Flying Dutchman World Championships at Largs Sailing Club

2014 Flying Dutchman World Championships at Largs © Alan Henderson / www.fotoboat.com

2014 Flying Dutchman World Championships at Largs © Ali Lyall / www.alilyallphotography.co.uk

Magyar Magic unstoppable!

The 2014 Flying Dutchman World Championships was a regatta of extremes, from the weather through to the high level of skill shown by the sailors in some tough conditions. This very international and cosmopolitan fleet from 11 countries attracted competitors from as far away as Australia, the USA and Mexico. 7 races were completed, under the expert race direction of Chris Hadden, FD Olympic Silver medallist David Wilkins, Stephen Parry, David Kent and the team from the Scottish Sailing Institute.

Day 1 opened with a bang, and the Hungarians Szabolcz Majthényi and András Domokos quickly laid down their marker with 2 bullets, showing exceptional speed in the Force 7 gusts in their new boat. 2013 World Champions Enno Kramer and Ard Geelkerken were close behind, whilst young German sailmaker Killian Koenig and the Bojsen-Møller brothers also scored well. There were multiple retirements as the wind ripped across the fleet and the seas built, with a number of boats suffering damage and capsizes in the unseasonal weather.

Tuesday saw lighter conditions arrive, with sunshine accompanying the 12 knot breeze and a gradual shift to the right as the wind came down from the East Kyle. The boats which spotted this first stretched away, with young teams Nicola/Francesco Vespasiani winning the first race and Austrians Christophe Aichholzer /Phillip Zingerle the second, whilst the Hungarians struggled a little in the lighter conditions but remained in contention. The second race was sailed in lighter winds and some sunshine, with Kay-uwe Ludtke and Kai Schafers of Germany showing good consistency in both races.

Tuesday evening also had the fleet enjoying a traditional Scottish night, with whiskey and haggis amongst other things on the menu!

With one or two bleary eyed competitors from the night before, Wednesday heralded 3 seasons of weather in one day with the wind giving everything from 28 knots at the beginning of the day to almost nothing in the middle of the first race, with rain squalls aplenty. The first race started in 15 knots of wind before a torrential rain storm caused a big windshift and reduced visibility to only a few yards mid-race. The remainder of the race was very light, and with the previous wind having been in the south west, the long fetch had left a sloppy sea to contend with. Szabolcs Majthenyi and Andras Domokos dealt with the conditions well, taking another 2 bullets, whilst Kramer and Geelkerken, Ludtke and Schafers, and the Vespasianis all posted good results.

After the Championship dinner on the Wednesday evening, Thursday was a lay-day and many competitors took the opportunity to go on a sunny cruise 'Doon the Watter' on the Waverley, the world's only sea-going paddle-steamer still in existence. Unfortunately, the return to racing on the Friday was hampered by Force 7 winds (with higher gusts), and so the race committee wisely cancelled racing for the day.

The final day of racing saw only one race completed, after the wind abandoned the fleet in the afternoon. The morning race was sailed in a decent south-easterly force 3 with some pretty vicious gusts. The Hungarians were among a number of sailors who were back in the pack at the first windward mark, but it was a day of snakes and ladders on the water as a left hand shift on the second beat allowed them to leapfrog the boats in front. The Vespasianis also passed 6 boats on the last round, whilst Koenig /Brack, unusually way back in the fleet, spotted some wind on the left side of the run and set off on a screaming 3 sail reach to make some excellent gains.

Overall, the Hungarians Szabolcs Majthenyi and Andras Domokos dominated the championships with style, adding a 10th world title to their bulging trophy cabinet. Double world champions Enno Kramer and Ard Geelkerken sailed well to take 2nd, while the Vespasiani brothers took 3rd. Young sailors such as Christophe Aichholzer /Philipp Zingerle and Kilian Koenig/Johannes Brack also had moments of brilliance. There were a couple of older boats doing well, and with superlight and super adjustable carbon rigs now standard there were also some female helms and crews enjoying the racing. The new 'maximum prismatic' Planatech boats are clearly fast in the breeze, although the slightly finer Maders and Bogumils seem equally good in the lighter winds.

2014 Flying Dutchman World Championships at Largs - photo © Ali Lyall / www.alilyallphotography.co.uk

There is a saying that boats don't make classes – people do. But in the case of the FD, the sailors are lucky to have both – a terrifically warm and welcoming class and a truly fantastic boat to sail. Big thanks also to Tony Lyall and the IFDCO committee for their organisation of the event. The next World Championships in Sydney 2015 and Germany 2016 will be unmissable... the future looks bright indeed.

More Alan Henderson photos can be found at fotoboat.photoshelter.com/gallery/FD-Worlds-Largs/G0000xnSYTdqTc98/C00002SWPnpr4qiE

Overall Results: