Laser 4.7 Youth World Championship at Kiel, Germany - Day 1

No wind in Schilksee, so the sailors rocked their boats back into the harbour on day 1 of the Laser 4.7 Youth Worlds © Marina Könitzer

Conditions were very fluky today at the Laser 4.7 Youth World Championship off Kiel-Schilksee. PRO Stephan Giesen started two races, that he abandoned after a huge wind shift, and sent the girls and boys back to the harbour. For Wednesday, the forecast is better and three races are scheduled.

"We sailed up to the first mark, when the wind dropped and came from all directions", reported Jakko Vauhkonen, 16 years old, from Finland, who started on area Juliett. It was the first and also the last try to get the fleet underway on the first day of the Laser 4.7 Youth Worlds. The two girl´s divisions were not started after all. "There was some consistent wind in the beginning, but then there was a big shift to the right", reported Christin Hoffmann, 15 years old, from Germany while pulling back her Laser on shore.

"We had some decent wind", PRO Stephan Giesen confirmed; "but two minutes before the start, it shifted about 90 degrees, so we had to postpone." The sailors on area Echo were already on their way to the first windward mark when they got the shift, so racing was abandoned on Echo, too. The Race Management consulted head meteorologist Meeno Schrader and decided to wait for a sea breeze to build at late noon, but at 2.30 pm PRO Stephan Giesen announced: "No more racing today."

Sailors and coaches alike appreciated the decision. "On the first day of an event, there is no need to start off with some difficult or maybe unfair racing", said Pim Stumpel, coach of Julia Büsselberg from Berlin/Germany. "The wind was very fluky and patchy today, but the forecast for tomorrow is better."

With offshore winds like predicted for Wednesday, it will be important to check where the course is located compared to the shore line, said the Dutchman. "On area Juliett, which is closer to the shore line, the local effects may be bigger than on area Echo, where the shore line is straighter which makes it a little bit easier to anticipate things coming." Pim Stumpel, who lives at Lanzarote, has been working for one and a half years with Julia Büsselberg, the current U16 Youth World Champion in the Laser 4.7 class. To him, the waters off Schilksee provide all sorts of conditions which makes racing really diverse. His coachee Julia has spent plenty of time training in Kiel: "She has a good grasp on the conditions", said Stumpel.

Asked for Julia Buesselberg´s biggest rivals at the Youth Worlds, her coach said: "We are not watching anyone in particular. As the regatta progresses, maybe we will be in the position to look a bit more at the others. But for now, we focus on the things that we can control." It could make a difference that girls and boys are racing in separate groups, because, as Stumpel said, "the amount of boys who are really aggressive, for instance on the starting line, is bigger than in the girl´s fleet."

For Wednesday, August 3rd, three races are scheduled. The first gun will be at 11 am. Despite one day without racing, there is no rush. A total of four races are required to be completed until Sunday, August 7th, to constitute a championship.

Schedule

4.7 Youth World Championship (U18 + U16)

• Saturday, 30. July and 31. July: check-in, measurement
• Monday, 1. August: check-in, measurement, 2pm: practice race, 7pm: opening ceremony/dinner
• Tuesday, 2. August, until Friday, 5. August 11am: qualification round
• Saturday, 6. August, 11am: final round
• Sunday, 7. August, 11am: final round, after that prize giving ceremony and final party/dinner

• Tuesday, 9. August: check-in, measurement
• Wednesday, 10. August: check-in, measurement, 2pm: practice race, 7:30pm: opening ceremony/dinner
• Thursday, 11. August, until Sunday, 14. August 11am: qualification round
• Monday, 15. August, 11am: final round
• Tuesday, 16. August, 11 o'clock: final round, after that prize giving ceremony and final party/dinner

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