Dragon Worlds - Day 3 - Superb racing and packed mark roundings

by Jonny Fullerton on 15 Jun 2017 Two more races were held in glorious sailing conditions on the Guia race course off the coast of Cascais in warm and hazy sunshine. The fleet headed out to the race course in steamy hot summer weather and a sea mist offshore which thankfully cleared to start race four of the championship in 15 - 18 knots from the NW in the now customary rolling waves.

Trying to hold 70 Dragons back off the start line in the gnarly conditions is not easy and it took the PRO two attempts including the threat of the black flag. Finally they got away for a 2.4nm upwind leg using the usual w/l course configuration.

After a packed start at the committee boat end, the majority of the fleet were keen to keep to the middle right of the race track, punching out to the inshore lay-line in front of the rocky cliffs of the Cascais shoreline.

Rounding in the lead for the first time was GER1177 (PowWow) helmed by Michael Zankel, closely followed by SUI311 (Sophie 3) skippered by Hugo Stenbeck and UAE9 (Desert Eagle) Hendrik Wintzmann.

The downwind leg was another rock & roll ride with most of the fleet enjoying some wild surfing, a blaze of colour with 70 boats all surging downwind in one huge mass. At the head of the fleet SUI311 Hugo Stenbeck closed on the stern of PowWow, taking her wind and gliding past to windward.

The gate rounding was always going to be chaotic with so many Dragons trying to round five abreast. A whole lot of shouting and bumping and grinding but amazingly not much damage, just some dented pride!

The course length was considerably shortened to 1.5nm legs at the gate.

Generally the right and middle right (inshore side) of the course paid but many boats again overstood the final lay-line approach at the top of the course.

At the second windward mark rounding the first three places remained the same but places changed hands behind the leaders. Downwind again and the championship joint leaders TUR1212 (Provezza) Andy Beadsworth and RUS27 (Annapurna) Anatoly Loginov, were closing on the leaders.

On the final upwind leg Hugo Stenback did a good job of holding off Michael Zankel for her first win of the championship. Hendrik Wintzmann took third but crucially Andy Beadsworth managed to put a boat between Provezza and Annapurna, that was local Portuguese sailor Patrick Montiero do Barros sailing Lady Tati.

Race five started around 1530hrs in similar conditions to race four. A gusty 16 - 19 knots from 340 degrees and the now familiar disturbed seas. Another crowded committee boat end start and this time the dreaded black flag caught out around five boats including race four winners SUI311, Hugo Stenback.

Again whilst some of the fleet headed out offshore to try and hook into some more pressure, the majority of the fleet hugged the inside track along the coast. Again it was GER1177 (PowWow) who got off the line and tacked right to a clear lane to round the windward mark in the lead, closely followed by local Portuguese legends POR66 (Drago) sailed by Jose SM Matoso with crew Gustavo Lima and Frederico Melo. Usual suspects TUR1212 (Provezza) and RUS27 (Annapurna) were close by in fourth and fifth but in another tense and noisy rounding RUS27 was judged to have fouled and had to do a 360 penalty which could have been costly.

Downwind the Portuguese surfed past PowWow to snatch the lead with Andy Beadsworth TUR1212 chasing in third. There was lots of carnage at the bottom gate as again bunches of the fleet tried to round the gate without incident. GER1177 just got a late overlap to round inside POR66 with TUR1212 choosing the opposite gate.

POR66 (Drago) again got past upwind to round just clear of the Germans but Beadsworth sailing the Turkish flagged boat squeezed inside at the spreader mark. Lawrie Smith (Alfie) sailing with his Portuguese young stars, was closing on the lead bunch.

On the last downwind the Portuguese had to keep their concentration with Beadsworth right on their stern at the final gate rounding. Surprise, surprise, the ever consistent Anatoly Loginov RUS27 was back in the hunt rounding in fifth.

Again the course was shortened and Jose SM Matoso got the loudest cheer of the day crossing to take her first gun of the regatta. TUR1212 crossed second to take back the overall championship lead and Michael Zankel (PowWow) had to settle for third. Fourth was GBR815 (Alfie) Lawrie Smith and fifth RUS76 (Rocknrolla) Dmitry Samokhin. Loginov dropped a couple of places to finish seventh, leaving her trailing championship leader Andy Beadsworth by seven points.

Two more races are planned for Thursday with an earliest start time of 1200 noon local time. Forecast is looking like some even stronger winds which promises some more wild rides.

Results: