Contender European Championship at Highcliffe Sailing Club - Day 1

Contender Europeans at Highcliffe day 1 © Sarah Desjonqueres

Contender Europeans at Highcliffe day 1 © Sarah Desjonqueres

Bonanza day for Bonezzi

So after yesterday's practice race we marched happily on to races 1&2 of the Contender European Championships and into yet another day of floppy weather and wishy-washy westerlies.

With the sun yet to make an appearance and the wind clearly disappearing off to look for it, race 1 of the second day of the Championships started (almost) on time and immediately posed the eternal question, is it better to beat out to sea or to head toward the coastline?

The leg out to the windward mark split the fleet perfectly down the middle, offering just enough wind to get out on the wire. But a divided fleet must at some point meet again and where better a place to collide than the mark?

As boat after boat on starboard headed straight to the mark, in came boat after boat on port, all hoping to sneak in and tack round the buoy unnoticed, presumably. It didn't always work. On more than one occasion the air turned blue, the shouting could be heard from the wing mark and the tension in the air was palpable. From where the roving reporter was sitting actual collisions were not witnessed, but it is true to say that there was at least one 720 performed.

The wind held good at F1-2 for the rest of the race and most of the race positions taken in the first round were held for the rest of the race giving Max Billerbeck of Germany, who took a healthy lead from the beginning, a well deserved win with Italy's Luca Bonezzi coming in a close second and Dutchman Rene Heynen taking third.

For race 2, after a general recall on the first attempt, it went straight to a black flag start which caught out 6 sailors who, too quick off the mark, were deemed to be OCS, which was unfortunate for Max Billerbeck who raced an equally great second race.

Contender Europeans at Highcliffe day 1 - photo © Sarah Desjonqueres

The second race started pretty much in the same vein as the first with a split fleet for the beat and much interesting language thrown about around the windward mark, the gybe mark and the leeward mark this time.

But with such light winds the eagle eyed jury boats were out and about amongst the fleet and the roving reporter understands that someone was caught 'going at it like a sewing machine' – not my words. I am assuming that this is a reference to some illicit pumping but only team Nob-Tag know the truth of this statement.

With the wind shifting round 30 degrees the race team effected a quick windward mark course change and decided to finish the race on the last beat.

Race 2 fared better for the 2 local lads, Gary Langdown and Simon Mussell, posting a 6th and 7th respectively but today was really Luca Bonezzi's day managing to add top line honours to his previous 2nd place. Following close behind came Denmark's Jesper Nelsen and crossing in 3rd was Germany's Jan Von Der Bank.

The weather tomorrow doesn't look enormously inviting, but there is a little whisper of some wind on its way, so everyone start whistling.

Results after Day 1:

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