Dragon World Championships, Hornbæk, Denmark

Dragon World Championships, Hornbæk, Denmark - Day 6

by Julian Isherwood 21 Jul 2001 20:21 BST

Germany’s Phillipp still way ahead after 6 races

Perfect Dragon wind but lots of current

Malte Phillip continued his steady-handed sailing Saturday to finish eighth today but maintaining a convincing overall lead in the field of 77 Dragons. With 28.4 points after the sixth race, he is 22.3 points ahead of his closest rival, fellow German Werner Fritz.

In third place overall and finishing sixth on Saturday was Dane Frank Eriksen, followed in fourth place by another German boat skippered by Harm Müller-Spreer.

“It was really exciting weather out here today. Real Dragon weather,” said Principal Race Officer Christian Lerche. “It was the sort of weather everyone hopes for in a Dragon race,” he said.

The course was subjected at times to 9 metres per second northwesterlies, with adequate wind with up to a one knot southeasterly current.

“What has probably been most difficult for the sailors today was a decision on how to place themselves in relation to the current.. Most of the sailors seemed to agree to go closer to land where they expected less current – in fact I don’t think it was any weaker there,” said Lerche.

“We got stuck on the marker on the first leg and I lost it from there. Otherwise it was a good fair race. Conditions were good,” Lars Jensen who hauled in a fifth place Saturday but admitted that he was lucky to know the waters in the Hornbæk area.

Saturday’s race got under way without re-calls and without any boats false-starting – probably as a result of the current which made sure that boats were kept away from the starting line at the beginning. The fine weather enabled a full 27 kilometer course to be sailed in just over three hours.

”There was excitement at one point as a result of the current. Some of the boats got too close to the markers and in trying to get the boat away from the marker got in the way of the other boats. That certainly gave rise to a lot of screaming and shouting,” said Lerche.

Most sailors agreed that Saturday’s race had been fair and held in good sailing conditions. “It was a great day today. There was lots of wind and a good sailing day. We didn’t have any problems, it was a lot of fun,” said Phyllis Chang from Hong Kong who came in 45th today and is currently 48th overall.

“It was a great day, a great race, with good wind. It was all very impressive,” said Jan Soderberg of the US who came in 17th today and has the 37th position overall.

For the Irish boat, the current had given the most problems: “This was our worst day so far. We didn’t get to the left side near the beach quickly enough (ED: to lessen the current) and we were done for. But it was a good race,” said Ireland’s John Lavery who came in 27th today and has the 12th position overall.

Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik and his new Dragon Nanoq came in 32nd today and is 28th overall, while Prince Henrik came in 64th today and is placed 74th overall.

Results after 6 races: (Olympic scoring)

Pos	Sail No	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1	GER956	Malte Phillipp	1	2	3	BFD	3	8	28.4
2	GER947	Werner Fritz	3	18	26	2	5	4	50.7
3	DEN317	Frank Eriksen	36	13	23	1	1	6	59.7
4	GER950	Harm Müller-Spreer	10	9	9	4	BFD	10	70
5	DEN298	Lars Jensen	16	8	1	10	38	16	74
6	NED247	Fred Imhoff	23	10	15	44	2	7	82
7	GER933	Thomas Müller	15	20	5	14	7	13	83
8	DEN66	Frank Berg	8	3	7	41	BFD	5	89.7
9	GER892	Achim Kadelbach	52	1	34	8	25	11	102
10	GER842	Ortwin Semmerow	12	26	16	6	24	15	102.7
11	GER928	Erich Hirt	9	14	28	30	33	1	105
12	IRL157	John Lavery	13	19	11	20	15	27	108
13	DEN334	Claus Høj Jensen	7	27	52	28	17	3	108.7
14	DEN324	Jesper Bendix	5	5	29	25	21	25	109
15	GBR656	Martin Payne	24	BFD	10	7	32	18	121
16	GER905	Michael Erhard	19	23	19	19	14	42	124
17	GER852	Udo Pflüger	11	6	45	65	23	14	128.7
18	CAN140	Hans Fogh	41	4	12	DNF	26	23	134
19	GER628	Michael Schattan	42	33	13	3	18	43	135.7
20	FIN50	Henrik Dahlman	6	BFD	4	22	BFD	9	146.7
21	AUS167	Ian MacDiarmid	51	59	8	13	10	36	148
22	GER915	Marcus Brenneche	17	54	37	31	16	19	150
23	SWE320	Leif Carlsson	29	32	55	16	34	12	153
24	FIN48	Erkki Koponen	44	22	20	9	30	57	155
25	DEN318	Peter Holm	2	BFD	31	26	BFD	2	159
26	GER795	Holger Tollmien	26	47	67	23	6	28	159.7
27	DEN257	Mogens Nielsen	20	39	2	47	44	31	161
28	DEN336	HKH Kronprins Frederik	14	DNF	6	68	20	32	169.7
29	SWE194	Johan Palmquist	38	24	32	34	19	40	177
30	DEN333	Claus Olsen	34	17	60	29	40	29	179
31	GBR662	Rory Bowman	21	BFD	72	18	13	26	180
32	SWE311	Thomas Olrog	18	35	64	40	22	35	180
33	IRL167	Robin Hennessy	48	16	39	48	28	20	181
34	GER833	Dirk Schröder	49	12	22	36	61	33	182
35	AUS134	Carl Ryves	25	21	66	27	63	21	187
36	GBR623	Patrick Gifford	45	11	62	42	4	DNF	192
37	DEN266	Ebbe Elmer	22	50	48	71	8	40	197.8
38	USA311	Jan Soderberg	50	30	21	52	57	17	200
39	FRA300	Louis Urvois	27	34	25	55	BFD	39	210
40	DEN3	Kim Christensen	7	15	68	35	55	DNF	210
41	HKG40	Karl J. Grebstad	65	51	63	21	9	37	211
42	DEN319	Henrik Jansen	4	BFD	65	DNF	12	24	211
43	GER909	Jens Helms	57	31	27	37	36	50	211
44	AUS179	Matthew Whitnall	46	38	36	62	35	30	215
45	DEN321	Peter Johansen	DNS	36	42	11	51	52	222
46	GER939	Walter Berhens	43	37	35	33	49	53	227
47	DEN330	Peter Warrer	DSQ	25	14	72	45	44	230
48	HKG38	Phyllis Chang	60	28	58	66	11	45	232
49	FIN69	Timo Lampén	56	52	49	43	41	22	237
50	NED278	Wilco Veerman	39	46	30	15	BFD	DNC	238
51	SWE308	Thomas Rosén	55	BFD	17	17	43	DNF	240
52	GER929	Wolfgang Rappel	30	BFD	53	56	46	38	253
53	DEN233	Lars Broen	58	43	57	12	BFD	56	256
54	FIN74	Mikko Saarela	35	48	41	49	54	61	257
55	SWE306	Peter Hjörne	47	29	24	69	58	DNF	257
56	SWE303	Hans-Åke Book	32	7	38	BFD	DNF	DNC	263
57	NOR267	Poul Mortensen	37	49	54	45	50	66	265
58	GER914	Peter Koch	40	44	61	46	BFD	46	267
59	SWE301	Björn Unger	54	41	56	64	39	48	268
60	FIN53	Erkki Hintsanen	70	57	59	5	60	60	270
61	AUS156	Trish Ford	DNS	42	74	32	37	57	272
62	NED316	Pieter Heerema	31	40	44	50	DNC	DNC	273
63	NOR270	Terje Olsson	DNS	DNS	33	38	47	49	275
64	DEN332	David Holm	28	BFD	18	51	BFD	DNF	283
65	DEN297	Jens Løppenthin	68	60	75	24	56	51	289
66	DEN305	Lars Pedersen	62	62	46	70	27	63	290
67	EST1	Jengeni Kazakov	53	DNE	DNF	59	29	41	290
68	DEN248	Bernd Griese	DNF	63	71	53	42	34	293
69	EST3	Rein Raud	63	53	43	61	59	47	293
70	FIN71	Tuomas Rytikangas	61	56	47	54	52	65	300
71	SWE281	Per Skoglund	67	DNE	51	39	53	62	313
72	NOR272	Henning Bull	DNF	DNS	40	58	31	DNF	315
73	EST2	Alexander Karboinov	DNS	58	69	57	48	54	316
74	DEN313	HKH Prins Henrik	64	45	70	63	DNF	64	336
75	JPN46	Bocci A. Aoyama	66	61	DNF	60	64	55	336
76	FIN70	Timo Pajunen	59	55	50	BFD	BFD	67	339
77	SWE273	Esbjörn Bruske	69	BFD	73	67	62	57	358