Another Windy Day On Kingston Waters At 29er Worlds

As the gold and silver fleets were beginning their first race of the day, a rain cell rolled in. The rain was not here for long but left strong winds gusting up to 22knts from the South-West.

As the gold and silver fleets were beginning their first race of the day, a rain cell rolled in. The rain was not here for long but left strong winds gusting up to 22knts from the South-West.

With wind speeds of 16-18knts, the gold fleet spread out during their first upwind leg. Fighting to get to the windward mark first was Micah Wilkinson and Jack Rogers (NZL), and Kurt Hansen and Harry Morton (AUS). Hansen and Morton increased their speed on the downwind, passing Wilkinson and Rogers going onto to win the first face of the final series. The Kiwis were close behind finishing second, with Zack Downing and Riley Gibbs (USA) in third.

For the second race of the final series, Downing and Gibbs lead the fleet throughout the race and finished first. Tania Bonilla and Marc Chapon (ESP) following close behind in second and Hansen and Morton in third. Race 3 of the day for Gold Fleet was led by Wilkinson and Rogers until the second windward leg, when Gillies Munro and Daniel Harris (GBR) took the lead. The Brits held their lead and finished first, NZL Wilkinson and Rogers second. Hansen and Morton were OCS during race 3 however they took the lead again and finished first in the final race. Munro and Harris finished second and Bonilla and Chapon in third.

Silver Fleet began the day with a general recall and the U flag, for the second start the black flag was raised and a steady 15-17knts sent sailors on their way. By the time the top boats reached the windward mark the winds had increased to 20-22knts. Ruth Allan and Alice Masterman (GBR) were first to the mark with Ignacio Varisco and Nicolas Peirano Prat (ARG), and Nicolas Muller and Ian Macdiarmid (USA) close behind.

By the second windward mark Muller and Macdiarmid had passed the fleet, and continued on to win the first race of the final series. The second race of the day began with James Wilson and Oscar Gunn (NZL) in the lead, followed by Shane Riera and Wade Waddell (USA) in second and in third German team Max Stingele and Julius David. Stingele and David went on to pass both the Kiwi’s and the Americans to finish first. The third race of the final series was lead and won by Varisco and Peirano Prat with Fredinand Heldman and Leonardo Giustniani (HKG) in second and Muller and Macdiarmid in third. The fourth and final race of the day was led and won by Jacob Rosenburg and Rhodes Garner (USA) followed by Varisco and Peirano Prat.

Bronze fleet’s first race began with a black flag start, by the second windward mark Robert Morris and Anthony Lowther (GBR) had taken off from the rest of the fleet and continued on to win the race. The second race began with Christian Schenk and Felix Reinbott (GER) leading and Henry Salmon and Aymeric Gillard (HKG) on their tail. Salmon and Gillard caught the Germans to finish in first. The third and final race of the day was won by Inie Corbeil and Florence Delhaes from Canada.

The day finished with British pair Munro and Harris in the lead overall, followed by Australians Colley and Connor in second and Kiwi sailors Wilkinson and Rogers rounding out the top three in third.

The final series continues for another two days.

Results can be found at http://www.29erworlds.org/index.php/results/

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