Ricoh sponsored
Musto Performance Skiff World Championships run by Segel
Club St. Moritz
Key facts ...
- 11 Nations
- 53 competitors
- 4 different nations in the top 6
- Full race programme completed in 10
- 20 knots
- Fantastic views
- Great organisation and hospitality
- Free beer in the dinghy park after
sailing
- Good times had by all
- Next Worlds early 2010 in Melbourne
- Thank you to our class sponsors – Musto,
Ricoh, Selden, Hyde Sails, Harken and Marlow.
 Day
1 of
the Ricoh sponsored Musto Performance Skiff World Championships
run by Segel Club St. Moritz was held in 13-19knots
of the classic Maloja wind of Silvaplana, Switzerland.
All three scheduled races started on time after a memorable
opening ceremony organised by the club with local Swiss
singing and accompanying music
.
Race 1
Left initially then right centre of the upwind leg appeared
to pay, and Graeme Oliver from Whitstable Yacht Club
held the lead for the majority of the race, only to
be overtaken on the final beat by Richard Stenhouse
(Rutland Water Sailing Club) and eventual winner Roger
Oswald of Switzerland
Race 2
Following promptly on from the first race, race 2 was
dominated by Richard Stenhouse, who rounded the windward
mark in the lead, and progressively pulled clear to
win from Graeme Oliver as with race 1 and 3, the fleet
were close together, and great racing was had throughout
the fleet, keeping shoreside spectators entertanined
as the winward mark was only 100m from the beach.
Race 3
Richard Stenhouse again showed excellent speed and tactical
awareness to win from race 1 winner Roger Oswald and
Spain's Pablo Arandia (Club Nautico Denia). A worthy
mention on the opening day must go to Tom Wright (Rutland
Water Sailing Club) who dominated the youth fleet. Jerry
Wales also showed good form to lead the Grand Masters
both giving the front runners a real run for their money.
Graeme's comment of the day
'Once I'd stopped looking at the scenery and started
looking at the wind bends all went to plan, should have
won the first one but lost my bottle and missed a shift.
Moral of the story is Roger knows where he's going!'
Richard's comment of the day
'Great scenery, great sailing, great people and a great
blast downwind!'
Roger's comment of the day
'Today was a Swiss day!'
Day 2
Following a 2-hour postponement for the
wind to stabilise, race 4 got underway in brilliant
sunshine and a 13-15knot breeze.
Bruce Keen from Stokes Bay Sailing Club
led at the windward mark, closely followed by a group
including Richard Stenhouse, Pablo Arandia, Andy Peake,
Graeme Oliver and Roger Oswald.
Stenhouse pulled through on the first
downwind leg and consolidated a small lead to take the
win. There was a very close battle for 2nd place, which
finally went to Bruce Kean holding off Graeme Oliver,
followed by Roger Oswald and Dan Vincent from Stokes
Bay Sailing Club in 5th.
Race 5
Richard Stenhouse led at the windward
mark, and maintained this lead to the finish. Again
there was an intense battle for 2nd place with Dave
Poston from Queen Mary Sailing Club, Andy Peake from
Whitstable Sailing Club Jerry Wales from Queen Mary
Sailing Club and Graeme Oliver all close together. 2nd
place finally going to Dave Poston.
Race 6
The breeze increased to 15-18knots, but
the sun continued to shine on Richard Stenhouse, who
again led at the windward mark and took a credible win
in more shifty conditions. Again there was close racing
for 2nd place, with Roger Oswald, Bruce Kean, Dan Vincent
and Graeme Oliver taking the respective places. Andy
Peake was pulled out at the windward mark having been
in 2nd place on the water following a premature start.
For those not fortunate enough to have
sailed at Silvaplana, the lake is at 1815m above sea
level, and then surrounded by some of the highest mountains
in Europe; one of the closest peaks is 4049m. The spectators
can be torn between watching the racing and the scenery,
and a number of the participants join in between races.
The mountain and glacial run-off turns the lake an incredible
azure blue, which makes for some fabulous photographs.
Day 3
Race 7
Racing started on time today in a 10-12knot
breeze with continued brilliant sunshine and 20 degrees
air temperature.
Rick Perkins and Bruce Keen led around
the windward mark closely followed by Andy Peake, Roger
Oswald from Sailing Club Zug, Tom Wright, Richard Stenhouse
and Ian Trotter from Derwent Water Sailing Club.
The left hand side of the course was paying,
and most boats went this way on the following upwind
and downwind legs. On the final beat Richard Stenhouse
went hard left to the port layline to recover from 8th
to 3rd at the finish. Andy Peake sailed very well to
claim the win closely followed by Rick Perkins from
Whitstable Yacht Club.
Yaroslay Petrov and Tim Chapman were unlucky
to capsize at the windward mark whilst holding their
best respective positions.
Race 8
Hard left off the committee boat end again
paid, with Richard Stenhouse leading from a large pack
including Pablo Arandia, Roger Oswald and Bruce Keen.
The upwind tackticks were essential to
get right in the oscillating breeze but Richard Stenhouse
hung on from Pablo Arandia, Roger Oswald and Bruce Keen
all finishing within 4 seconds of each other. The first
30 boats finishing within 50 seconds of each other.
Race 9
Dave Poston led the race from the first
downwind leg to take a well deserved win from Jerry
Wales and Richard Stenhouse, who recovered from 9th
at the first mark.
Pablo Arandia finishing in 4th place.
Thursday is a lay day for the fleet, and
racing will resume at a scheduled 11:30 on Friday.
Lay day ...
There were many choices for the lay day
... here Tom Conway & Ian Trotter on a "short"
stroll :-)
 Day
4
Following a 2-hour postponement the fleet
launched for racing, but the breeze became unstable,
and eventually dropped to nothing. Racing was then cancelled
for the day.
The final races are planned for
Saturday
Day 5
After a short postponement, races 10,11
and 12 were sailed in 18knots and brilliant sunshine.
Dave Poston led at the first windward
mark of race 10, and was not headed. Roger Oswald was
2nd and Bruce Keen 3rd.
Race 11 was won by Richard Stenhouse,
and with this result he secured the World Championship
title. Jerry Wales was 2nd in the race and Dan Vincent
3rd.
Race 12 was almost a repeat of race 10,
with Richard Stenhouse leading the fleet home followed
closely by Bruce Keen and Roger Oswald.
 Prize
giving followed as soon as possible after racing, and
the fleet all agreed that the venues was one of the
best they had sailed at.
A big thank you to Segelclub St.Moritz
for laying on an excellent regatta, and special thanks
to PRO Stephan Züger and Felix Hurter (event principal
organiser and his team) and Urs Scherrer class regatta
liaison; thanks also to Stephan Züllig & Thomas
Stucki for their excellent work on the dedicated event
website.
The next World Championships is to be
held at Black Rock Sailing Club, Melbourne Australia
in early 2010.
Results
here >>>
Top 3 Below (Roger, Richard &
Graeme)
More
details at the dedicated event site >>>
Photographs
byTania Samus – Photoblink.co.uk
Report by Paul Manning
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