6th GCC Sailing Championships - Day 2
by Icarus Sailing Media 14 Mar 2014 06:43 GMT
On the second day of the GCC regatta the rest of the classes joined the fantastic racing conditions with gusts up to 20 knots out on the course area. So careful preparation before the races was crucial to avoid any gear failure. All the action took place under the skyline of the city of Doha, a dramatic backdrop for the sailors here. And the choppy conditions were set to stay as the wind remained strong all day. Speed, technique and endurance were the key factors and itʼs fair to say that the more experienced sailors had the upper hand.
In the Laser Standard class Qatari AL SAZANI Al Sharshani and Bahraini AL KOHAY Al Koheji had their own race leaving the rest of the sailors behind. They enjoyed sailing under these conditions with some excellent technique. And after three races the Qatari leads by just one point, so some great battles are being enjoyed by these sailors!
As the crucial ISAF Youth Worlds gets closer this summer the Laser Radial athletes were more focused than ever to improve their skills. Qualification to this key event is the ultimate goal for many young sailors this year. In the Laser Radial the sailors from Kuwait and Qatar share top place overall on the leaderboard. Ali Buhamad and Faris al Bakri were stable and sailed fast and clear. Qatari Al Mohannadi had an OCS on the second race and is third overall at the moment. He finished in top positions but for his OCS, or being over the startline, so he has some work to do tomorrow.
Of the rest of the classes the most fun to watch was the Hobie 16 catamarans which flew a hull around the race course with great panache. These guys were easily the fastest out there, but the Hobie is hair trigger twitchy and one mistake can see them pitch pole spectacularly. The top results today were by MUSHAB ARHADI Musab Alhadi and Mohammed ALWAHI-EEBIE Alwahaibi from Oman who scored two bullets. After a tactical team racing battle yesterday the Optimist sailors were all out, racing for themselves. The longer course, combined with shifty winds, favoured good strategy and intense steering. The 17 competitors had 3 demanding races that took all the energy out of them with Ahmed AlWahaibi prevailing with a second, fourth and first. Mansoor Almahrooqi is just one point behind overall, tied on points with Ahmed Almujaini. Thatʼs three Omanis in the top three, good for them.
The five Laser 4.7s were close in all races with strong battles on the roundings but Qatari Saleh TEFLAT Telfat was the one who scored 3 bullets to keep Omani Khamis Alwahaibi in second place. Teflat has to be very careful because his rivals will not allow him any mistakes now.
As the event is half way through the excitement is rising. The weather is forecast to be lighter tomorrow, so as we've seen in racing here, the lighter athletes will have a chance to shine and the leaderboards could well change. Do stay with us for that.