Opening Day

Mixed conditions on the Opening Day of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship saw only the Mistral Boys fleet complete two races, with all other fleets taking only a single race to their credit.

Looking good for the defending nation, Australia, who after day 1 lead two events. However, an outstanding start for the host nation, Poland who lead not only both the girls and boys windsurfing events, but also the Laser boys event – a sure start for the young stars of Poland.

Out on the race courses throughout today’s blustery conditions, Jim SALTONSTALL, ISAF World Youth Sailing Trust Coach, who is in Gydnia to provide coaching support to the sailors commented, “Today’s race was a challenging one, taking place in the upper wind range. In such testing conditions, the majority of the competitors proved perfectly capable of handling their craft well. Expectedly, with wind reaching up to 25 knots, it was possible to observe that the crew weighing less faced quite a struggle, while the heavier crews seemed to have found the conditions less difficult to handle. A few boats capsized.

“Having started my coaching career 30 years ago, now, at 57, I am glad to see young professional people coaching the youth and doing it successfully, too. Irrespective of the fact, whether the country is a land-locked one or not, the Championship participants are the “crème de la crème” of the sailing youth, and even though their sea-locked imagination might differ from nation to nation, today’s race proves that sailors training in inland, expert in sailing flat waters and capable of successfully tackling sudden wind shifts, may well contend against their peers from countries with long maritime history. The most important observation that I would like to share with the coaches and their athletes after the race today is that concerning preparation: sailing, without doubt, is the most challenging sport of all, and thus anyone wishing to do well in this discipline must remember that in all aspects of training their degree of competence must reach at least the level of 80%. Otherwise, their chances to succeed in the professional racing circuit will inevitably decrease. And even though a certain consistency can be observed among the nations making up the group of Championship favorites, painstaking training may still open up opportunities to everyone. Training thus becomes the keyword in our discipline.”

Roman BUDZIŃSKI, the coach of Kamil LEWANDOWSKI (POL), who leads the Mistral boys fleet after two races, commented: “Kamil will certainly be among the favorites of this Championship. Affiliated with the SKŻ Hestia Sopot, the athlete received excellent technical training and is in excellent condition. This, coupled with a major dose of his cunning intelligence, render him one of the more dangerous contenders. Nonetheless, bearing in mind his unassuming build, he does much better in the context of weaker and moderate winds. Despite this, he proved capable of outrunning his competitors in the weather far from benign and in strong winds, due to which the sailing conditions were very difficult and not everyone was capable of withstanding them successfully. On top of the strong wind, the temperatures were also unfavorable: it was terribly cold out there in the Gulf. Such conditions were especially hard for representatives of countries located in milder climates, who are used to much higher temperatures.”

Kamil LEWANDOWSKIwent on to say: “Today we have managed to run two of the races planned. I am very pleased with my performance today. In the first of the two races, I finished second, and in the second race I crossed the finishing line in first place. Thus, after the first day of racing I have managed to gain the position of the leader. I am especially glad of the result because the weather conditions out at the Gulf were not at all favorable. The wind was strong; reaching up to 7 degrees Beaufort, while the optimum conditions for me is wind force 3°B. I truly had to be doing my best, and so I am tired, but happy. Still, I was not in the leading position thoughout the whole race; it took a while and a certain distance to make up for the losses to other competitors. I made a few errors on the first beat, tacking on the wrong side on the upwind course. The top ten of the participants are indeed highly skilled and thus challenging competitors. I am going to spend the afternoon resting and chatting with my international friends, making the most of the short time we have together. The Championship gathered a number of my old acquaintances, but, sure enough, I do hope to make new friendships, too. Firs and foremost, however, I will go for a meal… I am hungry as a wolf!”

Zofia KLEPACKA (POL) speaking after her opening bullet in the Mistral girls fleet, commented: “I have won today’s race without greater problems, even though, due to the peculiarity of the seas and untypical shape of the waves, neither the Gdynia racing area (Alpha) nor that located off Sopot, (Charlie) belong to my favorite ones. I think that with less strong winds, my competitors’ chances will increase, because — as was the case today — sailing in strong gusts of winds is my strong point; it is precisely what I enjoy. I want to win the Championship for the fourth time in a row; yet I fully realize that underestimating any of my rivals would be a mistake. Nonetheless, the first step towards the defence of the Championship has been made.”

Provisional Results

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