Optimist Worlds 2006 at Uruguay
by Jane Sparks 23 Jan 2007 06:11 GMT
1-8 January 2007
Uruguay for Christmas
Sparks wins race at the worlds
Phil Sparks and James Grant show their class and set out their stalls for the next worlds this summer in Sardinia. After a difficult start adjusting to big seas and strong winds, Sparks and Grant put together a good series to finish close to the top of the world class fleet.
The Optimist World Championships is the toughest junior sailing event in the world. The top 5 sailors from more than 50 countries attend the event which is held over 15 races with just 2 discards. The fleet is split into 6 groups which then race each other. Each race has 3 flights of about 80, so if a sailor finishes 10th in a race that’s the equivalent of 30th. Each place is worth 3 points.
The racing is in two halves, 3 days of racing a break of 2 days and 3 days of racing.
And while most of the UK were enjoying their Christmas lunch the British Optimist Worlds team were heading for Heathrow on the start of their long trip to South America to compete in the 2006 World Championships in Uruguay. Over 6000 miles and 21 hours later we arrived in Montevideo and joined the first of many queues we were to experience during our stay in Uruguay. Sadly one of the tubes of sails didn’t arrive with us which caused unnecessary stress and anxiety.
Our five star hotel in downtown Montevideo was stunning with Marble floors and pianists playing in the atrium, it was the best accommodation ever for an Optimist team with spectacular views across the city. After offloading the bags we went to the National Yacht Club of Uruguay, the sailing venue, a twenty-minute taxi ride away and had a good look around and get a feel for this new sunny country.
Our first job in the boat park was to collect our charter boats and then Carla our team leader did a great job of borrowing sails for James and Aaron Whose sails were on holiday in Sao Paulo [Brazil]. Bermudan, Uruguayan and Kiwi sailors kindly lent us some of their spare sails.
Then we spent the next 4 days training, the team generally sailed in rash vests and shorts with plenty of sun block and sunglasses in a variety of conditions, but only once in the usual, sea breeze direction. The shallow waters of the River Plate were a real test and would kick up big seas quickly in the shallow water. After sailing the team would take a quick dip in the outdoor pool before getting back to the hotel for a debrief and dinner.
The locals told us that the wind was not what they are used to at that time of year but we have heard that story before. What we did discover about the sea water was bizarre, if it was brown and fresh the water is going west if it was green and salty it was going east and if it was all mixed up the sailors would have to think as the current swirled about.
After Thursday’s training there was a rush for clean shirts and taxis to get us to the British embassy where the Consul Britannico John Pearson and his wife entertained us to tea. The Uruguayan team and their families and some other top Uruguayan sailors were also invited. We had a tour of the gardens and state rooms and had a great time. We also found out that England knocked Uruguay out of the World cup in 1966 1-0, apparently an England player handballed in the penalty area that the ref didn’t see. They still talk about it in Uruguay.
On Friday we went through measurement only to find that Anna’s sail didn’t and we had to find the Toni Tio salesman and get him to take it to the local sail maker where the top batten pocket had to be unpicked and moved 5mm before being stitched back on!- interesting.
Saturday was better day because when we arrived in the boat park the missing sails had finally arrived after their holiday. And the team were much happier. In the evening we had the shortest opening ceremony on record but it was made up for by the longest national anthem most of us had ever heard but it was stirring and patriotic.
Our last training day was on New Years Eve and like most of the teams we decided to give the all night party at the club a miss and went back to the Hotel and let off our own fireworks in the square opposite the hotel as it reached midnight in our countries.
Day 1:
Because of New Year hangovers the racing did not start on the first day until 2pm and it was one of our hottest days with temperatures reaching 35-40 degrees and an unstable offshore breeze to contend with that was supposed to drop go right and become the sea breeze and it just did not happen. Although Jonny had two top twenties everyone else was disappointed with their day particurlay Aaron who was lying 20th when the wind died, turned through 180 degrees and half the fleet sailed over the top of him to the finish.
Day 2:
When we arrived at the club we found a strong ESE wind blowing and very big seas, waves of over 2 metres that in the UK we would never send our sailors out in. We thought we would not be going but at 2pm the coast guard let racing commence and we stayed afloat until 7.30pm, It was a tough long day in winds of up to 18 knots and very big choppy seas. Sailors were thrown out of their boats by breaking waves and one sailor had his clew ripped off his boom by a breaking wave, but is was fun.
The GBR team all said they have never sailed in such conditions, however they coped well with the day. Jonny was concussed whilst sailing on a reach in the third race of the day when a windward boat boom smacked him on the head. He was taken off the racecourse by a safety boat and transferred to us. Otherwise he would have had a good day. Anna had her best race of the worlds a solid 22nd.
Day 3:
On the third day of racing the temperature dropped to comfortable 25 degrees and the parents left us to it as they went up the coast to Punte del Este where the commodore of the very exclusive yacht club entertained them to lunch. The wind also dropped and the sea state moderated and the team had a better day and won their coach challenge of scoring three top ten results and him having to run around the hotel track at 3am. After the days racing we had completed eight races and looked forward to two days off. We just missed out on the team racing and in fact only four European teams did. As it was so hot on the day of the team racing the team were quite glad to rest by the pool and spend time playing tennis with their families. Singapore won the event very convincingly and Malaysia who beat us in the semi final in 2005 didn’t qualify for the team racing either.
On their day off the team manager and team leader fled to Argentina for the day to look at the Falkland’s war memorial and the Eva Peron’s Mausoleum and have tea in one of the world’s top hotels in Buenos Aires.
Day 4:
The team were up bright and early ready to start again in the second half.
The wind and sea state moderated a lot for the final three days and suited our sailors much better. Many of the top sailors found it their worst day but we, care of Phil, scored our first win for GBR for three years and were all very excited. Team beers all round [oops]. It was harder for Jonny our oldest sailor and Aaron who did not seem to find it as easy as earlier in the week. The Kiwis who were sharing our coach boat also found the day difficult. It was a day of mixed fortunes and we were tempted to abandon our “school supper” in the event tent but decided we would be too late to do that. We were rewarded by the local Carnival dance troupe coming through the tent whilst we were eating with 15 drummers and the eight dancers led by a scantily dressed belly dancer wiggling her way through the dinners which the team found interesting. Sparks scores 19.1.9.
Day 5:
Again a hot but lighter wind day Sparks scoring 11,5,12. Grant 24,8,14, and Anna scored her second best result of the worlds a pretty good 23rd.
The Final Day:
On the last day it was hard to get ourselves ready to go out for one last race or in Jonny’s case his last ever race in an Optimist. The offshore breeze showed no signs of giving way to the sea breeze as a constant battle took place between the two. Eventually the sea breeze sort of filled in and the first flight started. Immediately there was a 100-degree shift to the left as the offshore breeze filled in again which left most of the fleet completely stranded. Phil and James were both in this flight had great starts and were dog tucker as the Kiwis call it after about 20 seconds. People on the left got into a band of wind and fetched the windward mark. We all were waiting for an N flag, which didn’t come. There were many requests for redress and interestingly the jury gave redress, they could have slung the race out but then all of race 15 would have gone and the world champion would have ended up second, based on results up until race 14. It was tricky call for the jury. By far the best result of the day was from Jonny in his last ever race in an Optimist. In a building wind and sea he showed his real class by bashing in an 11th. It was a great way to finish.
We then had to pack away all our stuff, give back the charter boats and start the massive all night party and kit swop which is a feature of the worlds.
The prize giving was a monster affair including a symphony orchestra and another national anthem or three.
We had a small prize giving amongst ourselves where Jonny won the largest Uruguayan flag for having the best result on the last day of racing. The following day we started the long journey back home it was a late afternoon plane and we found ourselves flying back to Madrid with the German, Spanish, Austrian, Belgian. Irish and Turkish teams before arriving at Heathrow and going our separate ways after an incredible 17 days away.
The team couldn’t have attended the worlds without the help and support of IOCA, RYA, Volvo and Musto and the parents. And special thanks are due for Carla Stanley our team leader/Mum for her tireless enthusiasm and support.
There is no doubt that we learned a lot and proved that GBR optimist sailing is in good shape.
Overall Results:
1 Julian Autenrieth, Germany
2 Griselda Khng, Singapore
3 Edgar Diminich, Ecuador
4 Stephanie Zimmerman, Peru
5 Rufina Tan Hong Mui, Malasia
6 Marcus Hansen, New Zealand
7 Jonathan Martinetti, Ecuador
8 Benjamin Grez, Checkaslavakia
9 Leonardo Dubbini, Italy
10 Russell Kan, Singapore
GBR Results:
27 Phil Sparks
31 James Grant
126 Anna Burnett
175 Jonny House
185 Aaron Smith
Alan Williams, Team Coach
Full results on the event website.