11th ACO Musto Skiff World Championships during Kiel Week - Day 2
by Jamie Hilton 24 Jun 2022 15:26 BST
18-26 June 2022
11th ACO Musto Skiff World Championship at Kiel Week day 2 © Bernardí Bibiloni /
www.bernardibibiloni.com
After a day spent ashore under AP, it was Thursday morning and Day 2 of the World Championships before the delta flag came down to signal to the fleet that they were free to launch and make their way out to Course Kilo, which is some 10kms to the north-east of the regatta centre. This is where the race started for some, as the light winds meant almost an hour of sailing to get to the starting area.
The wind for the day was as per forecast, clocking slightly to 90 degrees and then building throughout the day from around 6 to 10 knots, fuelled by the baking sun. With the course so far offshore, there was relatively little land affect to influence the wind, and so it was largely boat speed and making best use of the modest 10-degree oscillations that proved key to making gains.
This provided the platform for a brilliant day’s racing, with keenly contested starts, tight racing, busy mark roundings, and little room for error.
In the first two races, fresh from his success in the Pre-Worlds regatta, Rob Richardson demonstrated his prowess in the lighter airs with two bullets to give him a dream start to the championships. In the first, he just pipped Spaniard, Mario Barcelo and British sailor, Stuart Keegan for line honours in a super close conclusion, and in the second, he held off the challenges of South African Andy Tarboton and British sailor, Rick Peacock.
As the wind continued to build, it was Dutch sailor Paul Dykstra who took the third race bullet from his training partner, Peacock, and with Tarboton again in the top.
A pattern was emerging where it was clear Tarboton and Peacock were duelling for top honours for the day, and so it proved again in the fourth race with Tarboton taking the win from British sailor, Jamie Hilton, and then Peacock.
With four races sailed and a discard in play, it was Tarboton in top spot on the overnight leaderboard with Peacock and Richardson rounding off the top three. Special mentions to go to 16-year-old German sailor, Eddie Stalleicken for his first championship races, and German sailor, Bettina Moller who switched out of her International 14 to join the Musto Skiff class for her first event with very little practice.
Back ashore, the fleet were treated to German sausage for an after sailing snack, before heading to the daily prize giving and the Gala Dinner, which was sponsored by ACO Group.
The Gala Dinner was an opportunity to come together to celebrate the delayed 20th anniversary of the class and the 10th anniversary of ACO sponsorship, both of which happened in 2020, but without any commemoration due to Covid.
As part of the celebrations, International Chairman, Andy Tarboton, and German class representative, Iver Ahlmann, acknowledged some long-standing members of the class, including GBR sailors Ian Trotter, Tom Conway, and Ron Barnes. German sailor, Martin Sattelkau also received a special mention as a long-standing member and the previous owner of the very first Musto Skiff – 059.
This was promptly followed by the daily prize giving, which acknowledged some new faces in the fleet, such as the German youth sailor, Eddie Stalleicken. At just 16 years old, the former 29er sailor is holding his own in the class, made all the more impressive by the fact that he only started sailing the Musto Skiff in March of 2022. Also included in the prize giving was the only female competitor in this year’s Worlds, German sailor, Bettina Moller. Rob Richardson also got a big cheer for his Pre-Worlds win on Tuesday, and his two bullets in today’s racing.
Thanks again to ACO Group, our Title Event Sponsor for the Musto Skiff Worlds, and to class sponsor, Musto, for providing all the Musto kit for the daily prizes.
With more wind forecast and 4 races scheduled on the more favourable Kilo racecourse, the class is set for a glamour day and some great conditions for Day 3 of the ACO 11th Musto Skiff World Championships.