Zhik 29er Worlds - 195 crews from 25 nations rock up in Wales

by Jerelyn Biehl on 5 Aug 2015 Brand new facilities at the Plas Heli Welsh National Sailing Academy in Pwllheli, Wales will play host to 195 teams representing 25 nations for the 2015 Zhik 29er World Championship taking place eighth - fourteenth August .

Participants include 2014 ISAF Youth World gold medalist skipper Brice Yriex (FRA) who also recently finished second in the 29er Europeans this past July. Yriex will pick up British crew Hugh Ward, for the Worlds. All but two teams of the 25 strong European Championship gold fleet are headed to Pwllheli to sail against the best. Also attending are North America’s top five teams from their recent championship in The Gorge, Oregon including champions Chris Williford and Wade Waddell (USA). Not to be outdone, representatives from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Brazil are also descending on this small town. Such is the lure of the 29er Class World title.

The teams have been warming up with the British 29er Nationals sailed on the same waters as the Worlds with 130 entrants. Sailors have seen all conditions with light air, heavy air and no sailing on the third day due to 40 knot puffs. The UK Nationals end Thursday with a few days of rest, registration and measurement before World racing begins.

The 29er is an open class for both age and gender, yet with ISAF announcing separate boys and girls fleets for the Youth Worlds beginning in 2015, 151 of the registered teams are youth teams (18 or under) with 28 all-female teams, ready to hone their skills on the world stage and possibly also with an eye on the 2020 Olympics in skiffs.

Ben Cooper, VP Europe for the Int 29er Class, past Chairman of the UK Class and a member of the organizing committee said “We’re ready now, and can’t wait for the event, and the pre-Worlds/UK Nationals. The new building is looking fantastic, and now all we need is for great weather and good winds to really show off the venue to the worlds – we’re looking forward to it.”

Racing begins on Sunday, nine August with the finals to take place twelfth August and the prize-giving on fourteenth August.

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