B14 World Championship at Circolo Vela Torbole - Day 2

B14 Worlds at Lake Garda day 2 © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Race 1

After a postponement onshore and being sat around for two hours, finally at 3pm there was a mad panic to get out. 30 minutes from flag down, no-one was rigged or changed and there was a mad panic for about 15 minutes as we all frantically tried to make it out there. They pretty much started as the boats arrived – lucky to get them out on the course on time. The breeze came in and the course was set at 180 degrees – 10 knots by the start – 6 at the top mark – left hand side worked – good left hand shifts. AUS 371 (Bangbang) cleared out from about a third of the way with– big early lead and maintained that lead around the top mark.

Bondi Tram was boarded – the spinnaker pole was almost to the mast and took out the gopro – checking footage.

Second run was a pretty light run – right hand side was best on the second run and again Bangbang cleared the bottom marker around the head – carried some pretty average pressure down the last run. The rich got richer and Bangbang took the honours convincingly. Second The Anthill Mob (GBR 758 Tim/Jonny) with Harken (GBR 796 Nick/Tom) third.

A real race of head out of the boat as the big changes came through.

B14 Worlds at Lake Garda day 2 - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Race 2

Starting under the U flag, the feet split very early – half left and half right and after the previous race the right looked like it was going to pay, but it didn't. Leaders came out of the middle slightly left. The first round the mark was Nick Darlow (AUS 378), the Swede by two boats lengths followed by AUS 375 and The Anthill Mob.

We all gybed round the top mark and then the fleet split. The top 10 gybed into the cliffs with the rest of the fleet going down the shore around the bottom mark - it was clear that the cliffs had paid.

Change of course to the gate – top mark was pushed to starboard which was a little bit more central to the course but at the same time there was a big left shift at the bottom and eventually it went right.

All the leaders went right – not too many position changes. Top mark AUS 375 cleared first followed by AUS 378 and then The Anthill Mob in third.

Not a lot of breeze but slowly filled in as we went down the run. The bulk of the fleet sailed down the cliff side again and everyone went cliffs and the breeze slowly filled in from 5 knots to 10 – 12 knots. AUS 375 won reasonably easy in the end, The Anthill Mob in second and AUS 378 third.

B14 Worlds at Lake Garda day 2 - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

As we came in the wind came in at 15 knots - the best all day!

The evening was ladies night where the girls are out from a glam dinner and the boys look after the kids or are off to Riva led by the Raynes brothers. Monday could be a big day where the main protagonists put their stamp on the event.

Thanks goes to the sponsors, Contender Sailcloth, Team Fantastica, Hamburg Sud, Seavolution, Trentino Provionce, WD40 and Zhik.

Results after Day 2: