Author: Richard Phillips

Race 3 scheduled to start at 1200hrs on 26 September 2012 has been postponed due to lack of wind..boats remaining ashore…

FLYING DUTCHMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2012

Santa Cruz Yacht Club, Santa Cruz, California, USA

23 – 30 September 2012

Day 3 – 25 September 2012 – Race 1 & 2

Light winds – close racing – many place changes

44 FDs took to the water after the end of a shoreside postponement due to lack of wind. The day was brighter, the waves crashed around the bay although the race area was relatively calm with a slight swell.

Eventually there was sufficient wind to start racing. The fleet got away at the first start with a few OCS – all but one returned to restart. During the first race, a standard triangle, sausage with a final windward leg the wind was in the 6 to 10 knot range from 220 to 240*.

At the end of the first lap Kay-Uwe Lüdtke/Kai Schäfers (GER 88) led with Jan Lechler/Jens Salow (GER 100), World and European Champions – Szabolcs Majthényi & András Domokos (HUN 70), and Enno Krammer & Ard Geelkerken (NED 26) in hot pursuit.

By the finish Enno & Ard had gained the lead with the other three holding their positions.

Race 2 started soon after the end of race 1 in about 6 to 8 knots of wind. There was heavy bunching at the Committee boat end as boats tried to tack away to the heavily favoured starboard side of the race course – in towards the shore.

The right hand side was also favoured on the second beat although some of the leading boats went too far in and lost a few places.

At the windward mark after the second beat Dirk Bogumil/Michael Lisken  (GER 199) was in the lead, 2nd Peggy Bahr/Torsten Bahr (GER 19), 3rd GER 88, 4th HUN 70, 5th GER 100, 6th Dirk Loewe/Sven Hermenau (GER 35).

On the run most of the fleet went right. As the final beat started the wind became more shifty and many boats tacked after rounding the leeward mark. Towards the finish the wind started dropping and places were won and lost in the final 100 metres as the wind oscillated.

The winners of the practice race Nicola Vespasiani & Francesco Vespasiani (ITA 4) found their way to the front and won the race, with Andras Suli/David Papp (HUN 13) second and Dirk & Sven (GER 199) third.

Most of the fleet finished in about 5 or 6 knots of wind but this gradually faded and the last boat was outside the time limit of 30 minutes behind the leading boat.

Once ashore competitors and volunteers enjoyed a hot dog and a glass of beer in the Regatta marquee.

Race 1 – Top 6

1st Enno Krammer & Ard Geelkerken – NED 26,

2nd Kay-Uwe Ludtke/Kai Schafers – GER 88,

3rd Jan Lechler/Jens Salow – GER 100,

4th Szabolcs Majthenyi & Andras Domokos – HUN 70,

5th Peggy Bahr/Torsten Bahr – GER 19

6th Toos Zandstra/Durk Zandstra – NED 341

Race 2 – Top 6

1st Nicola Vespasiani/Francesco Vespasiani – ITA 4,

2nd Andras Suli/David Papp – HUN 13,

3rd Dirk Bogumil/Michael Lisken – GER 199,

4th Kay-Uwe Ludtke/Kai Schafers – GER 88,

5th Jorg Herrmann/Oliver Hyzyk – GER 219,

6th Dirk Loewe/Sven Hermenau – GER 35

The third race is scheduled for 1200hrs on Wednesday 26 September.  For more information and full provisional results see www.fdworlds2012.org

Race 1 started in light winds..

Race one started in light winds

1st GER 88 – 2nd, 4th 2nd ITA 4 – 8th, 1st 3rd NED 26 – 1st, 8th 4th HUN 70 – 4th, 7th 5th GER 19 – 5th, 9th 6th HUN 13 – 13th, 2nd 7th GER 100 – 3rd, 13th 8th GER 219 – 16th, 5th 9th NED 341 – 6th, 17th 10th GER 199 – 21st, 3rd Full results and report to follow…

Provisional Results are available here 

Boats are returning from the finish preparing to start Race 2…..wind 220 to 240 … 8 to 10 knots. First beat approx 1 mile. See Twitter for updates

The fleet is now on the race course following postponement ashore, start currently postponed, wind approx 8 knots expected to increase during the race to approx 12 knots. Race Committee is laying a course and race is expected to start soon.

Postponement flag has been lowered and boats are leaving the harbour

The start of race 1 has been postponed due to lack of wind.

FLYING DUTCHMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2012

Santa Cruz Yacht Club, Santa Cruz, California, USA

23 – 30 September 2012

Day 2 – Opening Ceremony

After the 47 teams from 11 Nations had completed the registration and regatta inspection process an attempt was made to sail a second practice race. The sun shone and there was a big swell along the Santa Cruz coastline to delight the surfers…the wind was absent..the start was postponed, boats were released to leave the harbour and sailed about the bay in about 4 knots of wind. At 1400hrs the Race officer abandoned racing for the day…the boats returned to the harbour.

Meanwhile preparations were being made for the opening ceremony in the marquee that had been used for the Regatta inspection of boats, sails, foils and equipment.

National flags were draped on the marquee walls, a screen displayed photos from the first practice race and the day’s sailing.

Tim Sayles, President of the US FD Class Association, welcomed competitors, race committee, Jury members and the many volunteers who were assisting with the Championship.

Charlie Roskosz, Regatta Chairman, welcomed everybody and introduced the Vice Commodore, Santa Cruz Yacht Club, Rob Schuyler, who was representing the Commodore of the club who is seriously ill.

Santa Cruz had suffered serious destruction from a tsunami in March 2011 and tribute was paid to the Harbour authorities who had managed to repair the harbour in time for the event to go ahead.

The Principal Race Officer Beau Vrolyk mentioned that over 70 volunteers from the Club were assisting in the running of the event – in addition to the many volunteers from the FD Class. Beau mentioned that they had run the FD US Nationals and the FD North American Championships earlier in the year. He stressed that the event was for the sailors and he would like to hear from them during the event.

Steve Bourdow, a former FD sailor who won a silver medal with Paul Foerster (USA) in the FDs last Olympics in 1992 at Barcelona, welcomed everybody as a new Santa Cruz Yacht Club member and expressed his great love of the FD Class.

Alberto Barenghi (President IFDCO) welcomed everybody and hoped they would have an enjoyable Championship.

After the Championship was declared open, all present enjoyed the drink and feast provided.

The first race of the nine race Championship is scheduled to start 1200hrs on Tuesday 25 September. For more information see www.fdworlds2012.org photos are at www.facebook.com/ifdco