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Fireball World Championship at Pointe Claire Yacht Club - Day 2

by Nick Rees 27 Aug 2019 13:54 BST 25-30 August 2019

Race 3 and 4 of the Fireball Worlds in Pointe Claire Yacht Club in Montreal, Canada, were sailed in light easterly winds that proved challenging for both the sailors and the race officials alike.

The wind direction meant that there was the St Laurence River current was pushing boats over the line, making the starts difficult, and also making the final running leg of the triangle sausage course extremely long and tricky.

After three postponements and a few general recalls race 3 got away with the right hand side paying and Claude Mermod and Ruedi Moser (Switzerland) leading the charge. They held this lead throughout the race with the battle for the minor places swapping around during the race.

Ultimately Ludovic Collin and Remy Thuillier (France) finished second and Heather Macfarlane and Chris Payne (Australia) third with class commodore Christina Haerdi and Cedric Landerer (Switzerland) fourth.

The second race of the day started in similar conditions, but there were some lifting puffs on the left hand side that meant that side was favoured on the first beat this time around. Heather Macfarlane and Chris Payne started at the pin end and after a short time found they were able to tack and cross the whole fleet and were never headed.

Claude and Reudi, who were series leader at the time, tried the right hand side, (which had proved so successful for them the race before) and ended up buried at the first mark and had to work hard to wriggle their way up to 10th by the finish.

A pack of four to five boats tussled it out behind Heather and Chris with ultimately Ludovic and Remy finishing second again, with Ian Dobson and Richard Wagstaff (UK) third.

The consistency of Heather and Chris now mean that they lead the series going into the third day with 1, 3, 3, 4 results, from Ian and Richard, and Ludovic and Remi.

Unusually for Fireballs, the top five boats are from different countries and this bears out the truly international nature of the event.

Tomorrow's forecast is similar, with two races scheduled, but there is hope of stronger breezes after the lay day later in the week.

Results after Day 2:

PosNatSail NoHelmCrewBoat NameR1R2R3R4Pts
1stAUS15152Heather MacfarlaneChris PayneRLO433111
2ndGBR15161Ian DobsonRichard WagstaffOrchitis155314
3rdFRA14917Ludovic CollinRemy Thuillier642214
4thSUI14799Claude MermodRuedi Moser5111017
5thCZE15019Martin KubovyRoman RocekKriplkara397423
6thGBR15162Isaac MarshOliver DavenportTinderella786526
7thCZE14981Jan JedlickaJiri GemperlePussy Magnet Included21217738
8thBEL15140Bart MeynendonckxFrancis De RoeckGreat @venture111010940
9thCAN15043Robert LevyJon Driver101311842
10thGBR15157Keith WalkerNicholas ReesFreya14149643
11thCAN14766Debbie KirkbyGreg FergusonLine Dancer136131244
12thCAN14911Pierre CarpentierThomas BirdTechnical Difficulties15781545
13thGBR14941Derian ScottAndy ScottSouthppaws162121646
14thSUI14859Christina HaerdiCedric LandererFuchur121741346
15thAUS15113Ben SchulzJoel MacKensieThe Wonky Donkey915181759
16thFRA14959Patrice OlivierJean‑François Nouel819142667
17thCAN15134Joe JospeTom Egli2121191172
18thSUI15063Mianne ErneManuela LiechtiCoppalin Ban2016162375
19thCAN14768Bill StrathDave MunroPontificate2311212176
20thCAN15098Robert ThompsonFrancis WestlakeInfallible1718231876
21stCAN14647Eric OwstonPeter KellyBlanco1929152588
22ndCAN15106Mark CummingsEvelyn ChisholmEeyore2222222288
23rdGBR14964David MasonChris OglethorpeRumball1833202495
24thCAN14464Laura MalondaWilliam KellyFriarballs2824261997
25thRSA14877David LaingMark Dee24252727103
26thCAN14482Hamish FergusonFraser KeithTutu To Tango25232928105
27thCAN14757Robert WarrenGary BishopRevenge26203130107
28thCAN15033Ken TichkowskyNeil TichkowskyURT29OCS2514111
29thCAN13946Shannon GallinsEric Diller32303020112
30thUSA15034Clay PoulsonLukas KlierQueso Suiza30263431121
31stCAN14481Richard QuinlanLiam QuinlanConcorde31283234125
32ndIRL14713Frank MillerEd ButlerBlind SquirrelBFD272829127
33rdCAN14680James CoxGed McLeanTangeroo33OCS2433133
34thCAN14907Liz BrennanEvan MahLoose Cannon27OCS3332135
35thCAN14678Philip LockerThomas LockerInvisiball34313835138
36thFRA14123Estébàn HernandezMathias SchlickManuebaDNC323536146
37thUSA11451Chandler OwenJeremy KennedyBenign Lesion35353740147
38thGBR14872Barbara NewsonGuy NewsonMagiic37383641152
39thCAN1504Katherine WalkerDylan ScottMen In Black36374039152
40thCAN14915Thibault de ServignyJohn‑Thomas KellySleeping BeautyDNS343937153
41stCAN14465John McGuinnessFrançois FortierKnotty Boy38364138153
42ndUSA12847Fred StewardSarah StewardEcologaDNCDNCDNFDNC172

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