11th ACO Musto Skiff World Championships during Kiel Week - Day 3
by Jamie Hilton 25 Jun 2022 07:03 PDT
18-26 June 2022
A glamour day on the water. Blue skies and a powerful sun dishing out 30 degree heat and enhancing the breeze to an easterly 15-20 knots. Back out on course Kilo again meant the fleet would be treated to large rolling waves with some epic downwind rides.
Learning the lessons of the previous day, the fleet launched in good time, and once out there, there were more than a few nervous looks shared between sailors, more so from those who tested out the downwind waves sets with the kite up. With four races scheduled it was shaping up for an epic day.
Clearly a day to test the fleet to the max, the majority of the fleet choose to lift their daggerboards quite some way to help deal with the conditions, while some instead elected to return ashore recognising that they were on the wrong side of comfortable.
Unfortunately, one more race retirement before the first race even started included the German youth sailor, Eddie Stalleicken, who had to reluctantly return to shore after his trapeze wire came undone and got lost in the water on the way to the start line.
Predictably, coming out of the traps for the first race, it was the bigger guys who were revelling, with GBR sailors Danny Boatman and Jono Shelley, of particular note, who were rocketing up wind. Downwind, the game of risk versus reward was in play with the decision of how hard to push the boat and managing the risk of ploughing into the back of the waves in the significant troughs. Boatman kept the stick in the air, and with his great pace, he went on to claim the race win. Again, it was GBR sailor, Rick Peacock and RSA sailor, Andy Tarboton taking second and third.
GBR sailor Dan Vincent took the win in the next race in what proved to be the platform for the rest of his day. Peacock went on to take the win in the third race, with Vincent and GBR sailor, Jamie Hilton in close pursuit. In the final race of the day, it was Hilton who took the lead from Boatman on the final spacer, and blasted down the run to take the win with Peacock chasing hard.
A superb day on the water, and the fleet were buzzing once ashore, as the team effort of getting the boats up the beach was taken care of. Some strong performances out there and a lot of aching limbs to nurse. The daily prize-giving ensued before the fleet were treated to a superb BBQ at the Heineken Tent and a few beers to regale stories of the day, of which there were many!
Overnight leaderboard, and wearers of the bibs for the following day are Peacock (18pts), Tarboton (28pts) and Hilton (38pts).
Thanks again to ACO Group, our Title Event Sponsor for the Musto Skiff Worlds, and to class sponsor, Musto, for providing all the Musto kit for the daily prizes.
Results after Day 3: (top five)
1st - GBR 630 - Rick Peacock
2nd - RSA 590 - Andy Tarboton
3rd - GBR 618 - Jamie Hilton
4th - GBR 632 - Peter Greenhalgh
5th - GBR 566 - Jono Shelley