Cadet World Championship at Bodstedt, Germany: Another Tasmanian crew wins
by Peter Campbell/Tony Bull 2 Aug 2018 08:28 BST
29 July - 3 August 2018
Hugo Allison and Grace Hooper are top of the mixed fleet at 2018 International Cadet World Championships © International Cadet World Championship
Following a welcome lay day after eight races in three days, the 120-plus young sailors contesting International Cadet World Championships resume competition at Bodstedt, Germany, tonight, Australian time.
While an Argentinean crew has a commanding overall points lead, two Australian crews are in the top seven going into the final five races for the 63-boat fleet from 13 nations.
Hobart's Sandy Bay Sailing Club's Archer Ibbott and James Gough yesterday became the second Australian crew to win a race at the Worlds.
Ibbott (15) and Gough (12) won race eight, the last race on day three of the championship to lift them to seventh overall in the 63 boat fleet from 13 nations. Their win followed a 22nd place and an eighth.
Over the three days of racing they have improved their overall position in the fleet from 22nd at the end of day one, when they accepted a place penalty following a port-and-starboard incident, to seventh, yesterday finishing 22-8-1.
Top ranked Australians are Peter Allen and Ashton Rowstron from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria who are fifth overall, maintaining their consistent sailing with 16-9-7 yesterday, the 16th their worst result so far and first discard.
Australian team captain Jacob McConaghy and his crew Sam Hooper from SBSC are 15th overall (the other Australian team crew to win a race at the Worlds so far) while Hugo Allison and Grace Hooper, also from Sandy Baym are 17th.
Hugo and Grace are also top of the leader board for the mixed crew trophy with Elliott Hughes and Cate McCoy in second place. The Geelong pair are 23rd overall.
Jack Allison and Luca Groves (SBSC) began day three with a 47th place, their worst of the regatta, recovering somewhat with a 24th and 21st to be 31st overall
"The racing yesterday was a mixed bag, the first race was a really poor one for Oz," Australian team coach said in his daily blog. "A 30 degrees wind shift saw the fleet reaching into the top mark and threw the race into disarray," Bull reported. "Our sailors were on the wrong side for the most part and suffered accordingly.
"After that first race our day improved with some single digits and low teen finishes from our boats, but once again coming through from a long way back.
"The day finished with a highlight of Archer Ibbott and James Gough winning race eight. Congratulations boys.
''As a coach as the regatta unfolds, it is always bitter sweet. Some sailors are doing well and others not so great.
"But we do have all our team in top half of the fleet, with Peter Allen and Ash Rawstron in 5th with remarkable consistency. And Arch and James have jumped into 7th.
"The Argentinian crew have taken a pretty strong grip with some pressure from the Belgians in 2nd. Also amongst the leaders is a smattering of Pole and Brits, all worthy adversaries." Bull added.