Bundock and Ashby win ISAF Worlds Hobie Tigers

by Event media/Sail-World on 21 May 2006 Australians Darren Bundock and Glen Ashby continue their Hyeres and Eurocat form winning the ISAF World Sailing Games title on Lake Neusiedl in the Hobie Tiger Class.

The dual Hobie World chanpions led going into the Medal race and they were able to sail conservatively to add another notch to their respective belts.

The final medal race sstarted 50 metres from the main jetty in Neusiedl in front of a large spectator crowd.

The Hobie Cat Tigers started Aat 1056 UTC (1256 local time)in four knots of breeze and 30 seconds after the starting line the fleet was hit with a left hand wind shift and increase in pressure.

The fleet split as they headed up to the windward mark with the charge led by BOOTH and DERCKSEN, who were first to tack, they lead over fellow Dutch team mates Coen DE KONING and Mischa HEEMSKERK, with Thomas ZAJAC and Thomas CZJAKA (AUT) in third and series leaders Darren BUNDOCK and Glenn ASHBY (AUS) in fourth.

The Aussies were sailing conservatively, they had enough overal points lead that if Booth was to win the race the Australian crew had to finish seventh or better to take the title.

The wind increased rapidly to 12 knots on the second upwind which allowed the Australian champions to pass both Koning (NED) and Guichard (FRA) and move into second position behind Booth and they maintained that place.

Things were not looking good for the French pairing of Xavier REVIL and Christophe ESPAGNON (FRA) who were third overall going into the Medal Race, and rounding the leeward mark as the second to last boat, their work was truly cut out for them. Their closest challengers DE KONING and HEEMSKERK had secured the points gap to wrestle the bronze medal away.

Some stunning sailing in the next legs saw the French muscle their way through up to seventh overall and then finish in fourth, but it was not enough, and with the leading three boats holding a significant lead, there was no chance to catch up.

Disappointment for the host nation team of Roman HAGARA and Hans Peter STEINACHER (AUT) who opened the gold fleet series looking assured of a podium place, but a couple of double digit results saw them way down the fleet, from where it was impossible to reach their goal.

Despite knowing the peculiarities of Lake Neusiedl like the back of their hand, as many sailors have said the lake is 'like no place I’ve sailed before!', and even double Olympic gold medallists can be foiled!




Hobie Tiger Top Ten Results

Pos Nation Skipper Crew R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 MR Pts

1 AUS Darren BUNDOCK Glenn ASHBY 8 9 1 1 1 (10) 1 1 4 26

2 NED Mitch BOOTH Herbert DERCKSEN (17) 16 2 2 4 6 4 2 2 38

3 NED Coen DE KONING Mischa HEEMSKERK 5 12 8 3 5 (13) 5 3 6 47

4 FRA Yann GUICHARD Laurent GUILLEMETTE 9 3 11 4 (18) 16 2 4 8 57

5 FRA Xavier REVIL Christophe ESPAGNON 4 5 5 (21) DNF 10 3 7 5 18 57

6 AUT Thomas ZAJAC Thomas CZAJKA 1 8 (14) 7.6 RDG 6 9 8 10 16 65.6

7 CAN Oskar JOHANSSON Kevin STITTLE 7 (13) 7 7 3 4 10 8 20 66

8 AUT Roman HAGARA Hans Peter STEINACHER 6 2 3 (21) DNF 17 1 16 12 10 67

9 GBR Andy WALSH Ed BARNEY 3 4 10 5 9 14 (18) 11 14 70

10 RUS Andrey KIRILYUK Valery USHKOV 16 7 18 (21) DNF 13 2 3 7 12 78