Contender World Championship at Medemblik, Holland - Days 1-3
by Mike Murley 29 Jul 2015 14:48 BST
25-31 July 2015
134 Contenders are competing for the World Championship at Medemblik in Holland this week. With unseasonally strong winds and sometimes torrential rain there's no sailing on Day 3, but the first 2 days have been extreme.
Day 1 started with a gentle force 3 which quickly rose to 27 knots gusting to 30 plus. The fleet was split into two flights, with each flight completing 2 races on Monday. In Fleet 1 Ben Holden of the UK thought he had made it to the windward mark first only to be pipped by Uncle Time Holden who came screaming in after overstanding. Australian Mark Bulka overtook them both to win that race. In the other races and flights there were 3 other race winners: Italian Andrea Bonezzi, Germanys Christoph Homeier and Dane Soren Andreasen.
Day 2 was sailed in 20-25 knots and a lumpy Ijsselmeer. Only one race was completed before the wind got too much. Race winners on the day were again Bulka and Bonezzi. Overall Bulka leads from Bonezzi, Homeier, Mussell and then Andreasen.
Team GBR is well represented with 30 boats including the self declared team "Nob-Tag" consisting of Nick Noble and Carl Tagoe. "Tag" currently has bragging rights after an impressive 3rd place in his brand new boat on Day 2. Best of British so far though is Simon Mussell in 4th place overall with three 2nd places. Ben and Tim Holden are not far behind and then Stu Jones.
Tomorrow will see the start of the Gold and Silver fleet races with hopefully a little less breeze.
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