GBR Optimists at Nieuwpoort Week
by Alan Williams 20 Jul 2014 10:32 BST
GBR Optimists at Nieuwpoort Week © Alan Williams
A large group of GBR Optimist sailors attended Nieuwpoort week in Belgium over the 5-9 July. The group included this year's worlds team training for the worlds in Argentina later in the year, the Flanders team and several other groups of sailors.
The week started windy and gradually the wind got lighter until the last day when it blew a northerly gale and racing was abandoned.
The first day was Big Saturday and the 100 boat fleet from 12 countries, including, GBR, USA, BEL, FRA, NOR, DEN,SUI, NED and GER were confronted by large waves in the wind against tide conditions off Nieuwpoort.
Hatty Morsely 5 and 7, Benno Marstaller 7 and 2, Will Hall 4 and 8, Rhys Lewis 7 and 7, Arthur Fry 5 and 6, Rosie Williamson 9 and 14, Hamish taylor a great 3 and 6 and Ryan Bush 2 and 8.
Sunday saw a lighter wind and 2 races Hatty scoring 1 and BFD- the BFD was put down to being hyper after eating waffles and sugary pretzls- oops. Will Hall scored 1 and 4, Rhys had a 12 and 5, Rosie had a great day scoring 5 and 9, Matt Beck 6,13, and Vita scored a 10.
Monday was a very long day afloat with a light wind going from SSW all the way to NW during the day. The current was from left in morning then slack then from the right in the afternoon and there were difficult starting in cross current and wind going right.
Several sailors didn't take account of the wind going right and were stranded on the left coming into the windward mark. Hatty scored 6,4,19, Rhys 25,2,4, Will had a bit of a nightmare, Vita Heathcote 4,4,7, Rosie 24,8,5.
Tuesday saw the fleet split to gold and silver and we had 3 races in a north west breeze at 5-7 kts dying later with current from left in morning then slack then from the right in the afternoon.
Hatty sailed exceptionally well to score 1,3,2. Vita on her 13th birthday scored a well-deserved bullet 9 and 15. Rhys 4,41,and 4. Will 5,4,16. Ryan Bush also had a good last day including a 9 and 10, Jonny Thompson a 13 and 7.
Wednesday: NW 25-30kts, racing cancelled, prize giving after lunch and depart just before the heavens opened.
Le Tour de France started from Ypres later in the afternoon, and in heavy rain we saw the peloton not long after the start which was very exciting if a bit damp. It was an amazing tribute to those that fell in the first world war.
In the silver fleet Callum Cook who couldn't sail in the earlier part of the regatta due to illness was 6th and Kia Wolgram was 10th.
Top 3 results and other GBR placings:
1. Jelmer Velds, NED
2. Uffe Tomaasgard NOR
3. Lennert Steelandt BEL
4. Hatty Morsley (1st girl)
6. Rhys Lewis
7. Vita Heathcote (2nd girl)
8. Will Hall