2025 WASZP Pre-Games in Weymouth - Day 1
by Nicola Hoyle 17 Jul 2025 08:44 BST
16-18 July 2025
WASZPs in Portland Harbour © WASZP Class
The WASZP Pre-Games got under way in Weymouth on Thursday with all the ingredients for a great day on the water: a steady WSW breeze, sunshine, and plenty of smiles heading out onto the racecourse in Portland Harbour.
The class was split into three flights on two courses: two flights for the 8.2m/7.5m rigs and a flight for the 6.9m rigs. With four races scheduled, sailors wasted no time shaking off any travel fatigue and got straight into the rhythm of racing.
In the 8.2m/7.5m fleet, race wins were scattered across the board, with no single sailor dominating all four races. But Matthis Johnson (FRA) proved that consistency is king — staying in the top three all day and only slipping slightly in the final race to top the overall standings. Gavin Ball (USA) sits closely behind in second overall, separated by just one point from the leader.
Across the age categories, Andrew Chisholm (CAN) leads the Junior (U19) division, while Peter Cope (GBR) climbed steadily throughout the day to take the top spot in Youth (U21). Andrew Bridgman (NZL) improved race by race, finishing with a strong fifth to lead the Masters, and the battle is on in the Super Masters division, with Jervis Tilly (AUS) and Mikel Vazquez (ESP) tied on points.
In the 6.9m rig fleet, the action was just as lively. Lena Fries (SUI) made an impressive start, grabbing back-to-back bullets in Races 1 and 2. But it was Ricardo Bille (ITA) who took the wins in Races 3 and 4 to edge ahead in the overall standings. Jacopo Andrian (ITA) stayed right in the mix with a string of strong finishes, now sitting only a point behind Lena.
Full results so far can be found here.
No WASZP event is complete without a dose of humour from the boat park, and seasoned, stylish French sailor Manu delivered early with the quote of the day:
"You don't have to be good, you just have to look good" - Manu Guedon (FRA)
Who could argue? Sailing with style. It's what we all aspire to. And when your boat looks that good, it's hard not to go all in with kit coordination.
Racing continues with a slightly more variable breeze forecast from the SW, so expect some hard-fought battles and interesting racing to unfold.
Stay tuned as we head into Day 2.
For more information and to view the full entry list, visit the official WASZP RaceHub at racehub.waszp.com