Editorial- The Olympic circus comes to Takapuna
by nzeditor@sail-world.com on 14 Jan 2008
Welcome to the Monday edition of Sail-World.Com/NZ’s newsletter
Without a doubt the main event in town is the RS:X World Championships being sailed off Takapuna Beach.
With 200 sailors competing, split into 120 men and 80 women, the event is big and spectacular – both ashore and on the water. Making up the cast are 55 coaches and 300 volnteers. 49 countries are represented – a record for a sailing event in New Zealand.
With New Zealand’s two 2008 Olympic representatives well in contention for the championship after two days of racing in the Qualification Round, the regatta has a very satisfied edge to it for the local fans.
It is a little hard to believe that this is the first regatta for an Olympic class in New Zealand for almost 24 years, and just the third World Championship that has been staged at the new facilities at Takapuna Boating Club, and North Shore City.
Takapuna has shown that it is more than up to the standard required to run an event of this status, which is the first Olympic qualifier in sailing, staged in New Zealand. For some competitors, this is also an Olympic trial event. While others, like the two top New Zealanders already booked for Qingdao, can focus purely on winning the title of 2008 World Champion.
The only downside is the course restrictions on the race area imposed by Telecom, due to international cables which are laid across a wide area of prime racing water – with a prohibition on anchoring.
Had these restrictions not been in place, or over a tighter area, then courses would be able to be staged in a much better position for spectators, and out of the tide close to the shipping channel.
Those of us who have sailed in major events and world championships at Takapuna before these restrictions were so draconian, can remember the unique experience of being able to race the length of the beach, before tacking out to the windward mark, And, the same on the return, with the leeward mark not too far from the surflines. Magic racing!
What should be a great spectacle on the water, with the fans able to watch sailing as though it were in a stadium, is not possible under the current constraints. While the venue is as good as anywhere in the world, it could be an awful lot better without the impact created by the cables and regulators.
Would this happen in a National Park or sports stadium? Of course not. So why has it so long been an immovable issue in these great sailing waters?
Even so, this venue and regatta is well worth a visit. But take a good pair of binoculars, and be prepared for a walk around the foreshore.
Also take a look at the new website www.takapunaworlds.org which is run using the same Sail-World software that runs our own website and brings you this newsletter. This site will be used as the event website for the next Olympic class world championships regattas to be held at Takapuna – the Tornado Worlds at the end of February, and the Laser Radial Worlds in March.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, we expect to have some more news on the America’s Cup, when the Settle Order is published by the New York Supreme Court. We will have news on this, and the implications, on Sail-World.com as soon as it is available.
Good sailing!
Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor
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