Long Day For The Participants Sees The First Round Robin Completed

After two days of frustrating conditions a light but shifty wind filled in for day 3 yesterday. Racing got under way at 10.30 with a fickle easterly breeze blowing at 6 knots.

The breeze stayed all day today and varied in strength from 6-10 knots with 45 degree shifts rolling through the course. The race committee did an amazing job picking which marks to send the matches to with only 2 matches out of 42 having to be abandoned for a re-sail. The slick work on the changeover helped complete 11 flights to finish the first round robin. It was a very tired group of sailors, umpires and race committee that arrived back at the dock at 20.45.

The big question is which way next. With a forecast for Thursday exactly the same as the preceding two days, Thursday could bring the lions share of the second round completed or a stalling in the proceedings which could lead to breaking for semi-finals. Lets hope for the wind gods to smile.

Brief notes on the individual flights

Flight 7
Started with a penalty to Andrew ARBUZOV (RUS) for gybing too close to Mathieu RICHARD. Richard held the lead for much of the race before Arbuzov managed to squeeze past, throw the penalty and finish just ahead. It was to be the start of a frustrating day for Richard.

Maxim TARANOV (RUS) led off the line and didn’t look back against Staffan LINDEBERG to take the win but the winning streak wasn’t to last much longer.
Paolo Cian (ITA) def Karol Jablonski (POL).
Philippe Presti (FRA) def Bjorn Hansen (SWE).

Flight 8
Saw defending Champion Ed BAIRD (USA) hand out a penalty in the pre-start of match 1 to Johnnie BERNTSSON (SWE) which helped pave the way to a good day for Ed and his crew.

Jablonski (POL) def Neugodnikov (RUS)
Richard (FRA) def Cian (ITA)
Lindberg (FIN) def Presti (FRA)

Flight 9
Bjorn HANSEN (SWE) pushed Andrew ARBUZOV (RUS) hard in the pre-start resulting in Arbuzov crossing the start line with two penalties against him. Not a great start and the race didn’t get any better with Hansen (SWE) cruising to victory.

Paolo CIAN (ITA) picked the right hand side of the beat and lead Ian WILLIAMS (GBR) around the course for a win. It was just the start of Williams’ nightmare. After a 4-5 till yesterday, today’s 0-6 left him in shock near the bottom of the table.

Saffan Lindeberg (FIN) def Johnnie Berntsson (SWE).

Philippe PRESTI (FRA) handed Baird (USA) one of only 3 defeats for the round robin after hooking a penalty on him just before the start and then following him round the course till leg three when him shimmied past and took the winners gun.

Flight 10
Staffan LINDEBERG (FIN) and Ian WILLIAMS gave a great display of match racing with Lindeberg pinning a penalty on Williams (GBR) in the pre-start and leading round the first mark only to find Williams strike back down the run to lead at mark 2. Lindeberg wasn’t going to give in easily and bounced back to lead at mark 3 and all the way to the finish. Williams threw everything at Lindberg (FIN) down the final run and narrowly missed hooking him just before the finish. Williams night mare continued.

Jablonski (POL) def Berntsson (SWE).
Cian (ITA) def Arbuzov (RUS)
Baird (USA) def Taranov (RUS)

Flight 11
Lindeberg (FIN) def Arbuzov (RUS)
Baird (USA) def Cian (ITA)

Johnnie BERNTSSON ahead but with one penalty outstanding sped as fast as he could down the last run choosing to try and throw the penalty late rather than waiting and trying to hook Bjorn HANSEN. At the finish line Bertsson’s nerve paid off and he bore away to the line having completed his penalty two feet ahead of Hansen (SWE).

Richard (FRA) def Taranov (RUS)

Flight 12
Baird (USA) led Lindeberg (FIN) round mark 1 but by mark 2 it was so close that Baird (USA) chose to luff Lindeberg (FIN) outside the two length zone and sail around the zone until he could gybe and make sure of the inside berth. Lindeberg had no choice but to follow Baird round and trail all the way to the finish.

Presti (FRA) def Arbuzov (RUS)

Jablonski def Richard after a close battle where Richard (FRA) lead until the third leg before Jablonski (POL) slipped by in a close tacking duel.

Neugodnikov def Hansen (SWE). It seemd to be Neugodnikov’s day with a 5-7 scoreline propelling him to 4th at the end of the round robin.

Flight 13
Presti (FRA) def Berntsson (SWE).
Neugodnikov (RUS) def Cian (ITA)
Hansen (SWE) def Baird (USA)
Richard FRA def Taranov RUS

Flight 14
Jablonski (POL) def Arbuzov (RUS)

Hansen (SWE) sends Richard (FRA) over the line and then cruises to an easy win.

Maxim Taranov (RUS) def Berntsson (SWE).
Presti (FRA) def Williams (GBR)

Flight 15
Ed BAIRD (USA) had a hard fight with Karol JABLONSKI (POL) struggling to keep him astern with a winning margin of one boat length.

Lindeberg (FIN) def Richard (FRA)
Hansen (SWE) def Williams (GBR)
Arbuzov (RUS) def Taranov (RUS)

Flight 16
In a desperate bid to salvage some pride Richard (FRA) took great lengths to lead his countryman Presti (FRA) round mark 1 with Richard taking Presti so far out of the way that he set his spinnaker to get back to the mark to round ahead. Presti however was not in the mood for shenanigans and ground Richard down to lead at mark 3 and then take victory.

Jablonski (POL) def Williams (GBR)

Lindeberg (FIN) finished a great day by defeating the young gun, Neugodnikov (RUS) and ending the round robin 3rd with 8 wins.

Berntsson (SWE) def Cian (ITA)

Flight 17
Neugodnikov (RUS) def Cian (ITA)
Taranov (RUS) def Willaims (GBR)

Round Robin Places
Baird 8-11
Jablonski 8-11
Lindeberg 8-11
Neugodnikov 6-11
Presti 6-11
Hansen 5-11
Taranov 5-11
Cian 5-11
Richard 4-11
Williams 4-11
Berntsson 4-11
Arbuzov 3-11