Category: WC2012 News

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

The opening ceremony commences at 1800hrs.

FLYING DUTCHMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2012;

Santa Cruz Yacht Club, Santa Cruz, California, USA

23 – 30 September 2012 Day 1 – Regatta Inspection and Practice Race

Many FDs arrived earlier in the week by container from Australia, Europe & New Zealand, others arrived by car from various remote parts of North America after driving many days to reach Santa Cruz.

The Regatta Inspection team had made good progress checking the FDs, sails, spars & equipment of those that had arrived early and so by the end of the first day most of the FDs had been inspected by the hard working team. Meanwhile the reception team handed out T-Shirts, Harken folders and paper work for the event.

After a foggy start to the day, the sun tried hard to break through; the light winds increased to the 8 to 12 knot winds for the practice race which started after a postponement and a general recall. Over 30 FDs joined in the practice race and others came out into the race area after completing their regatta inspection. The course was a traditional triangle, sausage finishing upwind of the first mark.

Lin Robson & Adriaan Schmal (USA 36) gained an early lead in Lin’s new Mader. At the first leeward mark they were followed by Killian Koenig & Johannes Brack (GER 113). The current World and European Champions – Szabolcs Majthenyi & Andras Domokos (HUN 70),  Nicola & Francesco Vespasiani (ITA 4) and Enno Krammer & Ard Geelkerken (NED 26) were chasing close behind.

Some say that winning the practice race is unlucky, so we shall see if Nicola & Francesco Vespasiani (ITA 4) who crossed the finishing line first can maintain their form! The second practice race is scheduled for 1300hrs on Monday 24 September. This will be followed by the Opening Ceremony. For more information see www.fdworlds2012.org photos are at www.facebook.com/ifdco

The 2nd practice race, scheduled to start at 1300hrs has been postponed due to lack of wind! Boats were released to sail out of the harbour. The wind did not increase beyond 4knots across the course so racing for the day was abandoned at 1400hrs.