WASZP Games 2025 Day 3
by Nicola Hoyle 24 Jul 09:22 BST
19-25 July 2025
2025 WASZP Games Day 3 © Down Under Sail
Day 3 of the WASZP Games dawned with cautious optimism as the early risers in the boat park were greeted by a light but promising northerly breeze. However, an approaching front caused the race committee to call a three-hour postponement. The wind clocked round to the west by lunchtime, allowing the fleets to get on the water: Gold and Silver heading out into Weymouth Bay, while Bronze and the 6.9m rig fleet raced inside Portland Harbour.
When racing did get under way, it was a game of patience, persistence, and pressure-hunting.
In Gold fleet, Race 1 saw an early split in strategy up the first beat. Peter Cope (GBR) led at the top mark, but it was Gavin Ball (USA) who showed blistering pace as the wind began to drop. Gavin took control, leading comfortably around the windward mark on lap two all the way to the finish. Roo Purves (GBR) came in second and Pablo Astiazaran Pérez-Cela in third. Pearl Lattanzi (USA) also showed excellent form, locking in a top ten result.
By the time the second race was under way, however, the breeze had become increasingly unreliable at the top mark. Despite a solid opening lap, the wind collapsed during the second lap, forcing the race committee to abandon.
Race 2 was restarted inside the harbour and saw Gavin Ball once again demonstrate his mastery of the light airs, controlling from the front as the leading pack navigated a minefield of breeze shifts and holes with surgical precision. This time with Hoel Menard (USA) making it a USA one-two with Federico Bergamasco (ITA) in third. Matthis Johnson scooped up the Race 3 bullet, taking the win from Federico in second and Pablo in third.
"Quite a tough day," reflected Pablo. "The level of the fleet is really high so it's super tight racing. Crazy wind today with lots of shifts. I was consistent in the top ten so really happy with that. In a fleet as good as this, being consistent is key. It's really easy to have a bad race in a good fleet."
It was also a day of milestones for some. Rachael Betschart (BER), competing in her first WASZP Games, made Gold Fleet and was clearly relishing the experience.
"It's amazing out there," she said. "It's my first Games, so my goal was to make Gold Fleet. Racing has been good with a breezy first two days. Today was a bit lighter—wind was patchy and shifty. Really shifty in the Harbour but some good sailing. On the start line it was a bit chaotic, a lot of boats all pushing for the gun. There's not a lot of room for error so makes it challenging but great to do it with this many people at this level."
With steadier breeze further offshore, the Silver fleet were able to make the most of the conditions and notch up a solid race count out in the Bay. In Race 1, a trio of German sailors led the charge to the leeward gate on lap one, but the changing shifts and pressure bands meant it was the Swede Stefan Eriksson (SWE) who read the shifts best and pulled ahead to claim the bullet, with Leonardo Centuori (ITA) coming in second and Charlie Parsons (USA) rounding off the top three.
Race 2 saw Merryn Attridge (GBR) take the lead, Brenn Armstrong (AUS) slotted into second and Eriksson again showing consistency in third. The final race of the day saw an emphatic performance from Nora Doksrød (NOR), who stormed into the lead to take the win. Centuori continued his strong form with another second place, moving him into the lead of the Silver Fleet standings, while Ben Anderson (GBR) sailed a smart race to finish third.
Inside the harbour, the Bronze and 6.9m fleets completed a full four-race schedule in challenging, variable conditions, with massive shifts and patchy pressure bands. Staying in phase with the shifts and pressure was the name of the game, rewarding those who did just that.
Andrew McDougall had blistering pace throughout the day, bagging two bullets. Top-three finishes were also picked up by Bjorn Knox Jonsson (SWE), Matt Lulham-Robinson (GBR), and Antoine Madic (FRA), who each secured second-place finishes, while strong performances from Ghislaine van Empel (NED) and Joerg Fleischer (GER) earned them third-place results. Following a strong qualifying series and all top-ten finishes today, Pia Raber (GBR) leads the Bronze Fleet overall.
As the first day of finals wraps up, the leaderboard is starting to take shape. With conditions still proving unpredictable, it's all to play for heading into Thursday's racing.
Full results: sailwave.com/results/WPNSA/2025-WASZP-Games.htm
Event website: racehub.waszp.com/eventdetail/360
Top ten after Day 3 (8.2m & 7.5m rig):
| Pos | Helm | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | Federico Bergamasco (ITA) | 18 |
| 2 | Pablo Astiazaran Pérez‑Cela (ESP) | 28.5 |
| 3 | Antonio Gasperini (ESP) | 30 |
| 4 | Gavin Ball (USA) | 48 |
| 5 | Andrew Chisholm (CAN) | 48.5 |
| 6 | Caspar Ilgenstein (GER) | 53 |
| 7 | Mose Bellomi (ITA) | 67 |
| 8 | Matthis Johnson (FRA) | 70.5 |
| 9 | Peter Cope (GBR) | 73 |
| 10 | Hoel Menard (USA) | 82 |
Top Women:
1. Pearl Lattanzi (USA)
2. Rachael Betschart (BER)
3. Mina Ferguson (AUS)
Top Junior (U19):
Andrew Chisholm (CAN)
Top Youth (U21):
Federico Bergamasco (ITA)
Top Apprentice:
Gavin Ball (USA)
Top Master:
Andrew Bridgman (GBR)
Top SuperMaster:
Stefan Eriksson (SWE)
Top 7.5m rig division:
Alex Jones (GBR)