Laser Masters World Championships Overall

Bethwaite triumphs after 7 years

The last day of the Cancun Laser World Masters Championship saw easy wins in three divisions and exciting battles in two others. It was another glorious day at Cancun on the Caribbean coast of Mexico with ideal sailing conditions in what must be one of the best sailing waters in the world.

Mark Bethwaite from Australia won the toughest division in the Championship with a second and a first in the last two races. However he did not have it as easy as the results read. In 15 knot winds Doug Peckover (USA) had worked out a comfortable lead by the first mark in the first race of the day. At the leeward mark it was all action. The knot at the end of Peckover's mainsheet came undone and he capsized allowing Bethwaite through although he nearly tipped in himself. Peckover said "I didn't know what happened it was like that feeling of momentary suspension you get when you miss the toestraps. Still it was a great regatta and Mark sailed really well." If that was not enough third placed Alberto Larrea (ARG) also capsized at the same rounding allowing Bethwaites closest rival, Rob Coutts, through. Larrea recovered to push Bethwaite hard which gave Jack Schlachter the chance to slip through to take the gun.

In the second race Bethwaite made sure of his victory by covering Coutts. A very pleased Bethwaite said "It has been superb sailing and I'm very pleased. I've found muscles and aches that I never knew I had."

The expected close battle in the Laser Radial fleet lived up to it's expectations. Wilmar Groenendijk led for almost all of the first race but suffered the same fate as in the last two races when he failed to cover Adam French in the last short windward leg to the finish and French got through. In the stronger winds of the second race French led from start to finish to take the overall title even though Groenendijk had the best start of the series.

Alan Davis from Great Britain made sure of his victory in the Apprentice fleet with a second behind the Swedish sailor, Martin Hallsten. Davis said "All I needed to do was to keep Alexandre Nikolaev behind me so I tracked him from the start. I then tried to go out in a blaze of glory in the second race and my a mess of my start and had to do a 720 turn but I am happy."

In the Grand Masters Keith Wilkins (GBR) only had to finish with a reasonable place in one of the two races today but he continued his winning style to take both races and win the overall title with a clean sheet of first places. Wilkins has one seven masters titles and a senior European Championship title way back in 1975. He is acknowledged as the Master of Masters but attributed his win this week to being "the youngest of the oldies". Behind him Joe van Rossem's two second places were not enough to lift him into second place overall even though second placed Dick Tillman could only manage a 10th and 15th.

In the Great Grand Masters American Henry de Wolfe, a youngster at 65 years old, finished second behind Canadian Heinz Gebauer to take his title with a race to spare. Like Wilkins he went to win the final race to finish in style. De Wolfe said "I have trained hard for this regatta working out every day and doing two warm up regattas in Florida. I am looking forward to next years event in Cork, Ireland when I will try to defend my title."

So the perfect end to a perfect championship has left all the Masters sailors wanting to return to this holiday paradise and even though the waters of the Atlantic off the southern coast of Ireland will not be as warm as the Caribbean the competition will equally as tough and no doubt equally enjoyable.

For full results and pictures please go to: www.laserinternational.org/wor2000.htm