ACO 13th Musto Skiff 2024 Worlds at the WPNSA - Day 3
by Alexander Greil & Danny Boatman 19 Jul 2024 14:20 BST
14-20 July 2024
As the sun rose on day 4 of the ACO 13th Musto Skiff World Championships, sailors were greeted by glorious sunshine and a steady 8-10 knot breeze from the southeast. The forecast had the wind dropping as the day progressed, meaning some of the lighter sailors were licking their lips at the prospect, making for some excellent racing in different conditions from the days prior.
With three races planned, the race committee led the fleet out into Weymouth Bay to take advantage of the conditions.
Race 7 of the Championship set the scene for the day. Big pressure differences across the course delivered some mixed results.
However, the right-hand side paid dividends, with British sailor and event favourite Sam Pascoe proving he's capable in all conditions, taking the lead and winning, followed by South African sailors Andy Tarboton and Euan Hurter.
Race 8, and many sailors banked on the right side paying again but were unfortunately led into no man's land while the left side kicked in, the leaders having half of the leg ahead by the first mark! Ben Clegg took full advantage and took the win, with Sam Barker chasing and coming in second.
Shout out to Irishman Fred Cudmore for his best result of the week so far, taking third place.
After race 8, the breeze was steadily dropping, so the race committee took the sailors back to the harbour to try and stick to the schedule. It turned out to be a great decision, and a 5-8 knot breeze and flat water meant a great final race of the day.
Ben Clegg had clearly found his pace, continuing it in race 9 for the win. There were some serious battles taking place across the course as the lighter breeze brought the fleet far closer together. Sam Pascoe took the second, and arguably placed one hand on the title, while Sam Barker capped his day off with a third and a strong march up the leaderboard.
Eddie Stalleicken from Germany deserves a special mention for sailing three great races, finishing 14th, fourth, and 15th, and indeed Nigel Walbank deserves a mention for race 8, as he was the first to round the windward mark and finished in tenth place.
The day's racing has certainly shaken up the leaderboard, and there is hope for some good breeze to round off a fantastic week of racing. A final mention must go to the race committee, often a thankless task, for their flawless performance during the regatta.
The class were also joined on the water by former International Class Committee members, Rick Perkins and Paul Manning, as well as as Keith Musto OBE, who watched all three races from a RIB before joining the fleet for some social beers at the club's Spinnaker bar terrace to soak up the last of the day's sunshine.
Three more races are planned for race day 4, which is the penultimate day of the Championship, with the final two races scheduled for Saturday to conclude the event and determine the Musto Skiff 2024 World Champion.