Byte CII World Championship day 2
by Byte Class Association on 24 Aug 2009
2009 Byte CII World Championship Byte Class
http://bytechamps.org/
The forecast on day two of the Byte CII World Championships was calling for the Kingston thermal to arrive late in the afternoon but, prior to its arrival, there was enough air to start racing and the Committee did not want to waste it - and it does not always arrive! As a result the race was sailed in about 6-7 knots and flat water.
At the start, under a black flag, Jon Emmett got pinned at the Committee end and had little choice but to head off to the right as he is seen doing below. Unfortunately, left was the way to go and he was in the teens at the weather mark. However, he sailed well and got back to ninth.
Below, Ling Ying Koh SIN18 and Germaine Teo SIN6 lead denise Chagas BRA 2220 around the first weather mark.
The lead pack down the first run below.
Race four was also started under the black flag and, as can be seen below at the time of the gun, it was a clean start. Najwa Jumali had a spectacular start and can be seen a full boat length out in front down at the Committee boat.
Below, right after the start, both Ian Barrows ISV and Brian Bulhoes BER had good clean air but neither would capitalize on it ending up 12th and 33rd respectively.
However, another Bermudan, Owen Siese, was having his best race of the regatta and is seen below coming into the weather mark just behind Terrence Choo SIN and Chai Xun SIN.
Natasha Yokoyama SIN, not seen in the picture above, also gets inside Owen at the mark. He would sail a solid race and go on to finish sixth. He is the top Bermudan boat at this point, sitting in 17th.
This was supposed to be a reach, below, but a wind shift turned it into a run!
Action at the gybe mark.
Below, Owen Siese BER finishes sixth.
Sarah Douglas CAN, in 11th, leads Ian Barrows ISV, Jen Tan SIN14 and Denise Chagas BRA2220 across the finish. In race five, Ian Barrows ISV had made up his mind that he would start at the port end and set up to leeward of the fleet with about 45 seconds to go.
However, he was well behind the line and Natasha Yokoyama, SIN 9, hardened up over top of him and took the pin.
Below, Ian still had room bertween himself and the Singapore boat and got a clean start and a good lane which he worked all the way to the top arriving at the weather mark third.
At the weather mark it was Najwa Jumali leading but second was Brian Bulhoes from Bermuda, having his best race of the series. Below, he is seen just inside Ian Barrows ISV who is in third.
Brian Belhoes would eventually lose second place to Darren Choy SIN and Ian Barrows would slip to sixth.
The last race was started in about 8-9 knots. It was a pity that nothing transpired to postpone the race because, right after the finish, the Kingston thermal arrived but, by then, the maximum prescribed four races had been sailed.
Below Michael Louzada BRA111 sets up at the Committee and gets the best start at that end. He would go on to a fifth place which he combined with a fifth in the fourth race to overtake fellow Brazilian Denise Chagas in the standings.
Comentary is not available for the race but a gallery of photos follows.
Down the last leg and across to the finish, Ian Barrows ISV is seen with his vang having separated from the mast and the large leech out of control. He would finish in 18th just behind Jon Emmett GBR, ahead of him in the photo, and Christopher Delaney CAY to leeward.
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/98827