Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships - Storms cancel racing

by Craig Heydon on 6 Dec 2011 Racing was cancelled on day four of the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships due to thunder, lightning and heavy rain.

Following three days of bright sunshine and temperatures in the mid to high 30s, a change overnight saw temperatures drop and storms hit the Fremantle area.

The only class to complete any racing on day four was Women’s Match Racing with just one flight completed before racing was brought to a halt.

The Australian Women’s Match Racing Team crew of Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty featured in the flight, with the Australians recording a win against Genny Tulloch of America. After controlling the start and leading early, Price and crew found themselves behind the Americans heading down the last run but managed to roll them on the line to pick up their fourth win of the regatta.

'It was a really challenging race against the Americans today,' said Price. 'We started to windward of her with good speed and led up to the top mark. 'It was a three lap race so boat handling was really important in incredibly shifty, variable conditions with the pressure going up and down,' she said.

'We managed to get a penalty on her for tacking too close on the first work and then found ourselves behind at the bottom mark. 'Once Genny completed her penalty we managed to get back in touch and rolled her on the line to win by one second, it ended up being the closest race we’ve had so far this regatta.'

The Australian trio now has four wins and two losses from their opening six races.

The weather conditions kept the 470 men, Laser Radial, Finn and RS:X women fleets on shore with all classes completing two races on Monday.

Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page are the best placed Australians, ending the day fourth overall in the 470 men. The 2010 World Champions and current world number ones finished ninth in the opening race before a race win to round out the day.

Fellow Australians Matthew and Robert Crawford are 22nd and Sam Kivell and Will Ryan are 29th.

Jessica Crisp ended the opening day of the RS:X women 20th overall following a 21st and a race win on the Bathers Bay course.

In the Laser Radial class Krystal Weir is 14th overall, ahead of Australian Sailing Squad members Alex South in 21st, Gabrielle King in 41st and Ashley Stoddart in 80th.

The Finn fleet featured Australian Sailing Team member Brendan Casey who is currently 16th, following an opening race 16th and a third. Fellow Australian Oliver Tweddell is just behind in 19th.

Nicky Souter, Jessica Eastwell and Katie Spithill completed another four races in the Women’s Match Racing competition with three wins and one loss to go along with their four wins from the opening day.

Racing is set to continue in Fremantle on Wednesday with a revised schedule to be released overnight.

Perth 2011 website
Australian Sailing Team website