World Champion leads the Juan Carlos Trophy…

Lawrie Smith helming “Alfie” GBR 763 heads the leader board here in Cascais after two races were sailed yesterday in a mixture of wind strength and directions….There was however, quite a lot of unhappy sailors moaning about race one. Now you all know that I only do this Blog for fun, I’m not here to judge or criticize and even if I do, it is only my personal view point, BUT… Under the Dragon Class “Rules and Regulations for Race Management” 21.10 paragraph C). Says that if there is a sustained wind shift of more than 25 degree’s before the first boat has reached the windward mark,  the race shall be abandoned…

Well prior to race one, where 49 boats gather for the first start, the PRO had 025 degree’s displayed on the back of his committee boat, with a distance of 1.4 miles. Shortly after the start (at the committee boat end) the wind went extremely light, in fact most crews were sat to leeward to just get the boats moving. Many top sailors Lars Hendriksen, Pieter Heerema, Jorgen Schonherr tacked away onto port only to see the wind fill in from the left. Not only did it fill in from the left, but it increased in pressure and lifted, lifted, lifted….  As the shift settled, (in the boat I am sailing on), we were heading on a bearing of 025, on port tack. Now that cannot be right or allowed, surely ? 

So consequently, boats far left over stood the first mark by a mile, boats far right might as well have gone home, whilst the boats in the middle of the course rounded the top mark more or less in one tack. Then of course it’s a soldiers race…as the next run turns into a reach. Okay the PRO did move the second upwind leg to the left and extend the beat, but the damage was done.

I spoke to Lars Hendriksen after the races,  “Some people never tacked until the mark, race one should have been abandoned. No question about it. The wind shift was 50 degrees with new wind filling in.” Lars then went on to make the most important remark that I feel should apply to ALL major events, particularly Grade 1 regatta’s..  he said ” It’s not about the quantity of races but about the quality of races in the Dragon Class”…

However, lets praise the sailors who got it right and our IDA Vice Chairman Vasily Senatorov helming RUS 34 was first to the top mark, then reached full speed down the first run, covered the fleet on the second beat and won the race. Meanwhile GBR 763 Lawrie Smith gradually worked his way through the fleet to finish 2nd, whilst UKR 7 Marcus Wieser crossed the line 3rd.

Onto race two and what a glorious race this was. Conditions were now perfect and we all had a wonderful “Fair” race. This to me was highlighted by the fact that the winner GER 1087 “Diavel” helmed by Dirk Pramann came from an excellent start at the committee boat, whilst RUS 76 Dmtry Samohkin finished the race in 4th place, having started at the PIN end. So the race was all about getting a good clear air start, catching the correct shifts and sailing fast. This again brings the cream to the top  and GBR 763 showed once more that they (Lawrie Smith, Tim Tavinor and Simon Stewart) are the team to beat after finishing in 2nd place once again.  In 3rd place was SWE 311 Hugo Stenbeck who had local hot shot Pedro Rebelo Andrade calling the tactics… 

I had a word with a delighted Michi Lipp who along with Vincie Hoesch were crew on board the winning GER 1087, Michi explained “we started at the boat and continued for about 10 mins, crossing all the boats tacking behind us onto port. Then we tacked on a wind-shift from the left and again crossed everyone, before tacking back on the starboard lay-line to round first “.. Of course Michi and Vincie know all about winning here in Cascais, as they have been the victorious crew of the Juan Carlos Trophy for the last 2 yrs with Tommy Muller…

Two more races today with an 11.00am start, so stay here readers for more up to date and honest happenings, as I and my friends see them….  🙂 

Higher, Faster, Longer…………    Stavros.  GBR 767   ….