International Moth Europeans at St Moritz, Switzerland Day 3
by Sandra Mudronja 19 Aug 2010 21:56 BST
15-20 August 2010
Sun, wind and adrenalin for the Moth maniacs!
The 85 SYZ & CO Moth Europeans participants were thrilled to see the sun today. The area looked like a postcard, with electric blue sky, turquoise colour lake and more than 20 knot wind. Nathan Outteridge and Bora Gulari continue to dominate the championship, but Arnaud Psarofaghis makes a great come-back today to the 4th place of the general ranking. The performance of the other Swiss is also very good, since Renker and Ziegert are classified within the first 8.
What an incredible spectacle to see the moths’ fleet, with their aggressive profile, flying full speed over the waters of Silvaplana Lake! The three races of the day took place under splendid conditions. A first really tough race with a 20 knot maloja wind was followed by an even windier second race, calming down for the last race and allowing the less experienced competitors to finish the day on a soother note.
We said it already, the Swiss stand up in this competition. To start with Arnaud Psarofaghis, double European champion and title holder, who seems in a better form as the days go by. “I try to make simple tactical moves and that’s what works the best for me.” Always within close distance of the best world champions, the Genevan sailor explains: “It is very stimulating to sail with these guys… It motivates me to find ways to overtake them. I do not go over any detail. There are meters to be gained in all fields, at the tactical level and at the speed level.”
The Swiss-German Matthias Renker, from Thun Lake, performed very well today with a 5th and two 8th places. This discrete athlete just won the Italian Championships on Lake Garda at the beginning of the month. “I tried to take good starts and to leave with the best. The timing is crucial: it is important to start flying quickly, because if not, one is soon overtaken by the fleet, and then, it is impossible to recover” tells Matthias Renker. “It’s great fun to sail here. More than 80 boats, it is fantastic… On the Lake of Thun, I am the only one sailing a Moth!”
“It a European Championship, but there are so many sailors from all around the world that it is almost a new world championship” says Simon Payne, the current World champion. “I normally sail on the sea (ndrl Hayling Island - Hampshire, in the South of England), and I better perform under those conditions. Here, in this variable alpine wind, I have more difficulties. ” He adds: “The competition is excellent, and not only in the leading group. The lake is so small and the number of competitors so big that it is crucial to handle the boat in the right manner… Boat handling becomes more important than speed.”
Day 3 Video:
Race 7 Results:
1. Nathan Outteridge (AUS 3750)
2. Bora Gulari (USA 6)
3. Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI 4)
4. Scott Babbage (AUS 7)
5. Matthias Renker (SUI 3626)
6. Simon Payne (GBR 1)
7. Rob Gough (AUS 3731)
8. Chris Graham (UAE 9)
9. Chris Rast (USA 3768)
10. Lucas Brun (ITA 3)
Race 8 Results:
1. Nathan Outteridge (AUS 3750)
2. Bora Gulari (USA 6)
3. Rob Gough (AUS 3731)
4. Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI 4)
5. Chris Graham (UAE 9)
6. Jean-Pierre Ziegert (SUI 3734)
7. Simon Payne (GBR 1)
8. Matthias Renker (SUI 3626)
9. Scott Babbage (AUS 7)
10. Chris Rast (USA 3768)
Race 9 Results:
1. Bora Gulari (USA 6)
2. Nathan Outteridge (AUS 3750)
3. Scott Babbage (AUS 7)
4. Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI 4)
5. Simon Payne (GBR 1)
6. Chris Graham (UAE 9)
7. Chris Rast (USA 3768)
8. Matthias Renker (SUI 3626)
9. Jason Belben (GBR 3619)
10. Rob Gough (AUS 3731)
Preliminary Results after Day 3:
1. Nathan OUTTERIDGE (AUS 3750)
2. Bora GULARI (USA 6)
3. Scott BABBAGE (AUS 7)
4. Arnaud PSAROFAGHIS (SUI 4)
5. Simon PAYNE (GBR 1)
6. Rob GOUGH (AUS 3731)
7. Jean-Pierre ZIEGERT (SUI 3734)
8. Matthias RENKER (SUI 3626)
9. Chris GRAHAM (UAE 9)
10. Jason BELBEN (GBR 3619)
More information and full results on the event website.