A Class Catamaran European Championships in Warnemunde - Day 1 & 2
by Gordon Upton 11 Jul 2018 04:41 PDT
And so the 'A' Class European Championships finally got underway, with a bang on Tuesday in Warnemunde Germany, after the first day was cancelled due to excessive wind/wave limits. An earlier start time was planned as the wind was due to increase again and the PRO wanted to get some races under his belt for the 95 strong fleet of both Classics and Foilers.
So keen were they to get going that a huge bulge of boats surged forward over the line 10 seconds before the first gun, causing the inevitable General Recall. During this, one unfortunate sailor lost a starboard bow somehow. They got off cleanly second time.
In each of the three races, it was the left of the course that was favoured. Glenn Ashby, looking for something to play with after his America's Cup triumph, led from the start, and gave a masterclass in upwind foiling that few, even this DNA team-mate Mischa Heemskerk, could only dream of achieving. It the top mark he led by some 25 seconds. from Manuel Calavia and Marciej Zarnovski, who led the following pack like hounds following a fox. Next time around he led by over a minute to finish the race a good two mins ahead of Manuel in second, Marciej in third and Mischa in forth. Further down the fleet individual battles were fought by sailors who were usually good friends ashore and Ex GBR Olympic sailor Adam May, who on the first lap was fifth around the top mark, sailed into a hole on a downwind leg but finished a respectable eleventh. Also Tom Phipps, in his first 'A' Class outing managed a decent 26th, however a catastrophic rudder system failure in the second race finished his day there.
The second race got off cleanly, with young GBR rookie Oscar Lindley-Smith nailing the pin in fine style, as he had been coached to do by Paul Larsen, the afternoon before at half time in the England World Cup game. However, by the end of the first lap, Glenn was in the lead, but chased closer this time by Mischa, Majiej and Manuel with GRE ace Trigonis Konstantinos was following in fifth. By now the wind was increasing and the long fetch meant that the waves started getting larger too. Nothing unmanageable as long as you had the correct mode dialed in, but the conditions started to catch out a few lower down in the pack. Boats would foil off waves and then into the back of the next one, with predictable results. At the bottom of lap 2, the same five had been caught by SWI Champion Sandro Caviezel. At the end, Mischa was following Glenn over the line about 30 secs later, with Sandro then Manuel with Trigonis in 5th.
By race 3 things had started to get a little fruity, with larger waves causing many spills as sailors were getting tired. The wind had reached 16-18 kts with 2m waves developing and most had switched on to full survival mode by then.
It was thought that maybe over a quarter of the fleet had capsized at some point during the latter part of 2 and race 3. And this was not restricted to the normal people, Trigonis took less care in a gybe and fell over, and Glenn was not immune either, he went over twice, on one he did a classic Moth style capsize when his boat got too high on the foils, flew off a wave and gravity took over. A particularly crowd-pleasing one was Kyle Langford, who stuffed the nose in on the top mark bear-away. The boat went vertical and Kyle smacked into the vertical hull and clung on like a koala to a eucalyptus tree before it fell over. A few unfortunates suffered mast and rigging failures, and a few ran into each other in the bouncy, by now, survival conditions. At the top mark all but the most stupid or extremely confident decided that trapezing was possibly not the way to reach old age. However, sitting in, a few started to foil even in that mode in a sort of devil's sleigh ride to the bottom mark.
At the finish, it was again Glenn, but followed pretty closely by Marciej. Many boats pitched in on the downwind leg, and it is even more galling if it was the final leg and giving away hard won places, but that's sailing. Tomorrow promises higher winds, so it may be another day on the beach. But many of the racers might be glad of that after today's events.
Results after day 2:
Pos | Sail No | Team | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
1 | AUS 111 | Glenn ASHBY | 10062 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
2 | POL 17 | Maciej ZARNOWSKI | UKS Navigo Sopot | 3 | 7 | 2 | 12 |
3 | NED 7 | Mischa HEEMSKERK | Wvbraassemermeer | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 |
4 | ESP 11 | Manuel CALAVIA | RCMB | 2 | 5 | 8 | 15 |
5 | SUI 1 | Sandro CAVIEZEL | YCAs | 8 | 4 | 4 | 16 |
6 | POL 1 | Jacek NOETZEL | UKS Navigo Sopot | 12 | 9 | 5 | 26 |
7 | FRA 2 | Emmanuel DODÉ | SR Vannes | 9 | 13 | 9 | 31 |
8 | GRE 1 | Konstantinos TRIGONIS | N.C.Thessaloniki | 10 | 6 | 17 | 33 |
9 | GER 14 | Bob BAIER | SCFF | 23 | 10 | 3 | 36 |
10 | DEN 1 | Thomas PAASCH | SKS | 17 | 15 | 10 | 42 |
11 | POL 31 | Robert GRACZYK | MKZ | 15 | 19 | 11 | 45 |
12 | POL 111 | Michal KORNESZCZUK | YCG | 5 | 16 | 27 | 48 |
13 | SUI 9 | Daniel CAVIEZEL | YCAs | 29 | 14 | 6 | 49 |
14 | ESP 16 | Marc VERDAGUER | Club Nautic L'Escala | 22 | 8 | 20 | 50 |
15 | GER 39 | Andi LACHENSCHMID | ASC | 19 | 18 | 13 | 50 |
16 | GBR 57 | Adam MAY | WPNSA | 11 | 20 | 21 | 52 |
17 | GER 76 | Helmut STUMHOFER | SCC | 21 | 17 | 14 | 52 |
18 | AUS 51 | Paul LARSEN | WPNSA | 24 | 12 | 22 | 58 |
19 | AUS 1065 | Tom JOHNSON | | 25 | 21 | 16 | 62 |
20 | AUS 31 | Scott ANDERSON | 530015 | 36 | 11 | 18 | 65 |
21 | ITA 3 | Paolo PENCO | ANS | 18 | 23 | 26 | 67 |
22 | SUI 87 | Nils PALMIERI | | 27 | 35 | 19 | 81 |
23 | POL 7 | Marcin KAMINSKI | UKS Navigo Sopot | 20 | 41 | 25 | 86 |
24 | POL 15 | Piotr BARYZEWSKI | UKS Navigo Sopot | 35 | 31 | 23 | 89 |
25 | SUI 7 | Robin MAEDER | CNB | 37 | 26 | 30 | 93 |
26 | NED 95 | Roeland WENTHOLT | Hellecat | 14 | 49 | 32 | 95 |
27 | POL 3 | Jaroslaw BETKOWSKI | RJKP | 30 | 46 | 24 | 100 |
28 | GER 5 | Klaus RAAB | SCFF | 32 | 36 | 36 | 104 |
29 | DEN 20 | Peter BOLDSEN | KBL | 28 | 51 | 29 | 108 |
30 | GER 85 | Guido SCHULTE | MSV | 44 | 33 | 35 | 112 |
31 | POL 2 | Marek ZEBROWSKI | UKS Navigo Sopot | 57 | 29 | 28 | 114 |
32 | AUS 1064 | Kyle LANGFORD | 280001 | 7 | 96 | 12 | 115 |
33 | GBR 599 | Oscar LINDLEY‑SMITH | WPNSA | 42 | 40 | 34 | 116 |
34 | ESP 74 | Abdón IBÁÑEZ | RCNV | 6 | 96 | 15 | 117 |
35 | GER 37 | Johannes KEMLER | TSG‑W | 47 | 25 | 46 | 118 |
36 | FRA 410 | Jean DARNAUDE | EV Rochelaises | 55 | 27 | 37 | 119 |
37 | FRA 7 | Jean‑Louis le COQ | SN du Roi Port Camargue | 38 | 43 | 38 | 119 |
38 | GER 80 | Andreas GRÜNENWALD | SVBb | 46 | 47 | 31 | 124 |
39 | SWE 59 | Alberto FARNESI | LBS | 45 | 39 | 40 | 124 |
40 | SUI 65 | Bueche CHARLES | BT | 53 | 42 | 33 | 128 |
41 | NED 111 | David van AART | ZVN | 41 | 53 | 39 | 133 |
42 | GER 27 | Alexander MEISTER | YSTM | 16 | 22 | 96 | 134 |
43 | FRA 207 | Benoit MARIE | SNO Nantes | 13 | 30 | 96 | 139 |
44 | GER 40 | Manfred SYROWY | YCN | 54 | 44 | 41 | 139 |
45 | GER 20 | Florian HENNIG | SLRV | 58 | 52 | 45 | 155 |
46 | AUT 96 | Michael MÖDLHAMMER | SCSW | 20 | 45 | 96 | 161 |
47 | ITA 86 | Michele PATELLI | H2O 151 | 40 | 28 | 96 | 164 |
48 | GER 15 | Katrin BRUNNER | BSF | 66 | 58 | 42 | 166 |
49 | GER 21 | Marco GÖTZ | BYC | 33 | 38 | 96 | 167 |
50 | GER 3 | Matthias DIETZ | SLRV | 39 | 34 | 96 | 169 |
51 | POL 18 | Jakub SOBALA | Club Port Mechelinki | 62 | 59 | 48 | 169 |
52 | ESP 7 | Micky TODD | | 50 | 32 | 96 | 178 |
53 | DEN 111 | Morten KOHLENBERG | SYC | 72 | 61 | 47 | 180 |
54 | ITA 777 | Marco PUPPO | CNUC | 74 | 64 | 43 | 181 |
55 | NED 96 | Gert Jan KOS | Hellecat | 96 | 2 | 96 | 194 |
56 | GER 75 | Jörn KNOP | BSV | 49 | 50 | 96 | 195 |
57 | GER 6 | Rainer BOHRER | TSVU | 52 | 55 | 96 | 203 |
58 | BEL 19 | Wim DECA | RNSYC | 71 | 37 | 96 | 204 |
59 | NED 44 | Wiro ZIJLMANS | Hellecat | 51 | 57 | 96 | 204 |
60 | GER 57 | Martin BACH | MSV | 70 | 96 | 44 | 210 |
61 | SUI 33 | Heiko MAIER | SCU | 61 | 54 | 96 | 211 |
62 | BEL 9 | Michel WARLOP | RBSC | 68 | 48 | 96 | 212 |
63 | DEN 13 | Lars SCHRØDER | FS | 96 | 24 | 96 | 216 |
64 | GBR 22 | Tom PHIPPS | Windsport | 26 | 96 | 96 | 218 |
65 | FRA 101 | Hervé LEDUE | C.N.Portes en Ré | 67 | 56 | 96 | 219 |
66 | GER 10 | Jörg HORN | STS | 64 | 62 | 96 | 222 |
67 | ITA 101 | Andrea FERRARI | USC | 31 | 96 | 96 | 223 |
68 | CZE 1 | Vladislav PTAŠNIK | ALT F20T | 34 | 96 | 96 | 226 |
69 | NED 1 | Piet SAARBERG | Hellecat | 69 | 63 | 96 | 228 |
70 | SUI 22 | Hermann WALLMER | SCMd | 73 | 60 | 96 | 229 |
71 | GER 61 | Gerian KÜHLBORN | E.S.V | 75 | 65 | 96 | 236 |
72 | GER 86 | Alexander ZYLKA | SCH | 48 | 96 | 96 | 240 |
73 | AUT 98 | Ronald van der VALK | YCZ | 78 | 66 | 96 | 240 |
74 | GER 38 | Thorsten LORENZ | BSV | 56 | 96 | 96 | 248 |
75 | ESP 5 | Enrique CORNEJO | RCMB | 59 | 96 | 96 | 251 |
76 | ITA 110 | Stefano TACCHI | UVM | 60 | 96 | 96 | 252 |
77 | GER 2 | Georg REUTTER | TSVH | 63 | 96 | 96 | 255 |
78 | GER 34 | Jan KREUTZMANN | YCN | 65 | 96 | 96 | 257 |
79 | SWE 2 | Ulf TJERNBERG | LSS | 76 | 96 | 96 | 268 |
80 | GER 81 | Maren ODEFEY | MSV | 77 | 96 | 96 | 269 |
81 | SUI 70 | Darius GOLCHAN | | 79 | 96 | 96 | 271 |
82 | ARG 21 | Sergio MEHL | AGUILA | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | DEN 17 | Frank LAVRSEN | ES | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | ESP 42 | Mariano MARTINEZ | CAR MURCIA | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | ESP 48 | Oscar QUIRANTE | RCMB | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | ESP 9 | Juan Antonio LADRÓN de GUEVARA | CAR | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | NED 14 | Rutger KRIJGER | WSVW | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | NED 28 | Pieter Jan DWARSHUIS | WV Flevo | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | NED 41 | Caroline van BEELEN | catclub zeeland | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | NED 911 | Juppe HEBLY | Roerkoning | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | POL 100 | Karol KWIATKOWSKI | UKS Navigo Sopot | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | POL 101 | Andrzej SENKUS | UKS Navigo Sopot | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | POL 197 | Maciej TROCHA | UKS Navigo Sopot | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | POL 21 | Ewa GÓRSKA | UKS Navigo Sopot | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |
82 | SUI 81 | Nicolas BORGHETTI | | 96 | 96 | 96 | 288 |