|
Lake
Taupo delivers perfect sailing conditions for Day 3 of the 2008 NZ Laser
Championships
Lijia
Xu
wins first race of Yellow Fleet comfortably with left NZL's Jo Aleh comfortablely
wining the first race of the Blue Fleet. They
will race against each other tomorrow in the Gold Fleet for the first
time.
The wind came in as ordered today and racing was able
to start relatively on time with the busy schedule of 3 races for the Open Laser
Standard & Radial & 4.7 fleets completed. For the first two races the
wind oscillated and was between 5 & 10 knots. During the 3rd Radial races there
was a big swing to the right with extra pressure which necessitated a change in
course for the Laser Open & 4.7 fleets third race.
Layton Hern finishing 2nd in the first race of the
Laser 4.7 fleet and Youth Standard Rig sailor Rawiri Geddes finishing 22nd in
the first race.
The Masters only
sailed 2 races today and Andrew Dellabarca consolidated his lead with 3rd and
13th (which he was able to drop). Jim Maloney sailed well in the lighter
conditions with two 2nds and moves up to 2nd place overall, 6 points behind
Andrew. In the Laser 4.7 Nicholas Croft continued on his wining ways with
his worst result today being a 3rd which he can drop. Layton Hern sailed
well today with three 2nds moving him up to 2nd place overall 6 points
behind Nicholas. In the Open Standard Fleet Josh Junior collected two
seconds and a 6th which now puts him on 15 points & even with the
overall leader Rod Dawson who managed to win the last race to keep the lead so
far. Matt Blakey is 3rd, 13 points
further back.
China's Lijia Xu
blemished her perfect record today with a 4th in the last race in the Yellow
Radial Fleet but is able to drop this to give her the perfect score of 6 from
the seven races sailed so far. New Zealand's Jo Aleh enjoyed the lighter
conditions and collected three wins in the Blue Radial fleet which gives her and
almost perfect score of 8. Sara Winther is 3rd on 17 points. The
Radial fleet splits into a Gold and Silver fleet tomorrow which will see the Top
3 sail against each other for the first time. With only 2 points between
Lijia & Jo (both will represent their countries at the Olympics later this
year) its going be a fascinating battle over the remaining
5 races.
So after 3 days of
the 2008 NZ Laser Championships what have we
learnt?
Mark Tillet with 2nd broken tiller in 2 days
Mark Tillerless in the masters fleet has learnt that aluminum tillers break
everyday after breaking one on each of the first and second day
although on the second day it most probably saved his life as the mainsheet of
the boat to windward that was not keeping clear was wrapped around his neck and
twice around his tiller when the infringing skipper sheeted in hard. Mark
Tillet is now 2 tillerless and 1 extensionless.
Peter van Ryn in the masters fleet learnt that when you
are battling for the lead on the 2nd day coming into the bottom mark and
someone ahead and below of you is trying to luff you, it can be quite effectively dealt
with by wrapping your mainsheet twice around their tiller and neck and sheeting
in hard!
All the males in the
Radial Fleet have learnt that "Girls can do anything" and usually better than men
as they lead the 78 strong fleet with the best Male Luke Deegan
5th.
Mike Pasco in the
Radial fleet has learnt that the upside down laser hull with the
bottom mark on one side of the boat and the anchor on the other makes an
idea viewing platform to watch the fleet sail past and that important sailing
tip on the runs, that it is better to
capsize to windward when leading than when mid-fleet because by the time you have righted
the boat a couple of times and got going again you end up mid-fleet rather than
last.
Travis Dow in the Radial fleet has learnt not to sail too
close to any upturned laser viewing platforms at the bottom mark as their masts
can break your rudder!
Nick Page (Chairman of the NZ Laser
Association) has learnt that he should have gone with his initial gut feeling
and ended the Regatta after the first day when he was leading the Masters
fleet!
Nick Brewer has not
learnt that Taupo drivers can't see people riding push bikes,
as after being hit badly on the first day such that his bike was trashed
and he spent the night in A&E, he promptly discharged himself from hospital
as soon and the local bike shop opened and bought himself a new
one!
 |