Adecco Maxi OD - North Sea Regatta

Skandia top on tough day

SCHEVENINGEN, HOLLAND-Ludde Ingvall's Europe entry, Skandia, served notice to the other participants in the Adecco World Championship that she will be the boat to beat, particularly if the winds are brisk. In two 20 mile, windward/leeward races, Skandia posted two wins, both with comfortable margins over the other seven 80 foot Maxi One Designs in south-westerly winds of 20-25 knots with gusts occasionally of 30.

Ray Davis, who steers Skandia at the starts, made an awesome opening to the morning race, crossing the line at the favoured Committee Boat end as the gun fired. The initial advantage was, however, given away to Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) in Alinghimax, Bertrand Pace (FRA) with Le Defi Bouygues Telecom - Transiciel, and Hans Bouscholte in Belgian Synphony. These three had chosen to hold a long tack towards the shore and when they came about for the first mark, they had gained and led around the buoy.

Skandia was next, with Geoff Meek's Rainbow Magic for South Africa and Ross Field's New Zealand and Guido Maisto (ITA) with Seac Banche. There was a two mile reach to an offset mark before the run and Alinghimax led the first four boats high of the direct line, and as a result they closed on one another when they realised their mistake. The order remained the same, and was unaltered after the fast run.

It was there that an accident marred an otherwise glorious race. Ronald Bouscholte, brother of the Belgian skipper, jammed a finger in the mainsheet block of Belgian Synphony and lost part of it. The boat was immediately retired from the race and the injured man taken ashore to hospital for treatment.

On the second windward leg, Skandia went to the front after a clever choice of wind shifts, going right early and then sailing up the middle of the course before heading for the mark on port tack. Alinghimax was next after the French boat had to tack twice near the mark. Once again, they scudded off on the run using the waves to exceed 14 knots and rarely dropping under 12.

These positions were retained on the next beat and run to the finish, giving the Swiss skipper his second successive second place. Ross Field was fourth with New Zealand, followed by Geoff Meek's Rainbow Magic and Gunnar Krantz (SWE) in Lex Sea, with Seac Banche in seventh place.

There was a little more wind for the second race of the day when Field made the best start of the fleet, at the Committee Boat end with full speed on as the gun fired. Skandia was in the middle of the line with Alinghimax and Le Defi Bouygues Telecom - Transiciel to leeward. They headed towards the shore and the French were the first to tack to go out to the first mark, but Ingvall and his crew were prepared. They had already begun the transfer of water ballast and were able to tack dead in front of the French boat.

Tacking twice to clear their air lost the French considerable ground and when they tacked back they had lost ground to Skandia and places to the Swiss and New Zealand. Skandia was clear away and never further troubled during the race in which downwind speeds reached 16 knots. The French did a magnificent job to gain ground and pass the New Zealanders on the run, and the Swiss on the second windward leg.

In a double protest over an incident in the first of the previous day's races, both Skandia and Le Defi Bouygues Telecom - Transiciel were disqualified. The International Jury found that the French boat had tacked incorrectly inside the are of a circle, two boat's length from the windward mark, and that Skandia had not made sufficient move to stay clear - the Jury said that two metres between these 80 footers was not enough in waves of 1.5 metres.

Overall points with one discard :

1 – EUR Skandia Ludde Ingvall 1.2.DSQ.3.1.1 : 54.5 
2 – FRA Bouygues Telecom Jules Mazars 5.1.DSQ.1.3.2 : 42.5 
3 – NZL RF Yachting Ross Field 2.4.2.4.4.3 : 40.5 
4 – SWE Team Lex Sea Gunnar Krantz 3.3.3.5.6.5 : 34 
5 – RSA Rainbow Magic Geoff Meek 4.5.1.8.5.DNF : 29 
6 – SUI Alinghimax Ernesto Bertarelli 8.7.4.2.2.4 : 28 
7 – BEL Belgian Synphony Hans Bouscholte 6.6.5.7.DNF.DNS : 15.5 
8 – ITA Seac Banche Guido Maisto 7.8.6.6.7.6 : 15 

Event Website: www.adecco-championship.com/uk
Class Website: maxi-one-design.com