2.4mR Open Worlds
Written by Helena Lucas | 28 September 2010
In the 2.4mR class we are lucky that it is an established international class and has a great following outside of the Paralympics, so the Open Worlds are always a big event. With the regatta being held in Hoorn Holland it was the largest number of entries for a few years, with 85 boats on the one start line. (I don’t think I have started with that many boats since my last Topper nationals and that’s going back a few years!)
I went out a few days earlier as it was the first regatta in my new boat and although I had spent a couple of weeks will Billy in Weymouth calibrating her and getting her up to speed, I have had too many new boats in my sailing career not to know by now that the job list just goes on and on.
She had her grand naming with a bottle of cava (couldn’t bring myself to waste Champagne) and we headed out in to the choppy waters of Hoorn with Rob (Wilson) who was coaching us, for a rather wet, cold training session.
It rained solidly for 6 days, and the wind blew, Rob was worried that Holland might actually sink if it continued. Holland didn’t sink, but there were a number of 2.4’s that did in the practice race. The wind was gusting over 20 knots and the nasty steep chop provided the perfect submarine conditions.
My new boat was showing some awesome downwind speed in the breeze and waves, however come day one of the regatta the wind disappeared and it finally stopped raining. We had three very long races with one lasting 2 hours. The wind seemed to always die on the run making them very long and tense trying to predict which side the wind would come in from. However I had a solid first day and was lying 3rd overall.
Despite the hints from the fleet, the race officer continued to run long races resulting in us spending over 6 hours on the water, I was in bed by ten each night! I had good speed upwind and down in the light conditions and was getting some solid results in the tricky conditions with a race win on Wednesday, helping me to stay in 3rd place. However a black flag and rather average day on Friday and I dropped to 5th.
The good news was that with only one race on Saturday, counting my discard I was guaranteed 5th and still in the hunt for a medal. The Canadian Paralympic Sailors Paul Tingley (Gold medallist in Beijing) and Bruce Millar were also having a great regatta, with Paul leading going in to the last day and Bruce in 4th just in front of me.
Stellan Berlin from Sweden (5 times World Champion) was in 3rd and Hans Asklund also from Sweden was just one point behind Paul. So it was going to be a big day on Saturday.
It was a weird race with the wind off the land and the windward mark just off the shore. At start time the wind was hard right at the committee boat end, but had flicked hard left at the pin. Bruce and I opted for the committee boat end while Stellan and Paul raced off for the pin. Unfortunately the left breeze won. Hans got caught out in the middle.
Stellan finished 2nd in the race to take 2nd place overall with Paul in 4th to become the new World Champion. Hans dropped to 3rd and Bruce and I stayed the same in 4th and 5th.
I was disappointed not to medal but still pleased with my 5th place overall and 3rd paralympic sailor. It was an encouraging result with Paul and Bruce both from the same nation and Thierry Schmitter the currents IFDS World Champion in 12th place it’s a step in the right direction for 2012. The other positive was my new boat was certainly going well!
Helena