2013 2.4mR World Championship - Matt Bugg makes strong start

by Craig Heydon on 11 Sep 2013 Racing is underway at the 2013 2.4mR World Championship in Poole, England, with Australia’s Matt Bugg off to a strong start.

Three races were completed on the opening day in Poole with Bugg finishing with a 12th, a ninth and a sixth in the tricky conditions.

The results leave the Tasmanian sailor sixth overall in the 75 boat fleet.

'We got to the boat park this morning and found that the tide had gone out so far that most of the fleet were stuck in the mud,' said Australian coach Richard Scarr. 'All 80 boats were either lifted by crane or dived for to clean them out. When racing eventually got underway it was a bit like racing in a westerly on Sydney Harbour or even more like a south-westerly on the Derwent.

'The were big pressure lines hard left or hard right and nothing in the middle, leading to a lot of snakes and ladders in the middle of the pack with the top mark very, very, busy,' he said. 'Matt had a consistent day, getting off the line well in the first two and then owning the pin end in the last race, having his best finish.

'Having an extra few boat lengths of speed is allowing the top 10 to make their own decisions and committing to a side, making gains along the way,' said Scarr. 'With four tide changes a day having knowledge of the current is key.'

Fellow Australians Neil Patterson and Michael Leydon are 52nd and 53rd respectively, with Mark Durnan 68th.

The 2.4mR World Championship features disabled and able-bodied sailors competing against each other on a level playing field, with the design of the 2.4mR placing an emphasis on sailing skill, rather than physical abilities. This has led to a fleet of sailors heading to Poole from a wide variety of backgrounds with Paralympic and Olympic medallists taking part.

Full results can be found Here.

For more information on the Australian Sailing Team visit Event Website and follow the Team on Twitter.