Cadet World Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina - Day 3
by Roger Wilson 3 Jan 2002 08:16 GMT
Day 3 was a much better day for the GBR sailors (it must have been the excellent New Years Eve party - Half a raw cow each washed down by free beer/wine/coke and a wild Argentinean Disco).
Race 4 was held in 5-6 knots of wind in the nasty short chop we have learnt
to hate so much. The fleet got away on the second (black flag) start. The
port end bias was exaggerated when the wind swung to the left unfortunately
leaving a lot of GBR boats on the right hand side of the course. At the
windward mark Pippa wilson/Charlie Hatfield were 1st Brit at 9th and managed
to pull up to 6th by the finish. James Hughes/Anna Graves did extremely well
to get from 25th at the first windward mark to finish in 12th place.
Race 5. 3-4 knots. Again a black flag start with a lot of line sag in the
middle. A couple of Argie boats at the pin end looked over but somehow
managed not to be penalised. Hughes/Graves sailed an excellent race arriving
4th at the windward mark and finished 6th. Ian Watson/Ed Thomas also sailed
extremely well to finish 10th after an difficult first beat. Wilson/Hatfield
had a poor start and then got caught in a bundle at the gybe mark which
resulted in a protest against them by an Argentinean boat which they later
won.
Race 6. Held in slightly more breeze (9-10 knots) Again a black flag with a
lot of line sag and a big pile up at the pin end with 9-10 boats hitting the
pin. The GBR boats favoured the slightly stonger wind. At the first windward
mark Wilson/Hatfield were 3rd, Hughes/Graves 7th and Laura Wade/ Jenny
Sudell were 15th. Laura pulled through to 8th place overtaking 4 Argentinean
boats on the run, Hughes/Graves finished 6th and Wilson/Hatfield 3rd.