Byte Europeans at Circolo Nautico Bersaglio, Lovere, Italy
by Terry Cherrill, 28 Jun 2004 22:26 BST
22-26 June 2004
The start of race 3 at the Byte Europeans at Lovere, Italy © Ian Bruce
Thirty four competitors from 8 countries competed at the Circolo Nautico Bersaglio in Lovere, Italy, on Lake Iseo in the inaugural Byte CII regatta, the Euro Cup. Competitors were using a new rig designed by Ian Bruce to equip the class for possible selection as the women’s single handed class in the 2008 Olympics.
Three races were sailed on Day 1, each with a different winner. All races were sailed as a windward/leeward leg followed by a triangle with the Committee Boat in the middle of the weather leg. The Lake and race area could only be described as spectacular.
Winds started out very light but built to about 6 – 8 kts by the start of Race 1. After a clean start it was soon apparent that Thomas Tang from Denmark had very good upwind speed, leading the fleet around the weather mark but he was not as fast downwind as the French Europe sailor Morgan Aussell. He, however, pushed it just a bit too much and was penalized on the water under Rule 42. Tang regained the lead and won the race.
Race 2 started with a huge starboard tack header at about one minute to go and the entire fleet flipped onto port unable to lay the line. The shift brought with it increased wind which, by the weather mark, was up to 12 – 15 kts and the boats were starting to surf. Aussell relished the conditions and ground down all but Borresen Emil (Denmark) with some excellent tactics starting down the first reach in second. Up the last beat to the finish Aussell finally gained the lead by five seconds at the line. However, it was all for nothing as he had been OCS! Helena Lee Jia Hui took the race followed by Tang.
Race 3 started in about 8 – 10 but it quickly built back to 12 – 15 knts. Once again it was Tang out in front at the weather mark but once again he got passed on the run, this time by by one of the lightest sailors in the fleet, Italian Bettina Bonelli, a former European Optimist Champion. She started up the beat first but was unable to hold her position, two Singaporeans, Chao and Calvin sailing into the lead and taking first and second.
The weather on day one, according to locals, “was not normal”. It seems that it never is normal when a regatta takes place! Day two however was “normal” This meant that the wind showed up at about 11:30 am.
By the noon start time of Race 4 it was a solid 15 kts, Prior to the race, Ian Bruce gave a mini clinic which was all about using NO vang upwind and using the Cunningham to depower the sail. It seemed to be accepted as well twisted leeches were very evident that day.
Aussell continued to demonstrate his offwind speed and by the first leeward mark was in control. He went on to do a horizon job on the fleet with the two nearest competitors, Calvin and Chao about 100 metres behind.
For Race 5 the line was slightly biased to the left and there was a lot of bunching at the leeward pin. Calvin and Chao moved into the front very early on Calvin taking the race followed by Glenn and Chao.
By the 3 o’clock start of Race 6 the wind was down to 12 knots (normal!) This race was to be completely dominated by Singapore taking the first 5 places, Chao being the winner.
Day 3 and this was, once again, not “normal” leaving many competitors shaking their heads by the end of the day!
Race 7 started in less wind than the day before but the competitors were about to experience some major shifts. Following a heavily bunched start, Calvin, Aussell and Oliver Tweddell, UK, were all together at the weather mark. They rounded the bottom mark in that order and headed left. While working the left side there was a huge right hand shift that took the three of them out of the top spots leaving Victoria Chan Jing Hua quietly worked her way up the fleet to take the race.
A win in Race 8 virtually put the series away for Calvin Lim Zhi Yang. The wind was starting to drop into the 10 knot range but Calvin, whose forte during the week was his heavy air sailing, was not fazed in the least and lead from start to finish.
The eventual winner of Race 9 was Helena Hui who was the first to admit that the wind gods smiled on her. She found herself in the thirties at the last leeward mark but, as she rounded the mark, was met by an enormous left hand shift that took her straight to the finish. Meanwhile most of the fleet ahead had continued to the right side and found themselves sailing a great circle around the finish line. However, that’s sailboat racing!
The course for the final race on day 4 was a double triangle in anticipation of some very heavy wind. Unfortunately, it never arrived. Tang held the lead by the end of the triangle with Helena in second place but Helena saw her chance for series 2nd evaporate as Aussell sailed up into third after a terrific beat. With the reputation of the fastest off the wind in the regatta, it was a pretty good bet that he would probably pass on the next two reaches. The wind freed everyone on port and the fleet sailed directly to the finish mid way up the leg with Morgan getting the gun.
Overall Results:
1st CLZ Yang Singapore
2nd M Aussell France
3rd CL Zhi Singapore
4th HLJ Hui Singapore
5th GCHL Russel Singapore
6th T Tang Denmark
7th VCJ Hua Singapore
8th M Giannini Italy
9th S Marco Croatia
10th SOW Jing Singapore
1st Lady Helena Hui (4th)
1st UK sailor, O Tweddell (13th)