NZL Team reports Day 5 Optimist Worlds in Cesme

by Peter Dawson on 24 Jul 2008 Peter Dawson reports on the fortunes of the NZL Yachting Trust Optimist team competing on Day 5 at the 2008 Optimist Worlds in Cesme, Turkey:

After two discussions between coaches and jury who did not see eye to eye over last nights decision by the jury to abandon the last 2 flights of the day, the sailors were back on the race course to resail Race 10b and10b. The arguments centred around the jury not policing Rule 42 up the beat in the light air. Then the jury instructing the Race committee after the race had finished that it was unfair. The race was abandoned about 2 hours after it had finished.

Race 10 Flight 2 - Rerun – Andrew and Naomi
The breeze today is from the opposite direction off the land for the first time in 2 weeks that we have been here. It started around 3-5 knots with a flat sea. The race got underway on schedule at midday. Initially the breeze looked steady across the course but after the start of the first race it shifted to the left with more pressure there. Our 2 sailors went up the middle and Andrew rounded about 34th and Naomi 41st at the top. Similar pattern on the last beat. Andrew finished 22nd and Naomi about 44th.

Race 10 Flight 3 – Rerun - Erica
Erica also seemed to work the middle and was in the mid 30s at the top. The 2nd fleet had overlapped the first fleet by this stage and anyone caught out on the right finished well down trying to get back. At the end of the race Erica was 34th.

Race 11 Flight 1 – Sam and Naomi
This flight started in 5 knots of southerly wind. Flight 1 2 and 3 were abandoned part way through the race as the breeze swung into the north. As luck would have it Logan was lying 2nd and Erica 6th at the time of the abandonment. They started the rerun at 1510 in 2-3 knots and decreasing. They got the first flight away and finished the race with Sam 8th and Naomi 40th. Meanwhile 2nd and 3rd flights were still waiting for the breeze and they eventually shifted the course.

Race 11 Flight 2 – Logan and Erica
They got this one away at 1550 in 5 knots of breeze. We had Logan 16th at the wing and Erica 37th. They both struggled to hold positions and drifted around to finish Logan 49 and Erica 52.

Race 11 Flight 3 – Andrew
Andrew was 57th at the wing mark and worked his way up the field to about 35th at the finish.

Race 12 Flight 1 – Logan and Naomi
This race started in 5 knots of breeze. Logan 7th at the top and 6th at the wing. Naomi had a bad start and was 3rd to last at the wing. At the finish we had 5 knots with a left shifting breeze and Logan finished 4th and Naomi 70th.

Race 12 Flight 2 – Andrew and Sam
Andrew went right out of the start which paid well and made it to the top mark in 16th. Sam was in the 50s at the wing but managed to bang the left hard up the last beat and made up ground to finish in 35th. On the second beat the breeze was in the left with a left hand shift and Andrew finished 18th.

Race 12 Flight 3 – Erica
Erica had a pretty bad start and worked the right up the first beat because there was more pressure and the breeze had been shifting right. She was 25th at the top. She held her own to the finish and crossed in 25th.

Update: Andrew had an OCS in Race 11.

There are many protests seeking either redress for Race 10b and 10c or getting 10a thrown out altogether. These will carry on into the night. As the races are now 2 behind schedule the race committee has brought tomorrows start forward to 1030 and will attempt to sail 3 races to complete the full regatta.

Regatta website is http://www.optiworld2008.com/