IFDS Disabled Sailing World Championship report and Canada Team update

by ISAF/Canadian Yachting Association on 16 Oct 2009
Germany, The Netherlands and Great Britain hold onto the leaderboard top spots after the opening two days of racing at the IFDS Disabled Sailing World Championship in Athens, Greece.

Competition began on with the Two-Person Keelboat SKUD18 fleet the first to race at the 2009 IFDS Worlds, on an outer loop course, with the start at 12:00 as scheduled. Conditions were good with a westerly wind of 9 knots and the Three-Person Keelboat Sonar and Single-Person Keelboat 2.4mR starts followed shortly after the SKUDs. ISAF Sailing World Cup winners Scott Whitman and Julia Dorsett (USA) took the opening race of the championship, whilst victories also went to Aleksander Wang-hansen, Marie Solberg and Per Eugen Kristiansen (NOR) in the Sonar and Thierry Schmitter (NED) in the 2.4mR. With the wind conditions becoming progressively more shifty and unpredictable, the day’s second races were postponed, started, but ultimately abandoned.

Rain greeted the competitors for day two, but a steadier breeze of around 10 knots provided the Race Committee with an opportunity to compete three races in the SKUD18 fleet and two for both for the 2.4mRs and Sonars.

With 27 athletes representing 11 nations, the 2.4mR fleet is the largest competing in Athens and after three races Dutchman Schmitter, runner up in this year’s ISAF Sailing World Cup, who leads the way with a 1, 2, 3 scoreline. Heiko Kroger, 2000 Paralympic gold medallist, lies second overall, three points further back, with British skipper Helena Lucas completing the top three.

In the SKUD18 fleet, Alex Rickham and Niki Birrell (GBR) have moved ahead of Whittman and Dorsett thanks to two bullets and a second place in today’s three races. The Americans are now four points off the pace after 2, 3, 4 scores today. Beijing Paralympic gold medallists Jens Kroker, Siegmund Mainka and Robert Prem (GER) lead the Sonar fleet, with a one-point advantage over Wang-Hansen, Solberg and Kristiansen.

Racing continues tomorrow and through until the final races and Closing Ceremony on Sunday.
http://www.sailing.org/ifds-worlds-2009.php

Canadian Team Update:

Day 2 of racing for the IFDS Worlds our Canadian sailors had a mixed day but the story today was the weather, it was uncharistically cool, so cool in fact that you could see the coaches putting their hands in the water to warm them up! The wind spent much of the time for the 2 races in the 355 to 005 range at about 4-8 kts.

The Skud class had a third race which was shortened but that was good news for John McRoberts and Brenda Hopkin as they capitalized on a major shift to capture first place in race 3, in their previous races on the day they had a 3-4 (the fourth after capturing a plastic bag and other flotsome on one of the early legs and dragging it until the finish.).

The 2.4 meters had only two races before the wind shifted 170 degrees, this was enough for the race committee to call the day for 2.4 and abandon the Sonar race. Bruce Millar started the day with a respectable seventh place but in the second race got caught in some traffic and escaped with a 14th, he now sits in 11th overall.

Tomorrow's forecast is a return to Athens weather with sunshine and 10-12kts of breeze.

The results for all classes can be found at www.disabledworlds09.gr

http://www.sailing.ca/