Laser Radial World and European Championship-Day 3

by Jeff Martin on 1 Aug 2007 After no racing on the second day due to strong wind and waves over 2.5m high the third day of the Laser Radial World and European Championship was a complete contrast of not enough wind.

The race committee started the two Women's European Championship fleets and the first of the men's World championship fleets under grey skies and a light north west wind. As the second men's fleet waited for the course to clear the wind died to below 5 knots and racing for the first three fleets was abandoned.

As the clouds cleared the breeze came back at 10 knots 25 degreees further to the west and the course was re-set. Each of the women's fleets started at the second attempt but the first of the men's fleets continuously pushed the line
in spite of the black flag rule being in force. After 16 boats were disqualified for breaking the line during the minute before the start the fleet finally got away on the 4th attempt.

The second men's fleet were far less trouble.

Defending champion, Evi Van Acker from Belgium, consolidated her overall lead by winning her fleet. Afterwards she said 'I am very pleased. I had a good start and good speed and I led from start to finish'. In the women's fleets
the top sailors all handled the lighter conditons well except for Crotia's Gea Barbic whose 29th dropped her from 3rd to 15th overall.

It was a different story for the men. Overall joint leader, Douwe Boekens from Holland, said before the race 'I was fast in the strong winds of the first day but it could be a different story if the wind goes light'.

His fears were well founded as he finished 15th in his fleet. 'I had a disaster' he said afterwards. His disaster was not so great but it did drop him to third. His place was taken by fellow Dutchman, Eduardo Vianen who had
previously shared the lead. His 5th place gives him a five point lead over the chasing pack.

The Race Committee attempted to start the second of three races scheduled at 1700 but abandoned their attempt as the spring tide produced a two knot cross course current making it virtually impossible for the boats to make forward
progress when beating into the current on starboard tack in the 8 knot wind.

The qualifier series is extended into the 4th day and 3 more races are scheduled. However the building high pressure over the southern North Sea does not give much promise of winds of over 8 knots. Once again the only window for
a race could be during slack water time.

Provisional results

Worlds Men: - leading positions after 3 races

1 NED 188448 Vianen , Eduardo 1 2 5 8 pts
2 GBR 181711 Cockerill , Stephen 5 4 4 13 pts
3 NED 183514 Broekens , Douwe 2 1 13 16 pts
4 NED 158085 Fevre , Steven 1 11 5 17 pts
5 NED 174736 Krol , Steven 7 1 9 17 pts
6 GBR 182523 Paton , Ben 11 3 3 17 pts
7 GBR 188824 Emmett , Jon 9 7 2 18 pts
8 NZL 181961 Maloney , Andrew 12 10 2 24 pts
9 CAL 176926 Frei , Mathieu 4 2 19 25 pts
10 NZL 190332 Meech , Sam 13 6 8 27 pts
11 ITA 184963 Uberto , Crivelli Visconti 14 7 7 28 pts
12 TUR 179890 Tuna , Barbaros 7 17 16 40 pts
13 CRO 182123 Sestan , Marko 17 10 17 44 pts
14 AUS 188795 Burman , James 3 6 37 46 pts
15 NED 177598 Mackelenbergh , Rodie 11 18 17 46 pts
16 NED 174411 Veldman , Erwin 2 5 40 47 pts
17 TUR 176321 Bilgen , Onur 14 3 32 49 pts
18 FRA 179778 Arthaud , Aymeric 18 20 12 50 pts
19 NED 22181 Pals , Michiel 6 8 38 52 pts
20 AUS 166021 Palk , Ryan 22 16 16 54 pts

Europeans Women - leading positions after 3 races

1 BEL 188816 Van Acker , Evi 1 3 1 5 pts
2 LTU 189536 Volungeviciute , Gintare 3 4 2 9 pts
3 GBR 185625 Young , Alison 2 4 3 9 pts
4 ITA 188561 Nevierov , Larissa 3 6 1 10 pts
5 FRA 185350 Steyaert, Sarah 9 5 2 16 pts
6 NED 183282 Jutjens , Gea 6 6 4 16 pts
7 DEN 188829 Lindberg , Alberte 4 7 6 17 pts
8 POL 189348 Szotynska , Katarzyna 4 3 11 18 pts
9 GER 186944 Jansch , Hanne 8 1 10 19 pts
10 GBR 188411 Brewster , Andrea 10 5 4 19 pts
11 FRA 189513 Brain, Solenne 13 2 5 20 pts
12 GRE 181568 Kravarioti , Virginia 12 8 3 23 pts
13 ITA 189103 Magnaghi , Fabiola Maria 5 14 10 29 pts
14 CZE 182267 Fenclova , Veronika 10 17 5 32 pts
15 CRO 189508 Barbic , Gea 5 2 29 36 pts
16 IRL 188344 Peelo , Ciara 6 10 20 36 pts
17 GBR 183522 Trumble , Harriette 9 19 8 36 pts
18 DEN 188384 Schütt , Maiken 11 13 12 36 pts
19 GER 181626 Puls , Janika 7 9 21 37 pts
20 POR 189063 Carmo , Sara 8 11 21 40 pts

Full results at: http://www.laserklasse.nl/radial2007/results/