8 Metre Worlds at Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club - Day 3
by RNCYC 18 Jul 2007 23:18 BST
16-21 July 2007
Light airs hit Scottish crew
The third day in the International 8 Metre Class Centennial World Championship saw seven times world champion Gefion from Canada win the first race of the day. The day began with sunshine but little or no wind. After a long wait the race committee took the fleet several miles down river in search of wind. The first race was started in five knots of northerly breeze.
At the first mark Gefion was in the lead, followed by Hollandia and the two Swiss boats Aluette and Yquem.
After a course change due to a wind shift to the east, at the next weather mark Gefion was still in the lead, then Hollandia and Aluette, with Lafayette in fourth place, having improved from fifth. This remained the order at the finish. Aluette, however, was disqualified for a premature start. First of the classic boats was Anne Sophie from Germany.
The second race of the day started in 7 to 8 knots of wind.
At the start most of the fleet were at the starboard end of the line, with Lafayette in the middle, allowing Aluette to start in clear air at the port end.
On the first leg Gefion went up the left hand side of course, the rest of the fleet going right.
First to the weather mark was Aluette, followed by Yquem then Hollandia and Lafayette. Lafayette then overtook Hollandia round the mark. On the next leg Aluette extended her lead. Second at the leeward mark was Yquem with Lafayette and Gefion immediately behind.
On the last two legs of the race, Aluette maintained her lead to the finish. After several place changes in a tricky shifting breeze, the boats were barely able to hold spinnakers on the final downwind leg. Yquem finished second, followed by Gefion and Lafayette.
After an exciting tussle involving several boats over the last hundred yards of the race, the German boat, Wyvern, in 6th place in the fleet, was first of the classic boats.
Lafayette, skippered by the host club’s Allan Manuel remains in the lead overall, despite a disappointing day in the lighter conditions.
Results after Day 3: (top six, 5 races)
1st GBR 2, Lafayette 11pts
2nd NED 1, Hollandia 17pts
3rd SUI 8, Yquem 19pts
4th CAN 24, Gefion 20pts
5th SUI 11, Aluette 27pts
6th FIN 8, Windy 41pts