505 Worlds Championships in Fremantle, Australia - Day 3

Grolsch International 505 Worlds 2002 Race 4

Gated

Only one race was scheduled for today, but we nearly sailed two. After a postponement, we went with a gate start in very light air. A number of teams were trying to gate early and several of these were caught a little high as the pathfinder started its run. Pip and I were still going backwards as the pathfinder sailed by and were rolled by a number of boats that squeezed through. It turns out we did rather better than some, as something like six teams were DSQ'd for hitting the gate launch or the pathfinder.

Incredibly the teams DSQ'd include:

• 1st race winners Dave Smithwhite/Neal Fulcher
• Event leaders after three races, Ian Barker/Dan Cripps
• 1999 World Champions Howard Hamlin/Mike Martin
• Several other teams were also DSQ'd.

The Doctor was tardy

This race was in a mostly easterly breeze, with wind ranging from near zero to 16 knots, and puffs filling in from one side and nearly inverting the fleet. On the third beat, after the two reaching legs, the easterly died out, leaving most of the fleet barely moving, and the Fremantle Doctor breeze filled in from the opposite direction. At this point the Race Committee abandoned the race, and moved into position for another start, setting the course for the new wind direction.

Since it was late in the afternoon for The Doctor, it did not fill in all that strongly, perhaps to 14 knots, though there were some higher puffs. Again there were a number of teams trying to gate early. The fleet went off planing fast upwind. The leaders all chose to do bear-away sets at the windward mark, while a few teams that rounded well back jibed at the offset mark and hoisted spinnakers on port. The jib set group had good breeze right to the corner, and when they jibed back to starboard to lay the leeward mark, received the strongest puff of the day. Large gains were made by these teams, Pip and I may have passed 30 boats and rounded the leeward mark 10th. The breeze backed as the leaders started down the first reach, with a number of teams forced to douse their kites to make the mark. The shift was large enough that not jibing at the jibe mark and continuing on starboard wire-running was the better move to get down the second reach, which had now turned into a run. There were lots of place changes on these two legs. After a fast beat upwind the leaders split down the run to the finish, and then converged on the narrow finish line.

First finishers

Andy Beeckman/Ben Benjamin (USA-Team Tuesday) won the race. Krister Bergstrom Thomas Moss would have crossed second, but capsized on the last jibe before the finish and fell to 4th. What with Bergstrom/Moss swimming Simon Payne/Bill Masterman dueled with Tim Collins/Drew Buttner for second, with Collins/Buttner (USA) taking 2nd and Payne/Masterman (GBR) 3rd. Bergstrom/Moss (SWE) were 4th, Les Nathanson/Richard Machin (AUS) 5th, Luke Molloy/Lucas Prescott (AUS) 6th, Henry Amthor/Steve Sparkman (USA) 7th, Brett Van Munster/Andrew Petch (AUS) 8th, Doug Hagan/Stuart Park (USA) 9th, Ian Pinnell/Steve Hunt (GBR) 10th.

Overall standings very close

Danny Thompson/Andy Zinn were in the teens at the last windard mark but put their kite under the bow on the hoist and dropped some places. If we start figuring in a throwout, Barker/Cripps throw out their DSQ and count ten points overall. Bergstrom/Moss drop a 7th and have 12 points. Andy Beeckman/Ben Benjamin throw out a 14th and have 12 points. Thompson/Zinn throw out today's race and have 13.

Results after Day 3: (4 races)