2016 Contender World Championships - Big wind, big fun

by Stephanie Mah on 4 May 2016 The 2016 Contender World Championships, hosted by the Santa Cruz Yacht Club, have just concluded, and the competitors, hailing from the UK, Italy, Australia (Eastern and Western), Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, and Canada, came away with a slick California tan (or sunburn) and the ability to cross a lot of experiences off their sailing bucket lists, including, but not limited to:

- Sharing the race course with whales (including the killer kind), sea otters, sea lions, dolphins, and seals.
- Racing in 10 foot waves and 25+ knot breeze.
- Racing in six foot waves with opposing wind (allowing one to go upwind down a wave).
- Racing in winds anywhere from 0-30 knots (in the same race).

While the fleet was small, it was mighty, with the defending World Champion, Simon Mussell (UK), squaring off against three former World Champions, Antonio Lambertini, 2012 (ITA), Soren Dulong Andreasen, 2013 (DEN), and Mark Bulka (2014) (AUS), as well as several other sailors who regularly finished in the top 10 of previous Worlds. The first day of racing opened in the wake of a departing system, which meant very tricky sailing in a north and west breeze that were fighting so dirty they made Donald Trump and Ted Cruz blush. Gary Langdown (UK) and Andreasen proved to be wilier than the conditions and scored the bullets.

The second day started with lighter air that Bulka mastered, until the normal (and terrifying) Santa Cruz breeze came in hard and fast from the northwest; the big waves and wind were the conditions Mussell thrives in, so it was no shocker that he scored the win. And then came the third day, now known as 'Big Wednesday', where the men were separated from the boys by their choice of how to get around the wing mark on a race course of 10+ feet of swell and 20+ knots of breeze; while the rumours were that he granny gybed, Bulka took the win, and with only 15 boats finishing the first race and several others being assisted home, the second race was abandoned. Racing started earlier on Day 4 to make up for the lost race on Day 3, with the first two races running in a moderate westerly swell and light easterly breeze, before the NW kicked in for the third race.

Canadian sailor Roger Martin did North America proud by scoring a bullet in the second race, and Bulka again demonstrated his ability to do well in all breeze with consistent results, which all but secured his title. As seems to have become a bit of a tradition for the Worlds, the wind pooped out on the last day, so only one race was run, again in the westerly swell and light easterly, but at least it was sunny.

Congrats to Mark Bulka for winning his second Worlds title, Aussie Jason Beebe for his second place, and Simon Mussell who placed third, and who has no doubt turned his mind to dominating the European championships taking place on his stomping grounds, the Highcliffe Sailing Club, in September of this year.

While the breeze may have been somewhat uncooperative, onshore it was a different story, and not enough can be said about the hospitality and generosity that was shown by the Santa Cruz Yacht Club and its volunteers. Over 100 SCYC members gave their time to do everything from help the sailors land and unload the containers, launch and come back, be on hand in barftacular sea conditions in case sailors needed help, set marks, serve dinner, and mostly ensure everyone felt welcomed.

Many thanks again to all, and especially to the event manager, Charlie Roskoz, and the PRO, Beau Vrolyk. If any other fleet is looking for a venue for their Worlds, they may want to go West.

Results:

Pos	Sail	Skipper	Yacht Club		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		Total	Pos
1	AUS2457	Mark Bulka	McCrae		[10]	4	1	2	1	1	3	4	[5]		16	1
2	AUS 2482	Jason Beebe	RQYS		7	2	2	3	[13]	[14]	4	2	1		21	2
3	GBR 2420	Simon mussell	Highcliffe		2	3	7	1	3	[35/DNF]	8	1	[35/DNF]		25	3
4	DEN-1	Soren Dulong Andreasen	Hellerup Sejlklub		5	1	3	4	[35/DNF]	2	[16]	8	3		26	4
5	AUS2566	Callum Burns	Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron		[11]	8	[24]	6	4	8	6	7	6		45	5
6	GBR 2439	Gary Langdown	Highcliffe Sailing Club		1	6	[10]	10	10	5	5	[11]	9		46	6
7	Ita59	Davide Fontana	Av civitavecchia		8	10	6	[15]	[35/DNF]	7	2	12	2		47	7
8	ITA 2561	Antonio Lambertini	Marvelia - Dongo (Como)		6	[17]	8	7	6	[23]	9	5	10		51	8
9	2488	Hannes SEIDEL	SVPA		14	9	9	8	9	4	[23]	[16]	4		57	9
10	GER 551	Christoph Homeier	SVGO		4	5	[35/DNF]	[35/OCS]	2	9	26	3	11		60	10
11	GBR 2503	Tim Holden	Halifax SC		3	7	12	[35/DNF]	5	15	[25]	10	14		66T	11
12	AUS 2565	John Lindholm	Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron		9	11	11	5	12	12	[13]	6	[15]		66T	12
13	2572	Ed Presley	Cotswold SC		15	15	5	12	8	[24]	[24]	9	20		84	13
14	GBR 2490	Robert Smith	Castle Cove SC		[23]	14	15	13	7	[21]	19	14	7		89	14
15	678	Thomas Hooton	RYA		[25]	18	[22]	11	14	10	11	17	12		93	15
16	GER 2612	Joachim Harpprecht	Turn und Sportverein Schilksee		19	13	14	16	[35/DNF]	3	18	18	[35/DNF]		101T	16
17	NED 2	Thorborg Mark	kmjc		21	[35/DNF]	4	14	[35/DNC]	22	17	15	8		101T	17
18	NED 3	Bart Thorborg	WV Braassemermeer		17	16	17	9	11	18	[22]	13	[24]		101T	18
19	2399	Roger Martin	Outer Harbour Centreboard Club		18	[35/DNF]	16	[35/DNF]	35/DNF	6	1	22	16		114	19
20	2602	Michael Pullin	Halifax Sailing Club		13	19	29	[35/DNF]	[35/DNC]	13	10	19	18		121	20
21	ITA 57	Luca Landò	Associazione Velica Bracciano		[22]	[35/DNF]	18	20	15	20	12	20	19		124	21
22	CAN 2397	Michael Smits	Outer Harbour Centreboard Club		24	[35/DNF]	25	19	[35/DNF]	11	14	35/DNF	13		141	22
23	2453	Neil Smith	Nyack Boat Club		12	20	[28]	17	[35/DNF]	25	27	21	27		149	23
24	GBR712	Rodger White	King George SC		27	[35/DNF]	23	[35/DNF]	35/DNC	16	20	23	21		165	24
25	2585	Peter Hale	OHCC		[35/DNS]	[35/DNS]	13	35/DNF	35/DNC	26	15	35/DNS	17		176	25
26	ITA 40	Luca Bonezzi	Canottieri Mincio Mantova Gruppi Sportivi		16	[35/DNF]	[35/DNF]	35/DNC	35/DNC	17	7	35/DNF	35/DNC		180	26
27	CAN2525	Stephanie Mah	Outer Harbour Centreboard Club		[35/DNS]	[35/DNS]	21	35/DNF	35/DNS	19	28	24	22		184	27
28	2117	Gil Woolley	Gil Woolley ieee		30	21	27	18	[35/DNF]	28	[35/DNF]	35/DNS	26		185	28
29	USA1771	Peter White	Hoover Sailing Club		[35/DNS]	[35/DNS]	20	35/DNF	35/DNC	29	21	25	25		190	29
30	AUS2105	Stefan Golic	RFBYC		20	12	19	[35/DNF]	[35/DNF]	35/DNF	35/DNC	35/DNS	35/DNF		191	30
31	DEN-2431	Jeppe Sørner	Sejlklubben Rødvig-Stevns		26	[35/DNF]	26	[35/DNF]	35/DNC	27	35/DNF	35/DNS	23		207	31
32	USA 1114	Jerome White	Santa Barbara Sailing Club		28	[35/DNF]	[35/DNC]	35/DNC	35/DNC	35/DNC	35/DNC	35/DNC	35/DNC		238	32
33	usa 1072	Kirk Price	Cal SC		29	[35/DNF]	[35/DNC]	35/DNC	35/DNF	35/DNF	35/DNF	35/DNS	35/DNF		239	33
34	USA 2535	Ethan Bixby	SPYC		[35/DNC]	[35/DNC]	35/DNC	35/DNC	35/DNC	35/DNC	35/DNC	35/DNC	35/DNC		245	34