OptiWorld Team Racing Championship at Club Náutico San Isidro Overall
by Pilar Garcia Hernandez 27 Oct 2014 07:02 GMT
20-31 October 2014
The races were held very close to the coastline. It was full of spectators enjoying the dynamic and attractive team racing.
After two intense days, the Thailand team got the finals with Singapore and won the 2014 OptiWorld Team Racing Title.
38 Countries competed in this championship. 16 teams qualified to the second round and the grid for the final stage was defined. Singapore was the favourite team, they won three races and passed to finals. Thailand went to the finals to race against Singapore for the OptiWorld Team Racing Gold. They made the best of three races. The first race was in favour of the favourite team, Singapore. But the second and third race were won by Thailand which clinched the title for them, their first in 3 years. The Spanish team finished 3rd.
The winning Thai team, arrived back at the club towed by their coach boat that had the Thailand flag raised while everybody was waiting on the dock clapping, sounding horns and the Thai anthem playing. It was a very emotional moment for this country which is so far from home.
One of the team members expressed his happiness to be in Argentina, "We are very happy to stay here and we feel really welcome although we are far from home". Their country's journalist, Nima Chandler told us that they were not going to come to the worlds because they didn't have money to afford the plane ticket, but one month before coming a sponsor supported them to participate at the OptiWorlds. She also added that they got used to the food very quickly, they had brought a bag full of Thai food but they hadn't eaten any of it.
Monday is the spare day. All the teams are going to the club island to eat barbecue and play games. They will come back on Tuesday with new energies to continue the Individual Championship.
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