IODA 2014 Optimist Asian Championship - Day 1
by Icarus Sailing Media 5 Apr 2014 07:48 BST
5-6 April 2014
Welcome back to Bahrain and the Maritime Sports Association which hosting the Optimist Asian Championship. After China gained the glory of winning the incredibly competitive team racing championship yesterday, all 130 sailors now switch back to individual mode. So as they prepared their boats to head out to sea, they were conscious of taking on other countries and their team mates.
The weather looked perfect for another day of excellent sailing. 16 knot winds, clear skies and warm sunshine put a smile on everyone's face. This is a well run championship, and the best of Bahrain's hospitality makes this event hugely popular with young sailors in the region.
Having some 22 nations take part, under the auspices of the International Optimist Dinghy Association, gives the local Bahraini youngsters a real taste of a big international championship racing. It's an ideal way to improve their skills and grow their racing experience.
On the race course all the sailors were ready to showcase the best of their skills. And what a sight as this dynamic fleet sped out and squeezed onto the start line, all looking for that front rank, time-on-distance, perfect start to find the first shift. Close roundings, boat-to-boat battles and fast pace were the characteristics of today's races. So far it looks like the top spot will be claimed by a sailor from either Turkey, Thailand, Singapore or China, but the quality of the whole fleet makes this an early speculation.
And as if to match the youngsters' energy, a pod of dolphins come onto the course to see what all the fuss was about.
Tomorrow is the final day when the new Optimist Asian champion will be crowned. The weather forecast is for slightly less breeze, so that top spot is wide open. Join us in our next report to see who wins...