International Cadet World Championship - Ukraine sets pace on day 1

by Peter Campbell on 31 Dec 2012 Ukrainian crews set the pace today as the International Cadet Dinghy world sailing championships got under way on Hobart’s River Derwent, placing first and second in the opening race and continuing to figure among the top results in the subsequent races.

However, Australian crews from Royal Geelong Yacht Club and the host club, Sandy Bay Sailing Club, also sailed impressively in the three races sailed today.

Near perfect weather, in contrast to Sunday’s galeforce winds, enabled principal race officer Nick Hutton to complete three races, with the late afternoon north-westerly breeze freshening to 18 knots.

'It was a great day for sailing and pleasing to get in three races on the opening day,' said Sandy Bay Sailing Club commodore Jill Abel. She had an added reason to be happy; her 13-year-old son Sam and his crew William Cooper had finished second in race three and another club crew, Samantha Bailey and Laura Cooper, finished third in race one.

Race one was close duel between the two Ukrainian crews, with Oleksandr Izarov and Aanriy Kalinchuck, who finished first in the Australian championship last week, winning from fellow countrymen Danyil Martynov and Pavio Merezhko.

Third place went to the Tasmanian girls Samantha Bailey and Laura Cooper, fourth to another Sandy Bay crew, Oliver Burnell and Isabelle Declerk.

Race two, with the wind more settled in direction, saw just seconds between the first five boats, and an Australian win with Liam Robinson and Nathan Field from Royal Geelong Yacht Club just holding out the first race winners from the Ukraine, Oleksandr Izarov and Aanriy Kalinchuck.

Race three went to another overseas crew, the sole Polish entrant, Piotr Szlachcic and Eryk Martynko, with Sam Abel and William Cooper second and the top Ukrainian crew of Izarov and Kalinchuck maintaining their form with a third place.

After three races in the Cadet Worlds, the two Ukrainian crews head the leaderboard with Izarov and Kalinchuck on six points, comfortably clear of Martynov and Merezhko on 13 points.

Third in overall standings is the Geelong crew, Liam Robinson and Nathan Field, on 24 points followed by the first of the strong British team, Nicholas Sutton and Scarlett Anderson on 30 points.

Two more Australian crews follow, Alice Endersbee and Eliza Davis on 33 points and Sam Abel and William Cooper on 36 points.