2015 Finn World Masters - Yuri Tokovoi shines on first day

by Robert Deaves on 26 May 2015 2015 Finn World Masters - Yuri Tokovoi (UKR) mastered the challenging conditions on the first day in Kavala, Greece with two race wins to lead the 204 boat fleet. Vladimir Krutskikh (RUS) is second after winning one of his races while Allen Burrell (GBR) is third. The other race win went to Karel van Hellemond (NED).

The day proved to be challenging for race officials and competitors alike with the wind never staying consistent for more than one leg at a time. The fleet of 204 boats was split into two groups, divided using a randomised number process that allows all group allocations for each day to be calculated at the start of the regatta.

The sailors arrived at the Nautical Club of Kavala on Monday to be greeted by a building breeze and racing started on time at 11.00. However, it was a series of non-starts before racing really got underway.

Yellow group started with a general recall, but by the time of the restart only half the fleet had returned. That race was later abandoned after a major windshift on the first beat. It finally got away under black flag only to be subject to a series of major windshifts on the second upwind and downwind. Laurent Hay (FRA) lost a good lead when the sea breeze filled in from the right, but others lost a good deal more places and ended mid-fleet. Karel van Hellemond (NED) was the beneficiary to win from Wouter Molenaar (NED) and Hay. The second race was sailed in a more stable and solid breeze, allowing oscar for free pumping to go up at the first top mark. This time Krutskikh led all the way to win from Dimiti Petrov (RUS) and defending Masters category winner Aleksandr Kuliukin (RUS), to make it a Russian top three.

Blue group was also beset with problems. After two general recalls, the first race was abandoned at the top mark when the sea breeze filled in with a huge shift to the right. But whatever the wind threw at the fleet Tokovoi showed the amazing skill to win both. In the first race, he won from Martijn van Muyden (NED) and Piet Eckert (SUI). Allen Burrell (GBR) led at the first mark in the second race but was soon in Tokovoi's wake downwind. Burrell held on for third after Felix Denikaev (RUS) crossed in second.

Van Hellemond described his race win. “I got a little bit lucky today. I had a good start and rounded the top about sixth. Then I had a good run and on the second upwind I saw the pressure on the right and went for it and passed the mark first. They changed the course then and it made a long reach to the finish. It is a good start to the week. I think it's going to be the whole week like this. I saw the forecast and it looks like today.”

Hay said, “Two tricky races with big shifts and pressure from eight to 13 knots. I had bad luck in the first race because I was first with the comfortable lead but a big right shift of 40 degrees jeopardised the second beat and I finish third. Grrrrr! In the second race, I had a very bad start and was 20th at the first mark. It was free pumping, I never give up, and I recovered downwind to finish fifth. Tomorrow is another beautiful day.”

Three times Masters world champion Andre Budzien (GER) didn't have the best start and was on the wrong side of the big shift. “It was a black Monday for me. I had a really good pin end start in the first race and then I was third. On the second upwind the sea breeze came from the right side and I was on the left with no chance to come back and I finished 60th. In the second race, the start line was difficult. I thought it was a general recall, but it was individual, and it was hard for me on the first upwind and I finished 30th. It was not my day, but we will see what happens in the next few days.”

Burrell said of the blue group, “On the restart it was still shifting to the right. If you started by the committee boat and tacked into the shore, there was also more pressure over there. In the second race I rounded first with the Ukrainian just underneath me and it seemed to pay to go right again. It was also pretty close at the finish. It was a good start to the week for me, so let's hope it carries on, but there is a long way to go.”

The Finn Masters attracts sailors from many nations and cultures. Charles Heimler (USA), who had a good day, summed it up nicely when he said, “I come to the Masters every year to enjoy an international event. I like going to nice places, and I like seeing the friends I have made. It's as simple as that. This year we have five Americans. I think that's the largest number we have had at Masters and it's great to see them all here.”

The Finn Masters are certainly enjoying a nice place this week, with most of the bars and restaurants along the beautiful Kavala quayside filled with Finn stories and tall stories every night. Racing in Kavala continues until Friday with two more races scheduled on Tuesday from 11.00. You can follow live race by race finishes on the event website.

Top 10 after two races

1 Yuri Tokovoi GM UKR 21 2
2 Vladimir Krutskikh M RUS 7 5
3 Allen Burrell GM GBR 2 8
4 Martijn van Muyden M NED 12 8
5 Vladimir Butenko M RUS 21 8
6 Laurent Hay GM FRA 75 9
7 Pete Eckert M SUI 86 10
8 Giacomo Giovanelli M ITA 202 10
9 Michael Maier GM CZE 1 11
10 Karel Van hellemond M NED 41 13

Provisioning results

Rank	Sailors				Races Results		Total  Points	Penalty  Points
	Name	Division	Bow	Sail	1	2
1.	Yuriy Tokovoy	GM	201	UKR 21	1	1	2	2
2.	Vladimir Krutskikh	M	82	RUS 7	4	1	5	5
3.	Allen Burrell	GM	67	GBR 2	6	2	8	8
4.	Martijn Van Muyden	M	204	NED 12	2	6	8	8
5.	Vladimir Butenko	M	146	RUS 21	5	3	8	8
6.	Laurent HAY	GM	18	FRA 75	3	6	9	9
7.	Pete Eckert	M	93	SUI 86	3	7	10	10
8.	Giacomo Giovanelli	M	123	ITA 202	6	4	10	10
9.	Michael Maier	GM	169	CZE 1	7	4	11	11
10.	Karel Van hellemond	M	118	NED 41	1	12	13	13
11.	Aleksander Kuliukin	M	51	RUS 161	10	3	13	13
12.	Dmitry Petrov	M	114	RUS 711	12	2	14	14
13.	Paul Mckenzie	M	199	AUS 11	4	11	15	15
14.	Henry Sprague III	L	196	SWE 6	10	5	15	15
15.	Audoin Michel	GM	22	FRA 38	9	10	19	19
16.	Walter Riosa	M	74	ITA 55	9	10	19	19
17.	Eric Bakker	GM	183	NED 703	7	18	25	25
18.	Enrico Passoni	GM	71	ITA 6	11	16	27	27
19.	Thomas Schmid	GM	170	GER 193	13	14	27	27
20.	Joos Bos	GGM	119	NED 54	15	13	28	28
21.	Tauras Rymonis	M	28	LTU 7	12	17	29	29
22.	Vladimir Stasyuk	M	185	UKR 14	21	9	30	30
23.	Juergen Eiermann	M	46	GER 8	23	8	31	31
24.	Marco Buglielli	GM	140	ITA 2	20	11	31	31
25.	Majth Zsombor	M	32	HUN 88	16	15	31	31
26.	Martin Hughes	GM	63	GBR 567	15	17	32	32
27.	Thierry Van Vierssen	M	186	NED 881	24	9	33	33
28.	Jan Eckert	GM	94	SUI 85	14	19	33	33
29.	Philippe Lobert	GM	16	FRA 66	19	14	33	33
30.	Francesco Cinque	GGM	121	ITA 5	8	26	34	34
31.	Jean-Pierre Lostis	GM	98	FRA 84	18	16	34	34
32.	Mihail Kopanov	GM	86	BUL 24	30	5	35	35
33.	Will Patten	GM	37	GBR 52	17	19	36	36
34.	Florian Demetz	M	35	ITA 89	16	22	38	38
35.	Andrew Bill	GM	101	RUS 27	5	35	40	40
36.	Jiri Outrata	GGM	107	CZE 8	14	27	41	41
37.	Akos Lukats	M	191	HUN 50	11	32	43	43
38.	Stepanov Sergey	M	85	RUS 205	18	25	43	43
39.	Gino Bucciarelli	M	128	ITA 67	22	21	43	43
40.	Till Klammer	M	48	SUI 25	25	20	45	45
41.	Wouter Molenaar	GGM	124	NED 2	2	44	46	46
42.	MARTIN PLECITY	GM	78	CZE 318	20	26	46	46
43.	Michael Staal	GM	193	DEN 80	17	30	47	47
44.	Panagiotis Davourlis	GM	3	GRE 71	40	8	48	48
45.	Henk de Jager	GGM	143	NED 11	19	31	50	50
46.	Geza Huszar	M	189	HUN 5	21	29	50	50
47.	Sander Kooij	GM	188	GBR 1	39	12	51	51
48.	Andre Skarka	GM	7	POL 2	29	22	51	51
49.	Chiel Barends	GM	136	NED 88	32	20	52	52
50.	David Potter	GM	10	GBR 65	23	30	53	53
51.	Boguslaw Nowakowski	GM	5	POL 26	33	23	56	56
52.	Marc Allain des Beauvais	GM	73	FRA 99	54	7	61	61
53.	Jake Gunther	GM	131	AUS 3	36	25	61	61
54.	Greg Davis	GM	79	RSA 1	24	38	62	62
55.	Bernd Moser	GM	171	AUT 11	26	36	62	62
56.	Darren Gilbert	M	11	AUS 267	28	34	62	62
57.	Alexei Marchevsky	M	152	RUS 20	31	31	62	62
58.	Josef Jochovic	GM	134	CZE 67	25	38	63	63
59.	Peter Sipos	GM	127	HUN 2	30	33	63	63
60.	John Heyes	GM	56	GBR 61	31	32	63	63
61.	Friedrich Muller	L	100	GER 146	22	42	64	64
62.	Anatoly Voshchchennikov	GM	125	RUS 25	47	21	68	68
63.	Rodrick Casander	L	113	NED 8	28	41	69	69
64.	Greg Wilcox	GM	116	NZL 15	29	41	70	70
65.	Oleg Khudyakov	M	106	RUS 16	43	28	71	71
66.	Marek Jarocki	M	6	POL 100	58	15	73	73
67.	Jean-Louis Simons	GM	12	GBR 617	38	37	75	75
68.	Philip Baum	GGM	61	RSA 51	41	35	76	76
69.	Lev Shnyr	M	36	RUS 13	44	34	78	78
70.	Martin Atzwanger	GM	43	ITA 80	38	40	78	78
71.	Axel Schroeder	M	164	GER 194	32	47	79	79
72.	Luca Taruschio	M	166	ITA 73	42	39	81	81
73.	Antal Gabor	GGM	198	HUN 4	35	47	82	82
74.	Jan Willem Kok	M	195	NED 780	60	23	83	83
75.	Pieter Risseeuw	M	84	NED 902	50	36	86	86
76.	Aleksandr Kasatov	GM	110	RUS 34	35	52	87	87
77.	Peter Kilchenmann	GM	184	SUI 13	47	42	89	89
78.	Andreas Bohnsack	GM	50	RSA 571	41	49	90	90
79.	Jiri Huracek	GGM	41	SUI 4	13	78	91	91
80.	Fatzer Hans	GGM	17	SUI 1	64	27	91	91
81.	Uwe Barthel	GGM	34	GER 62	46	45	91	91
82.	Evgeni Kplmykov	GM	203	RUS 729	68	24	92	92
83.	Andre Budzien	GM	192	GER 711	59	33	92	92
84.	Yury Polovinkin	GGM	157	RUS 142	36	56	92	92
85.	Aleksandar Aleksandrov	L	96	BUL 87	53	39	92	92
86.	Leonid Kleimann	GM	109	RUS 71	49	43	92	92
87.	Andreas Bollongino	GM	66	GER 19	75	18	93	93
88.	Jan Zetzema	GGM	190	NED 50	40	53	93	93
89.	Roel Van Olst	GM	180	NED 922	27	68	95	95
90.	Holger Krasmann	GM	33	GER 122	49	46	95	95
91.	Rolf Elsaesser	GGM	176	GER 202	27	69	96	96
92.	Pax van de Griend	GGM	148	NED 971	34	62	96	96
93.	Csaba Stadler	M	158	HUN 69	37	64	101	101
94.	Michael de Courcy	GM	57	GBR 708	74	29	103	103
95.	Ruurd Baerends	GGM	135	NED 4	33	71	104	104
96.	Ben Winters	L	31	NZL 3	34	70	104	104
97.	Peter Hubregtsen	GM	8	NED 22	26	79	105	105
98.	Charles Heimler	GGM	155	USA 2	56	49	105	105
99.	Michael Kurtz	GGM	1	MON 234	50	55	105	105
100.	Franz Buergi	GM	130	SUI 12	63	43	106	106
101.	Andy Denison	GM	42	GBR 20	62	44	106	106
102.	Stuart Skeggs	M	129	AUS 33	45	61	106	106
103.	STOIL STOILOV	M	97	BUL 1	70	37	107	107
104.	Volodymyr Bogomolkin	M	80	UKR 1	59	48	107	107
105.	Szabolcs Andrik	M	112	HUN 27	45	63	108	108
106.	Filippo Petella	GM	132	ITA 1022	51	57	108	108
107.	Carlo Lazzari	GM	179	SUI 3	61	48	109	109
108.	Rochet Joseph	GGM	62	FRA 40	64	46	110	110
109.	Phil Chadwick	M	111	AUS 75	55	55	110	110
110.	Denikaev Felix	GM	122	RUS 41	8	DNE - 103	111	111
111.	Petr Vinkl	GM	202	CZE 222	48	65	113	113
112.	Baumann Rudolf	GM	173	SUI 57	55	58	113	113
113.	Hans Zuurendonk	GM	99	NED 31	52	62	114	114
114.	Adomas Janulionis	M	91	LTU 29	43	72	115	115
115.	George Sklavounos	M	177	GRE 7	DNE - 103	13	116	116
116.	Wobbe De Schiffart	GGM	145	NED 95	76	40	116	116
117.	Vladimir Skalicky	GM	104	CZE 75	57	59	116	116
118.	Detlev Guminski	GGM	29	GER 92	63	54	117	117
119.	Alfred Braumueller	GM	65	AUS 302	66	53	119	119
120.	Robert Deaves	M	149	GBR 10	65	54	119	119
121.	Gregor Stimpfl	GM	40	ITA 131	70	50	120	120
122.	Howard Sellars	L	90	GBR 77	56	65	121	121
123.	Martin Tas	M	160	NED 814	48	74	122	122
124.	Ulf-Peter Pestel	GM	55	GER 222	61	61	122	122
125.	Antonio Pitini	GGM	126	ITA 7	44	81	125	125
126.	Boot Nanne	GGM	137	NED 10	68	57	125	125
127.	Erich Scherzer	GM	64	AUT 21	75	51	126	126
128.	Russell Ward	GM	52	GBR 4	74	52	126	126
129.	Beat Steffen	M	87	SUI 83	BFD - 103	24	127	127
130.	Peter Frissell	GM	181	USA 101	77	51	128	128
131.	Bob Buchanan	GGM	172	AUS 6	58	71	129	129
132.	Klaus Heufler	GM	39	ITA 85	DNF - 103	28	131	131
133.	Nick Winters	M	30	NZL 43	81	50	131	131
134.	Yves Zoccola	GGM	20	FRA 800	54	77	131	131
135.	Triantafillos Mavroudis	GM	53	GRE 215	57	74	131	131
136.	Balazs Szuzs	GM	144	HUN 64	39	93	132	132
137.	Radek Vit	M	168	CZE 308	87	45	132	132
138.	Theodore Georgiadis	GGM	70	GRE 90	76	56	132	132
139.	Maurice Duncan	L	103	NZL 213	46	87	133	133
140.	Juliusz Reichelt	GM	117	POL 38	65	68	133	133
141.	peter van veen	GGM	147	NED 26	52	82	134	134
142.	Bangerter Thomas	GM	115	SUI 65	53	81	134	134
143.	Ricardo Carvalho	GM	76	BRA 021	60	75	135	135
144.	Nikolaus Mair	GGM	38	ITA 93	62	75	137	137
145.	Ricardo Reyes Anderson	GGM	200	ARG 1	51	88	139	139
146.	Dangis Babikas	M	19	LTU 8	73	66	139	139
147.	John Mackie	M	102	GBR 68	37	OCS - 103	140	140
148.	Nico van Wirdum	GM	83	NED 823	80	60	140	140
149.	Jobs Isselmann	L	138	NED 9	67	73	140	140
150.	Tsvetan Penchev	GGM	162	BUL 2	84	59	143	143
151.	Ray New	GGM	27	GBR 80	71	73	144	144
152.	Gerald Raschke	GM	69	AUT 19	72	72	144	144
153.	Taras Gavrysh	M	95	UKR 8	42	OCS - 103	145	145
154.	Tamas Varga	M	165	HUN 44	82	63	145	145
155.	Henk Meijer	GGM	187	NED 52	78	67	145	145
156.	Guenter Kellermann	L	13	GER 89	69	76	145	145
157.	Herbert Straub	GM	92	GER 5	83	66	149	149
158.	Jan Van der Horst	GGM	154	NED 1	67	82	149	149
159.	Valentin Nikolov	M	161	BUL 855	90	60	150	150
160.	James Hunter	GGM	194	USA 23	71	80	151	151
161.	Peter Blick	GGM	59	GBR 34	66	86	152	152
162.	Paul Brown	GGM	58	GBR 58	84	69	153	153
163.	Piotr Rosinski	GM	105	POL 27	69	85	154	154
164.	Tony Lock	L	72	GBR 611	79	76	155	155
165.	Peter Connally	GGM	4	USA 1214	89	67	156	156
166.	Monus Gyula	M	175	HUN 972	93	64	157	157
167.	Hans Zomer	GGM	159	NED 39	80	77	157	157
168.	David Brockbank	GGM	142	USA 1202	79	78	157	157
169.	Helmut Klammer	L	47	SUI 2	DNF - 103	58	161	161
170.	Veine Jutmar	GGM	150	SWE 9	72	91	163	163
171.	Szil Zsitvay	GM	133	HUN 26	73	90	163	163
172.	Jay Harrison	GGM	151	AUS 68	86	79	165	165
173.	Bart Kraan	L	54	NED 836	77	89	166	166
174.	Dirk Hooijer	GM	44	NED 900	83	84	167	167
175.	Ralf Kratz	GM	88	GER 161	85	83	168	168
176.	Greg Clark	GGM	153	AUS 7	91	80	171	171
177.	Marti Bruno	M	182	SUI 8	88	83	171	171
178.	Imre Solymosi	GM	156	HUN 89	78	94	172	172
179.	Georg Siebeck	GGM	178	GER 293	87	85	172	172
180.	Jozsef Farkas	GGM	139	HUN 95	86	86	172	172
181.	Tamas Beliczay	GGM	163	HUN 9	BFD - 103	70	173	173
182.	Ioannis Giaramanis	M	2	GRE 5	91	84	175	175
183.	Evgeny Dzhura	M	21	RUS 18	89	87	176	176
184.	Martin Nydegger	M	174	SUI 441	85	94	179	179
185.	Hans Althaus	L	60	SUI 29	90	90	180	180
186.	Hans Peter Zischg	L	89	ITA 29	95	88	183	183
187.	JAN OKULICZ- KOZARYN	L	14	POL 3	92	91	183	183
188.	Nikolay Kostov	GM	25	BUL 22	81	DNF - 103	184	184
189.	John Torrance	GGM	9	GBR 99	82	RDG - 103	185	185
190.	Bert Veerkamp	GGM	120	NED 885	88	98	186	186
191.	Gerd Bohnsack	L	49	RSA 570	92	95	187	187
192.	Jordan Kaloyanov	GM	26	BUL 85	94	93	187	187
193.	Heinz Stammnitz	GGM	75	GER 40	96	92	188	188
194.	Peter Verhoef	GGM	23	NED 32	96	92	188	188
195.	Fabio Panaro	GM	167	ITA 881	93	95	188	188
196.	John Terzenidis	M	108	GRE 17	95	96	191	191
197.	Ronald de Haan	GGM	68	NED 42	DNF - 103	89	192	192
198.	Jan Kominek	GGM	15	POL 127	97	96	193	193
199.	Maciej Rozkrut	GM	24	POL 31	97	97	194	194
200.	Colin Reed	L	77	BRA 35	94	DNF - 103	197	197
201.	Gelmus Peeters	L	141	NED 93	DNF - 103	97	200	200
202.	Hubert Sparer	GGM	45	ITA 91	DNF - 103	98	201	201
203.	lanfranco cirillo	GM	81	ITA 212	DNF - 103	DNF - 103	206	206
204.	Jiri Dvorak	GGM	197	CZE 76	DNF - 103	DNF - 103	206	206