Optimist World Championships at Napier, New Zealand - Day 8
By Nathalie van Dort and Icarus Sailing Media on 8 Jan30 December 2011 - 10 January 2012Optimist worlds in New ZealandDean Barker visits the Optimist worlds in New Zealand
All photos © Matias Capizzano /
www.capizzano.com
Long wait pays off
For a long time it looked like todays' sailing wasn't going to happen. There was wind, there was rain, there was fog and therefore poor visibility.
"I have 210 kids to look after" said Gerard Martin, Principle Race Officer. "And their safety is my primary responsibility. I do not want to lose sight of one of them. It is now 1330, and there is a lot of pressure on me to go ahead with the race" Mr Martin continued.
The surprise visit from Dean Barker, OptiworldsNZ Patron shortened the wait. Many kids took the opportunity to get their picture taken or get his autograph on their life jacket.
It wasn't until 1350 that the Delta Flag went up, and the young sailors got on the water as quickly as they could.
The wind was 18 knots, it was still raining, and the swells were 2 meters high, but they didn't care: the race was back on.
Emil Jarrud from Sweden only had one thing on his mind: to continue his winning streak. He won both races Yesterday and was giving it his all, but an unfortunate swell cost him his luck.
The wind started at 19 knots, but eased back to around 14 and even though the wind was stronger than previous days, the lighter sailors did really well. Ryan Lo finished first in Race 9, together with Francisco Ducasse who also won the second race. The third race was won by yesterday’s leader Bart Lambriex, but Kimberly Lim’s overall scores meant she took over the leadership position, leaving Bart in second place. The difference between Lim and Lambriex is only three points, and a lot can happen tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the last day of this world championship, and the weather forecast is fine with north-easterly winds, between 11 and 19 knots.
Results after 11 Races:
1st Kimberly Lim (SIN) 71pts
2nd Bart Lambriex (NED) 74pts
3rd Ryan Lo (SIN) 78pts
4th Javier Arribas (PER) 78pts
5th Francisco Ducasse (CHI) 87pts
6th Ahmad Syukri Abdul Aziz (MAS) 90pts
7th Wade Waddell (USA) 96pts
8th Gabriel Elstrodt (BRA) 109pts
9th Rodrigo Luz (BRA) 112pts
10th Leonard Takahashi-Fry (NZL) 114pts
The full list of provisonal results is available here
www.optiworldsnz.org.nz
Schoolgirl still in contention for top 10 finish (from Rachel Solon, Irish Sailing Association)
Day 5 of the Optimist World Championships saw wind, rain, fog and therefore poor visibility. It wasn't until 1350 that the decision was made for the competitors to go out on the water. The wind was 18 knots, it was still raining, and the swells were 2 meters high, but the event organisers were determined to complete three races and three races they did complete.
Sophie started out the day with a solid performance and a 4th place. She continued to sail well and finished in 14th in her second race but unfortunately slipped back in the fleet for her third race ultimately finishing 42nd which resulted in her dropping to 13th overall on the leader board. However It’s all still to play for as she prepares for the final day of racing tomorrow.
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