Laser Under 21 World Championships Awarded

Juan Pablo Cardozo of Argentina won the under 21 and under 19 Laser Standard Men’s World Championship and Wiktoria Golebiowska of Poland won the under 21 Radial Women’s Championship in Split, Croatia from 26 October to 2 November 2019.

It was a difficult week for the sailors and for the Race Committee.  After five days, only two races had been scored, with a minimum of four races needed to award a championship.  But the Yugo wind rolled in overnight.  It brought rain, too, but also a 15 to 19 knot easterly wind. The Race Committee scheduled three races on the final day, with a 10:00 start time.

Racing started on schedule and continued through the early afternoon. The wind strength varied some, dropping to 12 knots at times, with gusts that likely exceeded twenty, but the direction remained stable. The Race Committee adjusted the course heading only once, midday, after the wind backed about five degrees.

And the sailors were eager to race.  One fleet started cleanly on the first attempt, several starts were postponed in sequence to adjust the line, and there were multiple general recalls.  Also, quite a few Black Flag Disqualification penalties.  Despite the half-meter seas and an adverse current, the fleets pushed the starting line.  With it all coming down to the last day, maybe sailors were pushing for every advantage they could get.

It all came together with a final day of good racing. There were big changes in the leader board from the day prior but the Men’s and Women’s Under-21 Championships were awarded.
 
For more information:
Event Website – http://2019-u21.laser-worlds.com
Event Facebook – https://web.facebook.com/pg/U21Laser2019
Full Results – http://2019-u21.laser-worlds.com/race-results/