Womens Laser Radial Worlds becalmed on Day 1

by Jodie Bakewell-White on 15 Mar 2008 The strong south easterly winds forecast for day one of the 2008 Women’s Laser Radial World Championship didn’t show and the 116 boat fleet were today becalmed off Takapuna Beach, North Shore City, Auckland.

It was a long day of waiting on the water for competitors who left the beach around 10-10:30am for a planned start time of 11am. A light south easterly that appeared to be building showed promise and a course was laid, however the breeze dropped away forcing race organisers to shift the fleet and hunt for breeze which just never came.

Competitors spent the day bunched and drifting on the course in the hope that breeze would come from somewhere and allow organisers to get race one underway. A decision was made at 5pm to abandon racing for the day and the fleet made their way ashore.

The forecast for the Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf for tomorrow, Sunday is for southwest 20 knots, rising to 25 knots gusting 35 knots early morning. Then easing to southerly 15 knots late afternoon or early evening and becoming southeast 20 knots at night. However this prediction is similar to what was expected today, so for competitors and organisers it will be a matter of seeing what the morning brings.