Access World Championships Day 1 - Worlds underway

by David Staley on 8 Jun 2010 2010 Access Class Worlds and SKUD18 International Championships racing day one - two races were completed for the all classes.

Racing commenced on Rutland Water in the UK East Midlands today for the Bruce Wake 2010 Access Class Worlds and SKUD18 International Championships.

The single-person classes were first on the water in a light and variable breeze under an overcast sky but two races were completed. Angus MacGregor (AUS) led Monique Foster (GBR) and Cedric Castaldi (FRA) across the line in the first heat of the 2.3s. MacGregor dominated the second race as well, ahead of two Portugal sailors Bruno Pereira and Carlos Araujo. The young Australian leads from Foster and Araujo on combined scores.

Zoltan Pegan (HUN) repeated yesterday’s practice race result with two wins in the single-person 303. In heat one, Paul Phillips (GBR) and Gerard Eychenne (FRA) followed the Hungarian across the line. In the second race, it was Chris Ruston (AUS) second and Gerard Eychenne third. The Hungarian looks like he will be hard to beat.

In the Access Liberty division, Magali Moraines (FRA) turned the tables on yesterday’s practice race winner Chris Cook (AUS) and led him to the finish with Clare Andrew (GBR) in third. It was a repeat performance in race two. Moraines won the 2009 European Championships in the Liberty and has made a great start despite her boat arriving at the last minute.

Vera Voorbach (NED) was first of the Servo Liberties sailing within the Open fleet in both races, and she now leads Keith Harris (GBR) and Melvin Kinnear (GBR) on series results.

The SKUD 18s and two-person Access 303s enjoyed a little more breeze in the afternoon session. With two second places, Christopher Molesworth / Mark Alton (GBR) lead the 303 two-person competition, closely followed by Cedric Castaldi / Michelle Germain (FRA) and two Japanese teams - Hidehiro Kodaira / Toshie Ariyoshi and Kenji Sasahara /Yumiko Suzuki.

Reigning World Champions, Eva Mircsev / Zoltan Pegan (HUN), found themselves in the middle of the pack approaching the first windward mark in race one and were part of a log jam and collided with the mark. They recovered to finish eighth, but this was not the start they were looking for. Despite winning the second heat, they are sitting in fifth place after the first day.

In the SKUD 18s, both races yielded the same result – Alexandra Rickham/Niki Birrell (GBR) won from Michael Cogswell/Liz Foreman (GBR) and Jean-Claude Mirc/Gerard Eychenne (FRA). Cogswell/Foreman seemed to have the jump on the 2008 Paralympians in the second heat but they found enough extra speed later in the race.

100 competitors comprising 82 entries from 10 countries are participating in the Championships. Results and event information is published on the ACA(UK) website www.accessclass.org.uk

Racing continues until Friday June 11.