49er, 49er FX & Nacra 17 World Championship at Royal Geelong Yacht Club - Day 1
by Lisa Ratcliff, 49er & Nacra 17 Sailing Media 10 Feb 2020 02:51 PST
8-15 February 2020
A day of waiting disappointingly ended without any racing - 2020 49er, 49er FX & Nacra 17 World Championship, day 1 © Sailing Energy
A day of waiting disappointingly ended without any racing at the 2020 world title for the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 classes in Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
The Race Committee monitored conditions on Corio Bay from well before the morning session to late afternoon, 25-30 knots out of the east keeping 49er crews ashore all day playing pool and cards, one eye on the flagpole. Afternoon sessions for the 49erFX and Nacra 17 were abandoned early.
The racing schedule for Tuesday February 11 remains as per the schedule which is 49erFX and Nacras up first and 49er men's skiffs in the afternoon. The forecast is for lighter winds in the morning then SSW 15-20kts in the afternoon with the chance of thunderstorms.
Mullet-mania
Hairstyles trend at the top of the European soccer interest but not typically in sailing, until....the mullet!
The style is concentrated in the 49er class, particularly among the Kiwis. Logan Dunning Beck (NZL) says he's the original, "the leader of the charge". Blair Tuke (NZL) is rocking one and so is Leo Takahashi (JPN) who lives and trains in New Zealand. Lachy Gilmour (AUS) is connecting with his ancestors - the mullet being an integral part of Australia's 1980s culture - and Mitchell Kiss (USA) is sporting a next level two-tone mullet.
"It was something fun to do and keep it relaxed - a bit of a joke among everyone," Mitchell laughed. "Before the Europeans I went fully blond and I just showed up to the regatta - then we did pretty well so I thought, 'I've got to keep going'. I went to a random Geelong barber - everyone around here knows how to do it. They pointed to a picture on the wall and I said 'Yep!'".
Check out the @49ersailing Facebook page for the photos and at the end of the week there will be a poll to vote best mullet at these worlds.
"The mullet isn't a hairstyle, it's a lifestyle." - Preston
If you have a sailor back home sporting a mullet, but sure to tag or @ us on social with #49erWorlds, @49ersailing
Weather Talk
Sailors love to talk about the weather, and we've had a lot down here in Geelong in the preceding weeks. 43 degree puffs from shore that dry out eyeballs, torrential rains, and, of course, some perfect sea breezes.
The low pressure trough making its mark on the eve of world championship racing gave sailors some coffee and gossip time at the host, Royal Geelong Yacht Club.