Laser Standard and Junior World Championships 2010 - Hayling Island

by www.sail-world.com/uk on 1 Sep 2010 Laser Standard and Junior World Championships 2010 - Leading up to the first qualifying races, competitors were welcomed by what’s known to foreigners as 'typical' British weather.

Strong wind and harsh rain belted down on the sailors as they braved the local main bar to get to the racing area.

But when the regatta actually started the competitors were led to believe that they were in a tropical location because the weather took a dramatic change and Hayling Island put on a spectacular display of sunshine and moderate breezes. As the sailors headed out to the Solent Sea in preparation for racing everything was picture perfect, but then the breeze came down making it a very challenging time for competitors and officials.

After the first four qualifying races Luka Radelic from Croatia leads the senior fleet ahead of Kiwis Joshua Junior and Michael Bullot.

Australian Sailing Team member and newly crowned Etchells World Champion Tom Slingsby is currently sitting in eighth position after dropping a 29th place in race 3.

Ashley Brunning is the next Aussie sailor on the results list and is placed 31st.

After the four races, the rest of the down underers are:

72nd – Tom Burton
76th – James Burman
106th – Ryan Palk
134th – Thor Schoenhoff
137th – Klade Hauschildt
143rd – Sean Bly
147th – Jared West
148th – Ki-raphael Sulkowski
153rd – Ryan Stoddart
154th – Ashley Lloyd

Ryan Palk celebrated his birthday yesterday and was disappointed with his results.

'Birthdays shouldn’t be this painful!' laughed Palk showing that he still has a sense of humour.

Jared West, who was forced to retire after finishing in Race 1 because the jury saw him hit a mark, took his iPod onto the race course yesterday so that he could 'clear his head' during races.

'I keep making the same mistakes and it’s doing my head in!' said West.

Ryan Stoddart who is here for the experience of big fleet international sailing had a major issue on the first day of racing which he was sure to rectify.

'My new swimmers were giving me a wedgie!' giggled Ryan as he enjoyed a cold beer after racing.

Unfortunately there was no quote from Tom Slingsby as he was shuttled away from Hayling Island Sailing Club to avoid any stressful encounters with the media.

Races five and six of the qualifying series are about to commence.

Fingers crossed for those Aussies and play with ladders rather than snakes!

http://www.laserworlds2010.co.uk/