Blackburn (AUS) wins 2006 Laser World’s

by RYA/Sail-World on 21 Sep 2006 Michael Blackburn of Australia is the new Laser World Champion. In a day of high drama, there were four general recalls before the fleet was successfully gunned away. The final race of the Laser World Championships, Jeju, Korea, started in 15 knots and ranged down to 12 and up to 18 knots.

The Swede, Rasmus Myrgen led the fleet home from New Zealander Michael Bullot and a Croatian sailor, name unconfirmed, but thought to be Milan Vujasinovic.

Michael Blackburn, who went in the last race with a drop of fourth, finished 32nd and that became his discard, while Slingsby who already had a drop of 20th was forced to carry his 17th place today.

The provisional places and points 1. Blackburn, Australia 16 points 2. Slingsby, Australia 24 points 3. Myrgen, Sweden 33 points 4. Leigh, Canada 39 points 5. Lima, Portugal 41 points.

Dockside, Blackburn commented, 'I can't quite believe it. I kind of got used to finishing big regattas anywhere other than 1st. But now, after some 16 years sailing a Laser and 12 years competing internationally, I've finally won the Worlds. Wow!'

Giles Scott was the best placed Brit at the Championships, at what was a very testing regatta. Skandia Team GBR’s Scott, the 2005 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Champion, joined 131 competitors at the eight day event that only saw seven races completed in unstable conditions with fickle winds, choppy waves and the presence of Typhoon Shanshan.

Scott had a strong start to the event in his favoured big-breeze conditions and posted an impressive three first place finishes in the seven race series, but the 19 year-old was unable to maintain his form through the event.

Scott entered the final race in third overall with a slim lead over the nearest competitors. In the final race, Scott escaped from a bad start to be 15th at the top mark but got becalmed on the last run to finish 29th, a result that he was able to discard but that forced him to count an earlier 23rd dropping him out of the top 10 and into seventh overall.

European Champion and recent winner of the Qingdao Olympic Test event, Paul Goodison was also competing in the event. Goodison, ranked in the world first in the world, ended the event just behind Scott in eighth overall.

Also flying the Skandia Team GBR flag were brothers Mark Powell and Stephen Powell and Mark Howard, all finishing deep in the fleet.

2006 Laser World Championship results

1. Michael Blackburn, AUS, (1,2,3,2,4,4,(36))
2. Tom Slingsby, AUS, (1,1,1,1,(23),17)
3. Rasmus Myrgen, SWE, (8,3,8,5,8,(13),1)

GBR (Gold Fleet)

7. Giles Scott (11,1,1,1,23,12,(29)
8. Paul Goodison (9,15,12,6,7,2,(34))
30. Nick Thompson (20,4,4,9, (47),36,33)
34. Mark Howard (31,17,4,19,35,(61))
46. Mark Powell (13,16,29,24,44,40,(57))
49. Stephen Powell (36,(60),10,32,37,45,11)
50. James Gray (19,15,27,27,39,47,(61))
60. Dan Ward (27,27,33,29,(54),46,54)

Complete results can be found on www.laserinternational.org/W2006/Results/results_index.htm