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Fireball Worlds Underway At Mossel Bay Yacht Club, South Africa

13th December 2016
Heavy weather Freball sailing in Mossel Bay Heavy weather Freball sailing in Mossel Bay

The big breeze of Day 1 was still around for the second day of the Fireball Worlds in Mossel Bay, South Africa. The Facebook site for the regatta reports that the fleet launched into a stiff south-westerly accompanied by a swell from the east. The Swiss combination of Mermod & Moser (SUI 14799) led at the first weather mark, followed closely by the British combination of Gillard & Anderton (GBR15127), Schulz and Lidgett (AUS 15113) and the South African combination of Yogi Divaris & Ferdinand Holm (RSA 14910).

By the next rounding of the weather mark normal order had been restored with Gillard & Anderton leading and Schulz & Lidgett up to second. After this first race the fleet were taken ashore as the wind was showing no sign of abating though there was a more favourable forecast for the afternoon. At 16:00 the fleet was called out again for a second race in 10 – 14 knots. This time Gillard & Anderton led from start to finish, with Yogi Divaris & Ferdinand Holm second, Mermod & Moser third and Schulz & Lidgett fourth. The leading crews were able to fly spinnakers on the top reach but the chasing pack either sailed high initially and then set bag or two-sailed the reach.

From Ben Schulz:- Day 2 was wilder than yesterday. Sailed the runs flat on the wire with no kite for a second place finish! They gave us a two-hour break then sent us out again in 20 knots to reach the start area in zero knots. Finally sailed in a building breeze in with way too upright a rake; struggling in for fourth. The programme is for three races tomorrow.

Yogi Divaris has the privilege of being the youngest helm at the Worlds at the tender age of just 16 years.

2016 Fireball Worlds, Mossel Bay, South Africa

Sunday 11th – Friday 16th December.

R1 R2 R3 Tot.
1 Tom Gillard & Richard Anderton GB5 15127 1 1 1 3
2 Claude Mermod & Ruedi Moser SUI 14977 2 3 3 8
3 Ben Schulz & Jack Lidgett AUS 15113 3 2 4 9
4 Yogi Divaris & Ferdinand Holm RSA 14910 6 4 2 12
5 Alistair Bush & David Carroll KEN 14535 4 8 6 18

 

Published in Fireball

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