Tornado World Championship at Yacht Club de la Grande Motte - Day 3
by International Tornado Class Association 12 Jul 2018 14:39 BST
12 July 2018
Tornado World Championship - Day 3 © Nikos Pantis
The sun rose above the sky of La Grande Motte and the emerald sea, announcing the beginning of the third day of racing of the 2018 Tornado World Championship. The slight decrease of the temperature from 34 degrees to 28 degrees from the previous day meant that a lighter thermic wind was on its way.
The Race Committee had already informed the crews about a slight delay on the schedule. After one hour of delay, race 4 started with a wind of 8 to 10 knots.
Competitors were very close to one another, waiting nervously to the pennant side of the starting line. GRE 1, GER 44 and FRA 15 started way too early. Besides GRE 1 and FRA 15's comeback rounding the pennant boat, GER 44 went on sailing and was ranked as OCS.
The wind increased from 10 to 12 knots during the second lap, and on a flat sea, GRE 1 proved much faster than any other competitor. They crossed the first downing gate with a clear lead, which got bigger and bigger throughout the race.
After one hour and one minute of racing GRE 1 won with more than two minutes of difference over the second, ITA 46, who, after a superb race, managed to keep that position from the first rounding of mark N degrees1. AUS 3, who came third, gained one place over the mixed crew of GER 11 during the last downwind leg.
Ten minutes after the arrival of the last boat, race 5 was about to start. This time the boats, spread along the starting line, were much more vigilant and the start was clear. At the end of the first lap, GRE 1 led once again with AUS 2 and AUS 3 about 50 meters on its back.
AUS 2 and AUS 3 constantly competed against each other, but finally it was AUS 2 who took the lead. FRA 2, 8th and 5th up until that moment, lost one place at the provisional overall ranking from GER 11!
After the race, the crews were invited by the local organization to a superb dinner on a boat cruise on a canal from the city of Le Grau du Roi to the ancient city of Aigues Mortes, surrounded by original ramparts. Five centuries ago, the city was closer to the sea than it is now, due to the sediments of the Rhône river.
With five races completed, today is reserved for resting. Time for the sailors to gain their strength back, enjoy a visit to the vineyards and participate in a wine degustation followed by a local lunch. More to come on Friday...
Results so far [PDF]