Brazils Robert Scheidt crowned 2013 Laser World Champion in Oman
by Oman Sail 23 Nov 2013 17:35 GMT
16-23 November 2013
Robert Scheidt was crowned 2013 Laser World Champion in Oman for the ninth time today after winning the final race of the regatta then proclaimed this Laser World Championship title as his best so far.
The 40 year-old Brazilian sailor started the last race just one point ahead of rival Pavlos Kontides but put in a flawless performance to win by two boat lengths, raising the Brazilian flag as he crossed the line to a round of cheers and applause from spectators and other competitors.
"This feels more special than any of the other Laser Worlds I have won," said Scheidt, who returned to the Lasers after nine years in the Star class to compete at an Olympic Games in his home waters in Rio de Janeiro.
"I am at a different stage of my life – being a dad and being away from Laser sailing all these years makes it more special.
"I didn't know what to expect when I came back into the Lasers but winning the Worlds after a tough seven days means a lot.
"Rio is still a long way off and I shall have to see how my body holds up over the next few years but the next Olympic Games in Rio is definitely how I want to end my career."
Had there been no racing at Mussanah Beach, his one point lead overnight would have earned him the championship and with ten minutes to go before the 3pm cut off time, there was no sign of any racing due to the light and shifty breeze.
But at 2.56pm the start gun was fired and Scheidt, Kontides and third-placed Tonci Stipanovic from Croatia all made good starts.
"I had a good start which was key," he explained
"Started in the middle and played the first shifts well which put me in the leading group at the top mark. I managed to get ahead and protected my position. It was a tense race because the breeze was very flukey going right and left and the race committee did well to wait for the breeze to stabilize. The moment we started we had the best breeze we'd had all day but it was still very shifty."
Kontides finished the race in 13th place to take the silver medal, trailing Scheidt by 13 points and while paying tribute to the Brazilian said he felt the odds were against him continuing to dominate in the way he had in Oman.
"He sailed a perfect race so well done to him," said the 23 year-old Cypriot who was completing his studies in Ship Science at the same time as preparing for the Worlds.
"But with some consistent training, I will be able to up my game and I know next season I will be much better. I am still learning and developing and Robert is at the peak of his game. Age wise he is 40 and at some stage will start to decline whereas I am 23 and on the up so the odds are against him.
"I decided the conditions were too tricky for any tactics – we have seen all week how the conditions demand proper sailing and a respect for the oscillating shifts so I thought the best thing to do was to do my best.
"I really wanted to taste the gold medal but I will be trying my hardest again next time."
Germany's Phillip Buhl won the bronze medal after finishing 10th in the final race which put him level on points with Rutger Schaardenburg from the Nederlands. Better results over the week gave him the advantage but it was bouncing back from being BFD in the final race on Friday that gave him most pleasure.
"I had a bad day on Friday so I'm very surprised to finish third," he said.
"I am not the best light winds sailor or at least I wasn't but I've improved and I am better now in all conditions. Having Robert Scheidt back in the fleet is good fun – beating him is more fun than beating anyone else and we can learn a lot from him. He really deserved to win here."
The prize-giving at the Al Mussanah Sports City where Scheidt, Kontides and Buhl were all presented with their medals, brought the curtain down on a tough but highly successful Laser World Championships, the first sailing championships to be hosted in Oman.
Full results and more information can be found at omanlaserworlds2013.com/eng
Bronze for Laser sailor Philipp Buhl at World Championships (from Carsten Geyer, STG Sailing Team Germany)
The Laser World Championships (17th to 23rd November 2013) in Oman concluded an exciting season for the sailors of the Audi Sailing Team Germany. Philipp Buhl hit his peak by finishing third and winning the bronze medal during the Worlds.
"It ain't over until the fat lady sings". Starting in fifth place, the 23-year-old Philipp Buhl pushed forward into third on the last day, winning him his first ever world championships medal. "It feels amazing! I'm totally surprised, especially after yesterday's black flag, starting too early. Indescribable! I don't know what to say!"
Coach Thomas Piesker added: "Philipp had that little piece of luck that he needed. This medal will really grow his confidence for his way to the Olympics in Rio."
Throughout twelve races in a variety of conditions Philipp Buhl showed that he has joined the ranks of world-class Laser sailors and that he is a force to be reckoned with. Even the previously unpopular light conditions didn't pose any problem for the German sailor.
Amongst a 126 strong field, Buhl sailed into the top four in over half of the races. A careless mistake prevented an early podium place leaving the decision until the last day.
Robert Scheidt from Brazil won gold for the ninth time. Pavlos Kontides from Cyprus sailed into second place, as he had previously also done during the Olympics in London.
Kiwi sailors Maloney 11th, Meech 13 and Saunders 22nd (from Jodie Bakewell-White, Yachting New Zealand)
After an arduous seven day series including twelve races for the gold fleet sailors the 2013 Laser World Championships have come to a close at Musannah Beach, Oman.
Just one race was possible on the final day of competition the start gun firing only a few minutes prior to the 3pm final cut off time giving competitors just one more crack on the race track to determine their final fate.
After an incredible performance Brazil's Robert Scheidt sealed the 2013 Laser World title with a win in the final race. The 40 year has now won the title nine times, today's victory declared the most special after returning to the single-handed Laser from a stint in the Star class.
Of the New Zealander's 23 year old Andy Maloney from the (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) came through to place top kiwi at this Olympic class Championship ending the regatta in 11th and equal on points to the sailor in 10th. A 17th in the last race was enough to lift Maloney's overall position after going into the day lying 14th.
In other results during 2013 Maloney, who is the elder brother of 49erFX World Champion Alexandra, has medalled at ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma (gold), Garda and Trentino Week in Italy (gold) and also at Delta Lloyd Regatta in the Netherlands (bronze). He was also part of the NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ that were crowned Red Bull Youth America's Cup Champions in September this year.
Sam Meech from the Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club has concluded the regatta in 13th slipping a few places at the final hurdle when he finished 45th in the last race of the regatta. The 22 year old sailed consistently well through the middle section of the regatta which has been the determining factor in his solid final placing.
Meech, whose sibling Molly is the other half of the 49erFX world title holding duo, has also returned some great results at the major internationals in 2013 with bronze at ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma, 5th at Delta Lloyd Regatta and overall victory at Sail for Gold Regatta in Great Britain. Like Maloney, Meech was also a part of the 2013 Red Bull Youth America's Cup winning team.
Thomas Saunders (Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club) has finished in 22nd place overall after recording a 33rd in the last race. With some excellent individual race results through the twelve race series the 21 year old up and comer has demonstrated he can foot it with the best.
This regatta was the final Olympic class World Championship regatta for 2013 with many of the NZL Sailing Team currently in New Zealand (or soon returning) for the lead-up to Christmas. A number of the team will be recognised at the 2013 Volvo Yachting Excellence Awards which is less than one week from now on Friday 29 November in Auckland.
In 2014 all of the Olympic World Championships will come together at the one venue in Santander, Spain in September. This major milestone regatta is where national qualification for the 20916 Olympic Games is on offer.
New Zealand's final results: (total fleet 126)
11th Andy Maloney
13th Sam Meech
22nd Thomas Saunders
102nd Michael Cate
105th George Lane
Two top ten finishes for Australian Sailing Team at 2013 Laser Men's World Championship (from Cora Zillich, Yachting Australia)
The 2013 Laser Men's World Championship finished up in Oman last night with two top ten finishes for the Australian Sailing team after Tom Burton (NSW) finished ninth and Matthew Wearn (WA) tenth.
The Championship was won by five time Olympians and double Olympic champion Brasilian Robert Scheidt, who won his ninth World Champion title, while Pavlos Kontides from Cyprus came second and German Philipp Buhl third.
Western Australian Matthew Wearn achieved a personal best and finished for the first time in the top 10 of a major Laser World Championship. With this result, the eighteen-year-old ISAF world ranked number seven, continued his run of strong results in 2013, which sees him qualify for the Australian Sailing Team.
Wearn went into the final race as the best placed Australian in eighth with fellow Australian Sailing Team member Tom Burton on his heels:
"Day seven of worlds was another long day. We waited in shore until after lunch where we went out and waited some more for the wind to come in. The wind never stabilised but the race committee were keen to get a race in so they started us anyway with five minutes till the last signal could be made", Wearn described the last day of the World Championship
"I had a terrible race in the very tricky conditions along with a lot of the top sailors. But I did enough to keep my top ten position and finished 10th. I have now qualified for the Australian Sailing Team, which is great and thanks to everyone for all their support through out the week", he said at the conclusion of the event.
After a week of ups and downs for the ISAF world number one ranked Tom Burton was reflective of his week of racing:
"It's been a bit mixed results-wise for me. I came here wanting to win, I had been in contention to win every regatta I competed at this year and I had high hopes that this would be the same. Unfortunately, it didn't go the way I planned", he said.
"It has been nearly six months since I raced at full competition level and it showed a little with some of the mistakes I was making although it was a really tricky event", he added.
"My expectations and goals were to at least beat what I did last year which was fifth position. I wasn't far off in the end but in reality I was well off the pace of the leaders. The top six were at a different level and seemed to do everything right."
"On a positive note, I strive to reach that level. In the laser fleet it doesn't take much for the top guys to look really good. I know I can repeat what I was doing this year and that was being in contention to win at most events."
And about the immediate future Burton said: "We now head straight to Sail Melbourne, which is a pretty short turn around. The racing is always close with the Australian guys so I am sure it will be another tight battle. My goal is to get back into winning ways and there's no better time to start than next week. Holding onto No1 World Ranking will be on the cards for this year and I will need to perform some more consistently good results."
The race week in Oman saw a mixed bag of results for the Australian Sailing Team and Squad with challenging changes offering everything from light winds, big shifts and stormy conditions.
Australian Sailing Squad (ASS) members Ashley Brunning (NSW, ISAF World Ranking #8) finished 30th, Ryan Palk (QLD, ISAF World Ranking #5) 57th and Jared West (QLD, ISAF World Ranking #15) came 59th. Luke Elliott from the ASS Youth Bridging Program finished 56th.
The other Australians who competed in Oman were Victorian Jeremy O'Connell who came 1st in the silver fleet. 2013 Under 21 World and European Champion Mitchell Kennedy (QLD) finished 8th in the silver fleet.