Dart 18 World Championships at Punta Ala, Tuscany

by Dave Roberts 13 Sep 2012 17:55 BST 1-7 September2012

Dart 18 World Championships 2012 © James Robinson Taylor / www.jrtphoto.com

Punta Ala, Italy must be one of the World's greatest venues for major sailing championships – perfect Mediterranean weather with regular strong sea breezes (except this week!), beautiful setting, on-site accommodation, fabulous, friendly Italian organisation both on and off the water and all the sights of Tuscany nearby for non-sailing family. No wonder that over 90 boats made the trip. For the British team, a huge thanks must go to Mike Gomme and Neill Brown Global Logistics for arranging all the boat transport, which maximised the number of British entries.

The top 10 was dominated by the British and French teams, each with 4 inside the top ten (the 4 Brits were also inside the top 5) and the German and Swiss boats made up the remainder of the top ten.

After months of settled weather, the weather system changed for day one of the regatta – cool offshore winds (those beautiful mountains played havoc with the wind), with nearby thunderstorms made for very shifty and gusty winds. Tactics were all about finding the pressure and no race was over until it was over. In the first race, the French light wind experts Pierre Betsch/Isabelle Monod won from Dave and Louise Roberts in www.sailingbooks.co.uk. The second race of the day was won by Tom Phipps and Nikki Boniface after some big place changes on the last beat which saw Betsch/Monod fall from 1st to 6th and the Dutch team Nicollette van Gorp/Ruud van Gisbergen pull through to second, with the Roberts team slipping to third spot.

Day 2 saw similar conditions and the day belonged to Phipps/Boniface who scored a first and second, whilst the Roberts team scored a third and 16th, with the top French team Thierry and Christine Wibaux finding their form to take first in the second race. Although these three teams were at the top of the score sheet, in the changeable conditions anything could happen.

On day 3 the wind swung round to onshore, but still fairly light, more waves with only marginal trapezing and big shifts as the thunderstorms passed close by – sometimes with spectacular lightening. This day belonged to the Roberts team with two firsts followed by Betsch/Monod in one race and the Swiss team of Heynisch Werner and Karin Sommer in the other. Rivals Phipps/Boniface scored 4 and 5 while the French rivals Wibaux scored 5 and 6.

On day 4 the wind strengthened considerably with large waves and a peak wind of around 20 knots. High wind experts Dan Norman/ Melanie Rogers scored a 1 and 2 with David Lloyd Joanna Pierce 2nd in the first race of the day. It was a good day for the French Wibaux team who won the second race. Meanwhile Phipps/Boniface added some points with a 3 and 6, with Roberts team adding more points with an 8 and 9. In these conditions, the new flexible European masts really showed their performance with 5 out of the 6 on the water finishing inside the top 11.

So the it was all to play for on the final day, with the Roberts team, or Wibaux team needing to beat Phipps/Boniface by 5 points to take the title. Despite a good start for the Roberts team, a port header and more pressure filling from the right allowed Phipps/Boniface to take the lead. Once in the lead they sailed on to take the race win and the World Championship title, with the Roberts team in second overall and the Wibaux team in third overall. So it was again a British / French podium.

For more videos and information see www.dart18worlds2012.com

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm & Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts
1	GBR 7932	TOM PHIPPS, NIKKI BONIFACE	-10	1	1	2	4	5	3	6	1	23
2	GBR 7835	DAVE ROBERTS, LOUISE ROBERTS	2	3	-16	3	1	1	9	8	4	31
3	FRA 7945	THIERRY WUIBAUX, CHRISTINE WIBAUX	5	5	-13	1	5	6	4	1	8	35
4	GBR 7788	DAN NORMAN, MELANIE ROGERS	-17	8	6	14	12	9	1	2	6	58
5	GBR 7724	DAVID LLOYD, JOANNA JONES PIERCE	13	7	5	7	16	7	2	5	-27	62
6	SUI 7890	WERNER HEYNISCH, KARIN SOMMER	12	10	3	10	6	2	15	-41	12	70
7	FRA 777	HERVE LE MAUX, ANNE CHAUMET LAGRANGE	-27	18	2	19	7	3	6	13	3	71
8	FRA 7935	EMMANUEL DODE, ESTELLE GRECK	40	dns	(ocs)	4	3	4	5	10	2	88
9	GER 7363	MATHIAS HUBER, SABINE RUSSOLD	6	21	4	11	14	-27	12	12	9	89
10	FRA 7647	PIERRE BETSCH, MONOD ISABELLE	1	6	23	12	2	8	34	-46	5	91
11	NED 7753	NICOLETTE VAN GORP, RUUD VAN GISBERGEN	-30	2	24	24	10	19	7	14	15	115
12	GBR 7685	MAT EXON, GARY FREEMAN	3	12	7	22	-43	29	14	7	26	120
13	AUT 7321	ROBERT KLETZANDER, ANTON ZAGLER	23	13	9	13	15	-25	17	22	22	134
14	NED 7826	WILKO STAVENUITER, ANNET BRUIL	(ocs)	11	8	21	20	20	19	23	13	135
15	GBR 7727	CHRIS GOYMER, JENNI DONOVAN	-33	23	21	6	18	10	16	11	32	137
16	AUT 7466	FRANZ SCHALL, ELISA SCHALL	47	22	15	8	9	-69	26	27	7	161
17	GER 5076	PAUL WIEBEL, LINDA WIEBEL	7	25	-33	31	13	16	31	24	20	167
18	GBR 7961	MARCO MANGANELLI, AMY KNOTT	-53	15	28	15	28	28	10	28	17	169
19	ITA 6080	PAOLO MEINI, FRANCESCA CONTINI	19	4	34	26	8	-65	27	dnf	31	176
20	GBR 7248	ANDREW MCQUEEN, ELOISE KNOTT	25	19	17	32	-38	22	25	20	16	176
21	GBR 7930	GEOFF LLOYD, JENNY LLOYD	9	20	11	27	-56	26	32	31	23	179
22	GBR 7816	SIMON MORUZZI, IMOGEN PIERCE	52	-59	10	30	25	24	13	19	11	184
23	GER 7386	WOLFGANG GODDERIS, KIM TOLSDORF	(ocs)	34	12	5	17	12	dns	dns	46	188
24	GBR 7923	DES BARNES, FINNUALA BARNES	29	14	32	17	22	17	40	-47	21	192
25	NED 13	DICK GANSEMANN, ROSEMARIE DE HAAN	21	16	-61	38	35	11	24	17	44	206
26	ITA 7181	ANTONELLO CIABATTI, LUISA MEREU	14	27	35	9	dnf	(dns)	23	33	24	209
27	GER 7875	FLORIAN BLEISCH, ADRIAN BLEISCH	28	35	25	16	33	18	(ocs)	9	49	213
28	GBR 7959	MIKE GOMME	32	17	39	34	46	(dns)	11	4	41	224
29	SUI 6708	MICHIEL FEHR, RAPHAEL JAKOB	8	38	26	(ocs)	11	45	dsq	3	10	235
30	GBR 6189	TOM PARKER, VICTORIA AKHURST	16	33	37	35	19	-68	30	56	29	255
31	GBR 5952	FRASER MANNING, RICHARD MOLE	15	26	-62	47	44	34	18	25	53	262
32	FRA 7743	HERVE LEMENEDA, JEAN MARC HEULS	54	46	27	33	34	32	20	21	-73	267
33	GER 2	LUDWIG HERRLE, VRENI VORDERWUEHLBECKE	18	(raf)	63	44	24	15	33	15	59	271
34	FRA 7572	PATRICE GAUTIER, FREDERIQUE LEAUTE	24	37	31	20	40	-60	39	26	58	275
35	ITA 2231	ALESSANDRO SIVIERO, TOMMASO MANCINI	(ocs)	24	50	36	30	50	38	29	19	276
36	ARU 6931	NICOLE VAN DER VELDEN, FREDERIQUE GRIJPMA	4	41	36	54	23	30	55	-64	36	284
37	SUI 7805	RUDOLF FORRER, PETER FORRER	51	31	42	18	31	-62	22	36	54	285
38	FRA 7323	HUBERT METZINGER, JEAN LETOUBLON	20	28	54	29	26	44	(raf)	34	65	300
39	GER 6951	BERNHARD RUECKERT, VALENTINA BRAUN	34	29	40	28	57	41	21	(dns)	64	314
40	FRA 7850	BOULLET PHILIPPE, FAURE MARINE	39	58	29	48	36	40	59	-68	14	323
41	GER 7581	ULRICH KRAUSE, THOMAS KRAUSE	42	53	43	-62	50	37	28	18	61	332
42	SUI 7841	GYSI MARKUS, GYSI DENNIS	-77	67	44	42	52	21	8	49	45	333
43	FRA 7468	PIERRE PAPIN, NICOLE MOREAU	58	56	18	46	61	31	47	-63	18	335
44	GBR 7663	PAUL CHATFIELD	11	30	(ocs)	25	ocs	23	dnf	39	25	341
45	SUI 1618	MIKE FORRER, EVA LELL	-69	62	56	55	21	35	41	40	33	343
46	ITA 6022	ENRICO BERTAZZOLI, FRANCESCA MUNGIGUERRA	46	47	38	50	37	43	61	(dns)	38	360
47	GER 6385	LUCIO KLARMAN, LISA JONSCHER	37	64	19	37	(ocs)	56	65	44	40	362
48	GBR 6456	SIMON HOLLAND, AMBER HOLLAND	44	43	22	43	48	39	(dns)	dns	30	363
49	SUI 7804	SUSANNE HEFTI, ANNE SCHICK	22	45	20	23	55	13	(dns)	dns	dns	366
50	FRA 7922	BERLENDIS DANIEL, BERLENDIS BENEDICTE	55	49	48	61	-70	14	56	42	43	368
51	SUI 7491	OLIVIER STOESSEL, CAROLINE STOESSEL	26	36	14	58	82	53	45	(dnf)	55	369
52	GER 5911	VALENTIN FOX, THOMAS FOX	36	68	41	64	47	36	44	37	-71	383
53	FRA 7937	DENIS LALOU, GHISALINE LALOU	38	60	30	-70	45	52	68	61	35	389
54	GER 6593	WERNER LACOUR, JULIA LELL	45	44	55	57	39	38	-70	60	57	400
55	FRA 6666	DOMINIQUE GUENON, NICOLAS GUENON	48	9	71	56	42	58	69	48	-72	401
56	ITA 7184	MARTINO SALVO, LORENZO FRANCO	63	48	-70	66	32	63	46	38	47	403
57	NED 7201	ANGELA HENDRIKS, REINOUT DEN TEULING	41	32	51	(dns)	54	72	29	dns	37	415
58	ITA 3003	GIORGIO VINCENTI, RENATO PROLI	60	55	58	-65	62	64	36	30	52	417
59	BEL 6697	SVEN JANSSENS, BERNARD MIGEON	43	40	53	(dnf)	64	54	37	51	75	422
60	SUI 7793	ROBERT FELDERER, BRUNO EICHER	-79	74	60	52	51	59	52	35	42	425
61	FRA 7375	JEAN PIERRE BOUYSSOU, MARIE CLAIRE TAUZIN	31	57	47	53	59	55	58	(dnf)	63	428
62	BEL 7434	FRANCOIS DE VRIENDT, CLAUDE FROMONT	64	61	-79	40	75	46	48	43	51	428
63	GER 7237	HANNA BECKER, VERENA BECKER	-76	50	81	49	66	61	35	57	50	449
64	GBR 7962	MARK ROBSON, SAM EVANS	61	52	73	51	74	81	42	16	-83	450
65	NED 826	HEINKE VAN WOUDENBERG, LEON VAN DALFSEN	35	-79	45	41	63	67	78	53	70	452
66	AUT 7125	FRANZ PLETERSKI, PHILIPP PEYER	49	42	52	63	69	76	49	52	-81	452
67	GBR 7442	ADRIAN PARSONS, GRAHAM SMITH	71	78	-85	68	27	42	54	69	48	457
68	BEL 7782	PIERRE SPILLEBOUDT, CORALIE GIRARDET	59	39	66	71	49	48	72	(dns)	60	464
69	FRA 7931	JACQUES WEISZ, LEAH WEISZ	-86	63	46	59	58	47	62	65	66	466
70	ITA 6569	DANIELE MANCINI, ROBERTO GAGLIANI	-84	51	75	75	29	51	50	66	77	474
71	ITA 7947	LUCIANO MORGANTI, ISABEL MORGANTI	56	-76	64	72	72	57	53	67	34	475
72	ITA 5788	FABIO FEGGI, MICHELE ZONARI	72	73	76	(dnf)	53	33	51	dnf	28	480
73	ITA 4440	GIULIA VINCENTI, MARCO TRAMUTOLA	78	70	65	(dnf)	41	75	71	54	39	493
74	ITA 2010	FULVIO PUCCIONI, LUCA CECCHERINI	62	71	69	39	80	(dns)	67	32	76	496
75	FRA 7557	NICOLAS CLEUET, INGE GEOGEBURG	57	72	68	79	71	49	60	(dnf)	69	525
76	SUI 7593	NIKKI SCHMIDT, HANSPETER GEERING	73	65	-84	45	76	66	66	55	79	530
77	SUI 3171	FLORIAN KAESSBERGER, PRISKA HABEGGER	70	66	49	(dnf)	78	80	57	62	68	530
78	GER 6345	ANDREAS DAMMANN, ZORICA DAMMANN	75	54	72	76	67	71	64	45	(dns)	534
79	GER 7098	PETER HEBEL, MALTE STROHM	65	75	67	73	65	73	63	50	-78	536
80	ITA 4048	FABRIZIO OTTAVIANI, ALESSANDRO CESARINI	67	69	59	81	(ocs)	ocs	73	70	56	569
81	GER 7463	DIETMAR BECKER, LELL FRIDEMAN	50	86	(dns)	60	81	83	43	dnf	dns	591
82	ITA 5699	ALESSANDRO SACCONI, FABIO LUCCIOLI	-83	82	82	78	73	70	74	58	74	591
83	SUI 3485	MISCHA WAELTY, MICHELLE HABEGGER	68	81	78	67	dne	77	77	(dns)	67	609
84	GER 7817	KALUS V. WEITERSHAUSEN, UTE KEISER	82	77	57	77	79	(raf)	dnf	dns	62	627
85	BEL 5308	HENRI CARON, THIBAUD CEYSSENS	81	(dns)	74	74	68	84	76	dnf	82	633
86	GBR 4520	KEITH ROBSON, KERRA PEAICE	-89	87	83	82	85	85	75	59	84	640
87	FRA 7732	PIERRE MORISSET, VERAN FAURE	74	80	80	84	77	74	79	(dnf)	dns	642
88	ITA 2560	LUANA ZILIO, MAURO FASSINA	66	(dns)	86	80	60	78	dnf	dnf	dns	652
89	GER 2595	WOLFGANG RIED, NINA ZEILHOFER	87	(dns)	77	69	83	82	81	dnf	80	663
90	AUT 7200	OTTO DOBBS, MARIO LANDI	88	84	87	83	86	(dns)	80	dns	dns	696
91	GER 6422	CHRISTIAN WOLF, DOROTHEE WOLF	80	83	89	(dns)	84	dns	dnf	dns	dns	712
92	ITA 6253	LORENZO PACCHIAROTTI, ALESSIO PATANIA	90	85	(dns)	dnf	dnf	79	dnf	dns	dns	724
93	GBR 7119	CONOR LA GRUE, SARAH COVELL	85	(dns)	88	dnf	dns	dns	dns	dns	dns	737