Snipe Junior World Championships at Rungsted, Denmark
by Jerelyn Biehl 10 Aug 2011 22:08 BST
3-9 August 2011
Alvaro Martinez and Mauricio Utrera from Spain won the Snipe Junior World Championships © Peter Sogaard
Alvaro Martinez and Mauricio Utrera from Spain won the Snipe Junior World Championship which concluded Tuesday in Rungsted, Denmark, besting sailors from 13 other countries. The Spanish sailors took an early lead after the first day but faltered a bit on day two only to recover and post mostly top five finishes in the 11-race event.
Emanuel Aghem and Luciano Pesci (ARG) finished in second, six points behind with brothers Felipe and Victor Sabino (BRA) rounding out the top three on the podium. The top eight positions were held by eight different countries, showing the diversity and competitiveness of the sailors.
The junior competitors had a mix of conditions for the week with light and fluky to some great races in heavy breeze. When asked to describe the wind conditions after the first day, Principle Race Officer Soeren Kristensen described is as “lumske’ – a Danish work with no direct translation but it lies somewhere between “treacherously unreliable” or”tricky.” The rest of the weeks races went as planned with 11 races held.
The Royal Danish Yacht Club and Espergaerde Yacht Club are hosting the Snipe Junior Worlds which are now completed and the Snipe Senior Worlds which begin Wednesday. The prizegiving for the Junior and Opening Ceremonies for the Seniors were held at the same time to bring the age groups together and to also allow mixed use of charter boats and the ability for some of the junior sailors to participate in the Senior World Championship as well.
For the Senior Worlds, sixty teams representing eighteen countries will be on the line tomorrow including reigning World champions Bruno Bethlem and Dante Bianchi (BRA) and multi-world Champion Augie Diaz (USA). The Snipe Worlds will continue through Saturday, August 13.