First Day of Racing

Jake BARTROM from New Zealand took an early lead in the Laser Radial Open World Championship after being the only sailor to score two straight wins in his colour group race.

The 227 sailors from 35 countries and 5 continents are split into three groups each day using the ISAF pool system. Each group is scheduled to sail 2 races each day.

Bartrom started at the port end of the start line in both his races and soon after tacked on to port for a long leg to the shore on what was essentially a two tack beat in the 10 to 14 knot winds. He described his first race as “perfect” and certainly would have felt the same after his second race as the defending champion, Karlo Krpelijevic from Croatia, was behind him.

The other two groups were sailing on a separate race area further down the lake where the conditions were lighter and the results a little more mixed with 4 different winners of the two races in each group. With the exception of Emery WAGER (USA) who scored a 45th and a first the top ten sailors all scored single figure results in both their races.

In the women’s fleet Kristal WEIR from Australia had the best day on the water in spite of rushing from the ISAF Youth Worlds with her recently achieved silver medal, with only hours to spare before the first race. Unfortunately in her haste to get afloat she forgot to sign the safety check out and incurred a five point penalty.

However her second and first place finishes has laid down a challenge to the two times winner, Katarzyna SZOTYNSKA from Poland. Full results are available on the event website at the address below.

Overall Top Ten

Girls

Open