James Brewer scores the best ever AUS result at the Optimist Worlds

by Mark Stowell on 21 Aug 2009 The Australian Team has now returned from the Optimist Worlds in Brazil.

The team comprised the top five sailors at the 2009 Australian National Championship: Doug Campbell (WA), Mark Spearman (WA), Lloyd Collings (Vic) Paris Stowell (WA) and James Brewer (NSW).

Each country could send only five of its top sailors to compete at this prestigious event.

This year the competition was held in Niteroi Bay, the picturesque town of Niteroi - Rio de Janero Brazil in August. Massive granite hills circle most of the bay, creating varied conditions and switching patchy winds to really test all competitors. The positive effect of this was the opportunity to catch up from a bad start or first beat to a score that was worthy of keeping. However, the reverse was also true, sailors in the front end of the fleet had to sail conservatively.

Pre-Regatta Training

Australia were one of the earliest teams to arrive, seven days before competition. The earliest teams were Peru and Singapore.

Accommodation was basic, but neat and tidy, and the corridor to the accommodation soon became known as Opti Ghetto! All of the nationalities used it as a meeting place after sailing.

Early morning team training sessions for 30-40 minutes were followed by breakfast then on water for two-four hours. Dinner chats with friends and meeting the other teams made up most of each day before the regatta.

On water, the sessions comprised of racing against one-three other countries on set-up race courses, testing various parts of the bay, and speed against the others. This usually was followed by a teams racing session against another country. Testing was done against Singapore, Argentina, Peru, USA, South Africa and a few others.

The training conditions were a mixed of light and shifty breezes and one beautiful day of 10-15 knots.

The charter boats were great. All the team members had new sails for the event. Four of the team used J sails (from Poland) and one, James Brewer used a Brewer sail.

The facilities at the club were excellent- pool, tennis courts, volley ball courts and sauna.

In particular, the boat launching and retrieval system was very efficient, the parents didn’t even get their feet wet! (Quite a change from Mandurah for the Western Australian sailors).

The day before the event was scheduled as a day off, to allow full recuperation and to be ready for the long and intense main championship. Some went sightseeing/shopping, others rested by the pool.

Day 1

The first day started with a practice race (mainly for the race committee to test the system) and as usual the competitors enjoyed the day – some by starting half way up the beat, or even at the top mark. James (Brewer) almost sailed between the hulls of one of the large ferries that traversed the course in the practice race! This was rectified by the Navy using three patrol boats to keep ferries off the course area during racing.

The practice race was followed by the opening ceremony with a parade which was the shortest on record (the last teams had almost not started when the first ones arrived at the flag raising venue).

The Parade was a big hit with the kids, and Doug Campbell had the honour of raising the Australian Flag to the National Anthem. The speeches in Portuguese were also kept as short as the parade, and everyone headed off for the opening ceremony party.

The first race day fizzed out with no wind! Tensions heightened!

Day 2

It proved to be a tough day with light, two-six knot patchy, switchy winds.

Three races were completed The Aussies had a difficult day but the highlight was a ninth place from Lloyd Collings. James Brewer was top Aussie at the end of the day coming 110 overall.

Malaysia had a fantastic start to the regatta and at the end of the day were sitting first and second overall. The Aussie sailors had raced them in Singapore and were well aware at how well they performed in light breezes.

Day 3

Another tough day. Light, two-six knot patchy, switchy winds.

Two races were completed. The Aussies sailors were hanging in there most of the time, around mid fleet.

Sailors from Malaysia, Peru and Thailand dominated the day by picking the pressure bands and shifts very well.

Overall, Doug was 111, James 113, Lloyd 120, Mark 180, Paris 201.

Day 4

Teams Racing.

The Individual Event was put on hold for the Teams Racing event to proceed. Optimist Team Racing involves four boats per team. Mathematical draws result in the team with the winning boat losing the match.

Seedings are based on the first five races. AUS seeded 32. (*Interim score for the Miami Herald Trophy). Its similar to tennis where the top seeds race the lowest until it gets through to the final. The top eight teams get a bye in the first race. As soon as a country has two losses they are out of the event.

The wind was better for the teams racing, unfortunately the Aussies were out in straight sets. The first match was against Argentina, it was close but the Aussies lost.

In the second match against Denmark the Aussies were winning comfortably with a 1,2, 4, 7 but lost, by not waiting for them to make the move and a costly foul on the finish line. Two losses and its out!

The second day of Teams Racing was very exciting to watch, light winds for three matches in the morning, then at 4pm six-12 knots late in the afternoon for many more races, until 40-60 knot squalls came through (in middle of theThailand/Argentina match); the small Thais were going well in eight knots, until 30 knots hit on the second reach, and the bigger Argentinians loaded up and 'smoked em'.

The race finished, but the squalls had lifted to 50 knots ++ and mast steps broke on five boats, thwarts ripped out and there were many other breakages across the fleet.

Luckily our boats were tucked up on the hard stand where the sail and kit lockers were also being blown over.

The rest day was used for the Teams Racing finals.

The Aussie team took the Aus/Bermuda/RSA spectator boat touring around the bay until the wind came in enough for the Teams Finals to start and anchored in a good vantage point to watch the finals.

Singapore did well to finish third but again racing held up waiting for wind. The final was between China and the favourites Peru. China won the first two rounds; in the third race China got out of the blocks well for a 1,2, 7,8 scoreline, but needed to get at least one of their 7/8 places up one spot to win the round and the World Championship.

They all sailed until the last bottom mark, where the top two Chinese bore away after rounding to put pressure on the Peru third and fourth, and help their backmarkers get into striking distance to a 5/6 place; the tactics worked and the top two covered the top Peru's very closely, but never at any stage did they look like giving up the first-second places.

China finished first, second and fourth to win the match and the Teams Racing World Championship, to lots of cheers from the crowds and spectator boats.

On shore, in good Chinese tradition, firecrackers were let off in celebration.

Day 4 of Individual Racing

A better day, and as it turned out, the only decent breeze of the whole individual event. A nice southerly six-ten knots building in the last race to 12 knots. The Aussies were happier today, wind and some much better results; James a seventh, a 14th and another sitting in the 80’s overall; Paris a 22 and a 13th (+ an OCS); Mark Spearman a 20th and a 30th; Lloyd a 25th; Doug a 25th and a few tough ones.

Once again very shifty, but more solid breeze, still with light patches. With the size of the hill to the left and a gap in the hills, the breeze got moved around a lot. Still there were many kids who have worked it out, and the standard of sailing at the top end of the fleet was absolutely incredible, and it seems to improve eve