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Day 8 - Optimist World Championships, Qingdao, China – 22 July 2001 No racing today so results from yesterday are the final ones.British results were not reflective of the ability of our sailors. Races were very short and run in very little wind. We understand that the conditions experienced are typical of the area for this time of year. Let's hope that ISAF realise the unsuitability of the venue for the Olympics in 2008. The weather on the final day of the championships offered us the same as it did on our first morning in China, zero wind and fog. Another day on the beach socialising with the other teams and plenty of time practising newly developed haggling skills over swap tee shirts but no racing. The first activity of the day was the removing of beach scum and sewage from the boats as a result of the spring tide washing over the boat parking area. Another small inconvenience!. The results are confirmed as reported yesterday. The general attitude on the beach was one of frustration at the previous days racing, in particular the unsafe 7th race with the 135 Dnf’s. The GBR team coach in conjunction with a number of other team coaches had expressed their concern in writing to the Race committee, identifing that retaining race 7 constituted unfair sailing and that the committee should reconsider their decision on allowing this race to stand. The scribbled response from the committee stated that those sailors (135) who could not finish within the time limit ( including those who did not reach the windward mark within 1 hour 20 mins) had had insufficient training for the ‘special ‘ conditions ie 2.5kts wind, 1.8 kts of spring tide. The response was incredulous and considered to be an insult to world class sailors. The competitors and support teams were relieved to reach the end of the regatta and to put the disappointment fuelled by the un-professionalism of the race management at a World Championship behind them. This location for the 2008 sailing Olympics leaves a lot to be desired from a wind perspective and when coupled with a poor race management delivered a less than successful racing for the optimist sailors who had perceived the world championships as the pinnacle of international racing. It is anticipated that there will be a significant number of representations to IODA and national authorities following the event questioning a July regatta in Qingdao when the prevailing conditions are windless with fog. GBR team is looking forward to flying to Bejing tomorrow for some sight seeing and relaxation, courtesy of the British Embassy. Day 7, Optimist World Championships, Qingdao, China – 21 July 2001 Yesterday as we visited the temples of the national parks to the east of Qingdao many young oppy sailors were seen burning incense and praying for wind. Sadly the prayers produced fog, thunder and lighting and torrential rain and precious little of that much sort after breeze. The fleet paddled off the beach at 11:00 much to the disbelief of many team officials and supporting parents. The first race of the day was completed by the leading boats of each flight in around 25 minutes, in less than 2 knots of breeze. Luke Patience scored a 7th place. In Race 2 of the day, the seventh of the series was lost in a windless fog, but resulted in only 60 of the 208 boats fleet finishing, the remainder of the fleets unable to even make the windward mark against a zero wind and a heading tide. All of the British team being timed out and receiving DNF’s. Worsening visibility and zero wind forced the race officer to postpone and the coach boats towed an extremely frustrated fleet ashore, just before the tropical storm began. The monsoon, thunder and lightning persuaded the race officer not to re-launch and put the fleet through the pain of fighting the tide to reach the windward mark, or not reach the mark as before. With a provisional score of race seven including 135 DNF’s out of 208 World class competitors, there was understandably a questioning of the race committee’s judgement particularly as this followed 72 black flags from day six. Overall results (provisional) after the "7 races " 1st ARG Lucas Calebrese 2nd CHI Zhu Je 3rd MAS Abdul Rahim British placings 55th Luke Patience 62, 10, 31, 24, 1, 7, DNF 84th Thomas Mallindine 48, 34, 14, 52, 8, 13, DNF 110th Joshua Metcalfe 39, 31, 22, 42, 40, 27, DNF 117th David Evans 33, 9, 29, OCS, 23, 43, DNF 139th Tom Smedley 18, 42, 64, 45, 17, 51, DNF Day 5 Day 5, Optimist World Championships, Qingdao, China – 19 July 2001 by Vaughan Smedley The fleet paddled away from the beach at 11 am in cloudy humid conditions. There was a considerable swell with a painfully light south easterly breeze, similar to that experienced the previous day.. After a number of aborted starts during which members of the British team were well placed, the race officer moved the course north until the leeward gate was only 50 meters from the seafront promenade of the city and its shipyard. There was various speculation on the beach as to whether the race committee were falling victim to sea sickness or whether they were offering the Chinese media a photo opportunity. By 2.15 the first flight had eventually been started, the course shortened such that the sailors finishing in 25 minutes in only 2-3 knots of patchy wind. The second and third flights each had a long delay of round the ends and repeated black flags with general recalls to eventually get started. The second race of the day was again a very short course in light winds. Highlight of the British day was a win by Luke Patience, our first race winner of the series, made up places from rounding the windward mark in 7th place to being in the lead by the leeward gate and managing to protect this lead up to the finish. Also an 8th by Thomas Mallindine. After 6 hours in 35 degree temperatures the sailors frustratedly returned to the beach with mixed emotions. Another day on the water has put 2 more 25 minute races on the score board, which officially gives the minimum number of races to constitute a series. Tomorrow, the delayed team racing is rescheduled to take place. Unfortunately, the British team shall not be there as they are lying 20th overall. British placings: 5 races with one discard, total pts and position Luke Patience - 62, 10, 32, 24, 1 - 67pts - 43rd overall David Evans – 33, 9, 29, OCS(70), 23 - 94pts - 72th overall Thomas Mallindine - 48, 35, 14, 52, 8 - 105pts - 88th overall Tom Smedley - 18, 43, 64, 45, 17 - 123pts - 114th overall Joshua Metcalfe – 39, 31, 22, 42, 40 - 132pts - 126th overall Day 4 Optimist World Championships, Qingdao, China – 18 July 2001 Today, in 4-5 knots of south easterly winds the race officer launched the fleet at 1100 am, trying for three races. By 5:15 pm the breeze had died away and he was forced to send the fleet home having completed 2 races. Racing started under the P flag, but this needed a general recall. All racing after was started under the I flag. Second race today was started but abandoned after 10 minutes of drifting, but 20 minutes later managed to run the start sequences. The first day’s race leaders consolidated their positions with a consistent couple of races in difficult conditions of light winds and strong tide. Most of the British team faired better today, with David Evans and Luke Patience coming 8th and 9th respectively in the first race and Thomas Mallandine scoring a 14th in the second race today. Results after 3 races: 1st Abdul Rahim (Malaysia) - 1, 6, 2 (9) 2nd Eduardo Lopez (Spain) - 1, 1,10 (12) 3rd Lucas Calabriesse (Argentina) - 4, 14,1 (19) British placings:
95 Thomas Mallandine - 48, 35, 14
138 Tom Smedley - 18, 43, 64 Day 3 - Optimist World Championships, Qingdao, China Another day of soaring temperatures (37 degrees) and haze. The British team spent the day sitting on the beach waiting for the non-existent winds to fill in. After six hours during which the team fine tuned their juggling and volleyball skills (and the parents perfected their sun tans), at four o’clock the order came to launch. The optimist sailors dutifully paddled out through the shark barrier, drifted about on the tide for an hour and then paddled back in. Another frustrating day! Three days into the championships and only one race completed. Everybody is beginning to wonder whether they will get five races in to make a series if the weather of the last nine days is anything to go by. Amazingly, the team spirits are still high. Day 2 Optimist Worlds Quingdao, China 16 Jul 2001 - Vaughan Smedley reporting from the event 216 young sailors, representing 50 nations from all over the world, are racing at Qingdao, China, in the 39th Optimist World Championships. Weather conditions are difficult in the extreme, alternating from torrential rain and days on end of fog to boiling temperature with very light winds and massive shifts which nobody seems able to predict including the race officer. Interestingly, Qingdao has just been announced as the venue for the sailing events for the 2008 Olympic Games. Light winds resulted in the practice race being abandoned as the strong tide made racing impossible. Yesterday, the race officer had two attempts at getting the three fleets racing. In the end, racing was abandoned with a 180 degree wind shift catching the first start as they went down the reach. The third fleet were left struggling to get over the start line against the tide. A sad loss for Tom Mallandine who was leading the second fleet and also Josh Metcalfe who was very well placed on his fleet. Today saw another day of boiling temperatures and light variable winds, including multiple wind shifts of 180 degrees. After five hours on the water one race was on the score board, reflecting what was a total lottery. The three fleets were headed up by Echuerdo Lopez from Spain, Abdul Rahim from Malaysia and Baldyga Emil from Poland. British results were: 57th overall Tom Smedley with a 19th 97th overall David Evans with a 33rd 115th overall Joshua Metcalfe with a 39th 143rd overall Thomas Mallandine with a 48th 189th overall Luke Patience with a 63rd All results are provisional It is not likely that this shall be a low scoring regatta. With a minimum of five races to complete to make a series, it will put a lot of pressure on the race office to press on to produce a champion. Upon reflection, Grafham was an excellent preparation event for the sailing so far. |
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