Perth 2010 Canadian 49ers waiting for breeze

by Shauna McGee Kinney on 21 Nov 2010 Perth 2010 - Canadian 49er sailors Gordon Cook and Hunter Lowden (sail CAN 049) and Billy Gooderham and Ian Hogan (sail CAN 1185) are racing at the 2010 Perth test event.

Its an important venue for the Canadian high performance sailors who finished second and third at the recent 49er North American titles. Cook was 14th at the 2008 Olympic regatta in Qingdao

Looking forward to London 2012, three quarters of each event's entry quota shall be qualified from those best ranked countries in each of the relevant events at the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships (Perth 2011).

So the two Canadian 49er crews are down under to check out the venue and the conditions, which are expected to be strong. However in November 2010 they have had to battle light wind rather than the brisk wind, or even any wind, that Fremantle and Western Australia should usually deliver.

Not a great regatta so far for either of the crews, both keen to improve their position, but frustrated by the lack of wind.

Their results so far?

17 Gordan COOK, Hunter LOWDEN CAN (15) 7 2 11 7 10 8 15 75 60
28 Billy GOODERHAM, Ian HOGAN CAN 16 12 6 (18) OCS 5 17 13 None 87 69

Yesterday, it was more of the same, the teams were quiet on the beach, with hushed talk about when to launch and how much time was needed to reach the furthest course - the Leighton Course for that day's events.

As they finished rigging and gave the nod to go, they watched the French team get towed by the coaches boat out of the Fremantle Sailing Club harbor. Their coach shook his head and stood, ready to escort the two Canadian boats out to the course.

Later that afternoon, spectators at Bathers Beach, part of the shoreline closer to the Leighton Course watched the 49ers being towed back down to the Fremantle Sailing Club.

We are looking forward to an interview with the Canadian teams later today.