Splash World Championships at Nieuwpoort, Belgium overall

Action from the Splash World Championships at Nieuwpoort, Belgium © Anon

The ever bad tempered weather Gods decided to give the sailors a calm one on sailing day 5! Even the committee had an easy day with a stable wind direction! The gold fleet had a strong top three who had to defend their places, every bad race could jeopardise their ranking because there are more challengers than medals! It was also the first confrontation between the top 61!

Race 1

The line was perfect with a small advantage on the pin end and big surprise there he was again : Scotty Morrison from New Zealand who took his fifth win in race seven! He even won with a comfortable lead! David Jessop, the leader in the ranking controlled well and finished second only conceding one point on Scott who was following at three points! Jorne Knegt also defended a well finishing fourth! Basically this was a heat where nothing really changed! Only a new demonstration of the Kiwis in lighter conditions taking four out of the first six places!

Race 2 and another Belgian Victory!

It was very hard to say which side of the line deserved the preference but it soon became clear that those who chose the left of the beat had a nice lift! Yannick Lefebvre rounded first in front of Cedric Ameloot and the whole chasing pack nearby! It became a tight matchrace between Yannick and Steyn Schiltkamp finally won by the Belgian with the smallest of margin's. Good control! Steyn Schiltkamp won six places in the general standings taking sixth! The top didn't really lose anything though Jorne Knegt sailed a bad heat (to discard!)

The race favourites choose for the middle of the line, Yannick Lefebvre (BEL2061), the major Belgian challenger, took the pin end and Laura Maes (BEL 2072) started at the starting vessel. A good choice and Laura sailed a perfect upwind leg leading with the smallest of margins on a chasing pack! The top three was nowhere to be seen! Laura had a fierce battle with Andy Maloney (NZL 2131) and won! The first lady of the fleet - fabulous sailing! Only Jorne Knegt (NED 1642) kept up with the fleet finishing sixth - Scott Morrison (NZL 2136) and David Jessop (GBR 1758), the most regular sailor on the first eight heats surprised finishing only 28th! No problem though with the discard his lead was still very strong!

The heat was on, young sailors, important race and more important the current had changed pushing the sailors to the starting line! General recall and the committee decided to start under the black flag! Still a lot of adrenaline and nine sailors where spotted on course side! The most important victim was David Jessop who lost the championship he couldn't lose! In the ladies challenge Anneke Bouwmeester (NED 70) was also black flagged! Yannick Lefebvre chose the pin end of the line and was soon off to battle for victory with Laura Maes (again and finishing 5th) and Hielke Dijkstra (NED 1980) - in the approach to the finish Hielke failed to control Yannick who took his second win out of the four gold fleet races! Jorne Knegt took 10th and Scott Morrison took 14th!

Nobody could tell the final result after the last race, everybody started calculating and Jorne Knegt (NED 1642) won it before Yannick Lefebvre and Scott Morrison from New Zealand! The unfortunate David Jessop ended fourth!

Laura Maes took a splendid sixth and becomes the first girl before Anneke Bouwmeester (NED 70) finishing 8th.

Overall Results: