International 2.4 Metre World Championships at Poole Yacht Club - Day 1
by Karenza Morton 10 Sep 2013 20:24 BST
6-13 September 2013
Andersson's title defence off to flyer
Defending champion, Sweden's Peter Andersson, got his title defence off to a perfect start laying down the gauntlet to his rivals and topping the leaderboard at the end of day one of the 2013 International 2.4 Metre World Championships at the Poole Yacht Club (Tuesday 10 September).
Andersson and fellow countryman, the six-time World Champion Stellan Berlin, finished the opening day in the same order as they ended the 2012 World Championships in Italy with Britain's Paralympic champion, Helena Lucas, in third.
But there was a dark horse in the fleet as Sydney 2000 49er silver medalist, Ian Barker, the coach of Lucas, picked up two seconds and was only denied a place in the early medal spots with a race two OCS. With only one discard in the event after six races, Barker will have to be on his guard if he is going to mount a title challenge.
Berlin has won more 2.4mR World titles than anyone else, and has incredibly finished with a medal at 12 of the last 13 World Championships.
After opening his 2013 account with scores of 3, 2, 4 – compared to leader Andersson's 1, 4, 3 – the 47-year-old from Djursholm, just north of Stockholm, believes the secret to Worlds success is consistency.
He said: "It was a very good day, very shifty and tricky but it was good racing and I had three good results so I'm very happy with that. The last couple of regattas back home Peter has not been so fast so it's good to see him up there again. I always enjoy when there is tight racing at the top and we've had that in all races today.
"When it's shifty like it has been today it's very easy to be on the wrong side of the racecourse, that can cost you a lot so as long as you can have all top seven finishes then you're in good shape. Just being consistent is more important than getting the bullets because there are so many races and boats if you do a mistake it costs you."
Contending with 30 degree wind shifts and some fluctuating breezes and choppy conditions, London 2012 gold medalist Lucas' event improved as the day went on.
Having opened her regatta with a ninth, she then scored a race two fifth before being involved in a nail-biting head-to-head with Barker in the final race of the day and getting the better of her coach to take a very satisfying race win.
This was Barker's first ever competitive outing in a 2.4mR, although the two frequently spar at close quarters in training. Lucas admits it was fun to replicate that on a serious racecourse.
She said: "Ian was all over me like a rash on both runs! There was one bit when he started going quite quickly and was coming up on the inside of me and I was like 'Why are you suddenly going so quick?!' And he shouted back, 'Well why don't you hurry up then!' The trouble is he knows my weaknesses so knows exactly what to do!
"My starts got better as the day went on and I think that was pretty key. Apart from the OCS, Ian's starts were pretty awesome and I think that's what put him up there. It was really, really busy on the start line; before the start you've got to have your eyes fully open as there are boats everywhere. It's pretty full on from the five minute gun."
Ian, who is racing in Lucas' London 2012 boat, by his own admission had no grounds for complaint over his second race disqualification for breaking the start line early. He admits he now knows exactly what his charge is talking about when it comes to getting your start line bearings in a boat that is so close to the water.
He added: "The OCS was due to disorientation before the start, when you see the amount of waves and boats and everything else. I've sailed these boats before a fair bit but never in a start with so many other boats, and the amount of chop they kick up when it's windy is unbelievable. It's like being on a bucking bronco! By the time I'd got myself together I was over the line and the race had started so that was that.
"I didn't have a clue how I was going to do. In the final race I had a really good start at the pin end and then it was just a really good race. It wasn't just Helena, we had the Swedes and a Fin up there as well. It's really hard racing, you've just got to take what shifts you can and try and figure out what's going on but it was good fun."
In a change from the original sailing instructions, racing resumes at the 2013 International 2.4mR World Championships at 1125 tomorrow (Wednesday 11 September). Three races are scheduled, with the only event discard set to come into play at the end of the day if those three races are completed.
For more details about the 2013 International 2.4mR Class World Championships visit www.24mworlds2013.co.uk or follow @24mRWorlds2013 on Twitter.
Matt Bugg makes strong start to 2.4mR World Championship (from Craig Heydon, Yachting Australia)
Racing is underway at the 2013 2.4mR World Championship in Poole, England, with Australia's Matt Bugg off to a strong start.
Three races were completed on the opening day in Poole with Bugg finishing with a 12th, a ninth and a sixth in the tricky conditions.
The results leave the Tasmanian sailor sixth overall in the 75 boat fleet.
"We got to the boat park this morning and found that the tide had gone out so far that most of the fleet were stuck in the mud," said Australian coach Richard Scarr. "All 80 boats were either lifted by crane or dived for to clean them out. When racing eventually got underway it was a bit like racing in a westerly on Sydney Harbour or even more like a south-westerly on the Derwent.
"The were big pressure lines hard left or hard right and nothing in the middle, leading to a lot of snakes and ladders in the middle of the pack with the top mark very, very, busy," he said. "Matt had a consistent day, getting off the line well in the first two and then owning the pin end in the last race, having his best finish.
"Having an extra few boat lengths of speed is allowing the top 10 to make their own decisions and committing to a side, making gains along the way," said Scarr. "With four tide changes a day having knowledge of the current is key."
Fellow Australians Neil Patterson and Michael Leydon are 52nd and 53rd respectively, with Mark Durnan 68th.
The 2.4mR World Championship features disabled and able-bodied sailors competing against each other on a level playing field, with the design of the 2.4mR placing an emphasis on sailing skill, rather than physical abilities. This has led to a fleet of sailors heading to Poole from a wide variety of backgrounds with Paralympic and Olympic medallists taking part.
For more information on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au and follow the Team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusSailingTeam.