN TARGETS FOR THE COMPETITORS

The activity of windsurf protagonists in Athens starts again from Hyeres.
The ISAF ranking and a place at the world championship in Mondello for the 91 athletes running for the prize.
Nine months after Athens’ Olympic games, from 23 to 29 April starts in Hyeres the international activity of windsurf with the 37^th edition of the French Olympic Week that sees all the other olympic classes flanked to Mistral Class.
As already happened in other prestigious regattas of the international stage, like Melbourne and Palma de Mallorca, the SOF organizers have chosen one time more Mistral class to represent the universe of windsurf,  due to the lack of the Neil Pryde RS:X, the new ISAF olympic choice.
The best interpreters of windsurf in Athens are going to be several, all of them running for a prestigious result for ISAF ranking, but most of all for a place at the next world championship of the class programmed in Mondello from 13 to 20 May, since Hyeres preolympic is a qualification race for many countries.
The italian team presents itself with a group of athletes of great value..
Above all, young Federico Esposito (LNI Piombino), Riccardo Belli of ISCA (Albaria) and Fabien Heidegger (AVCaldaro), among boys; Laura Linares (SC Marsala) and Flavia Tartaglini (Guardia di Finanza), among girls.
With them, Dario Baffetti (LNI Ostia), Andrea Beverino (Aeronautica Militare), Paco Wirz (Lauria), the only italian that boasts a success in Hyeres, and Riccardo Giordano (Albaria), tied up to the french regatta to important and recent memories. In fact was this preolympic race to give the three times olympic from Palermo the mathematical qualification to Athens Olympic games last season.
At the moment Sensini is away from regattas.
Paolo Ghione guides the italian team, ex responsible of youth activities and now trainer of the maximum national representatives, thanks to several success obtained with his boys. He takes the place of Luca De Pedrini, now coordinator of all olympic classes trainers.
Among other athletes to keep an eye on, first of all, last year winner, the transalpine Fabrice Hassen, in good company of Guyader and Beudou.
To make more precious the group of probable pretenders to the final success Maxim Oberemko, from Ukraine, leader of the ISAF ranking, and moreover from East Europe, exactly from Poland, some outsiders could come.
About women, attention to the spanish Marina Alabau and Blanca Machon, to the french Lise Vidal and to the leader of the female ranking, Olga Maslivets from Ukraine.