August 30, 2006
by Scuttlebutt Europe
30 Aug |
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Wind gusting over 20 knots and huge rolling waves made for a spectacular day of racing as the opening series concluded at the Olympic Test Event in Qingdao, China. After an action packed day on Fushan Bay, just the eleven
Medal Races remain to decide the winners of the ISAF Grade 2 Qingdao International Regatta.
‘Rock and roll!’ was how French Tornado sailor Xavier REVIL summed up conditions today after taking two bullets and pole position before tomorrow’s Medal Race.
France also hold the lead in the Women’s 470 and RS:X fleets, but it is the Brits who continue to dominate proceedings. Today Ben Ainslie (GBR) joined Paige Railey (USA) as an assured winner in tomorrow’s Medal Races,
and the British team continue to hold top spot on four other leaderboards. Elsewhere, the hosts China lead in the Men’s RS:X, whilst the Netherlands hold the top spot in the Yngling and Slovenia tie for the lead in the Laser.
After a week of racing in predominantly light conditions, the forecasted seven to nine knots became an 18 knot north easterly as the fleets left the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre for the scheduled 13:00 starts. With the wind gusting well over 20 knots and whipping up a big swell as the rain hammered down, it was not a day for the fainthearted.
The heavy weather gave a perfect opportunity for some of the big wind specialists to shine, and particularly in the windsurfer fleets, there were some new names regularly rounding the marks first. Across the fleets just two of the top spots changed hands, but several fleets have tightened up considerably, promising plenty of excitement in tomorrow’s Medal Races.
http://sailing.org andhttp://www.2006qdregatta.com
The Pre-Pre Olympics in Qingdao are proving to be a real wake up call for many.
The facilities would appear to be outstanding in terms of their standard, functionality and state of readiness. The fact that they are completed two years before the start of the Sailing Olympics is without precedent in Olympic sailing history. However fine facilities do not a sailing Olympics make.
On the water it is quite a different story, with conditions which would be described in polite circles as ‘difficult’. One only has to read report of current that is as strong as the wind, and beats that are less than five minutes long, and the suitability of Qingdao for the Olympic Regatta has to be questioned, and surely will in the coming months. —
http://www.sail-world.com
Frustration was the overriding sentiment at the Olympic test regatta in China as varying winds and race management combined to create racing unworthy of elite level competition.
The International Sailing Federation said courses and schedules might have to change to ensure a satisfactory Games regatta in 2008.
Saturday saw a big swell and seasickness among the sailors, while in other races the windspeed dropped to below two knots.
In yesterday’s men’s 470 race, a new windward mark was signalled but the new buoy was not laid before the leaders had sailed beyond it. Britain’s Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield lost the series lead as a result.
The ISAF will discuss the problems in November. Among their options for Beijing 2008 will be reducing the number of races and altering the number and angle of the legs sailed.
—
Tim Jeffery in the Telegraph,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2006/08/28/sosail28.xml&sSheet=/sport/2006/08/28/ixothspt.html
