News WORLD SAILING CHAMPIONSHIP

WORLD SAILING CHAMPIONSHIP

Kimberly Lim, Singapore, 2011 Optimist World Champion

Napier, NEW ZEALAND
Untitled Document

Kimberly Lim, Singapore, 2011 Optimist World Champion

January 9 2012

Today the fleet left the harbour hoping for at least one more race in this championship but they were to be disappointed as the light breeze and strong current due to yesterday's torrential rain made completing a race impossible.

The results after corrections made for protests last night mean that Kimberly Lim from Singapore is now the 2011 Optimist World Champion. This is a great result and follows on from Noppakao Poonpat from Thailand who was World Champion in 2010 and demonstrates that girls can compete on equal terms in this world class fleet.

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Congratulations Kimberly, this was a tremendous achievement in a championship where consistency was particularly difficult.

1st. Kimberly Lim, Singapore

2nd. Bart Lambriex, Netherlands

3rd. Javier Arribas, Peru

| Results | Event website | Tracking |


January 8 2012

Despite the delay today due to poor visibility, the race team still managed to complete 3 races for all divisions. Kimberly Lin (Singapore) was remarkably consistent and moved into first place, leaving Bart Lambriex, the leader of yesterday in second. There are very few points between the top four sailors but after the first race tomorrow, another race can be discarded, which could result in more changes again at the top of the leader board. It promises to be an exciting day.

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Photo © Matias Capizzano

A study in concentration, Jonatan Vadnai, the only sailor from Hungary here in Napier

| Results | Event website | Tracking |


January 8 2012

It was busy at the breakfast table yesterday morning, at the 2011 Optimist Worlds in Napier, with sailors keen to get back onto the water after a day of sight seeing on the Lay Day and like most Lay Days, it was brilliant sailing weather.

Sailors went onto the water at the scheduled time to start the first race at 1025, but with winds between 1 and 4 knots, there was not much sailing.

"We made the call to send the sailors back to shore at 1245." said Gerald Martin, Principle Race Officer. "No racing had been done, and it didn’t look like anything was going to happen any time soon as there was hardly any wind". Sailors were called back onto the water quite soon after, but it wasn’t until 1535 before the first race of the day started.

The leader board changed after the seventh race: Ryan Lo who had held the first position was disqualified from race 7 and dropped to 7th. Bart Lambriex from the Netherlands who finished second in race 7 took over the leadership position. Wind increased to 8 knots by the time the eight race started, and the race committee managed to finish races for all three fleets. It was a long day for the sailors with many headed back to shore just before 1900.

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Photo © Matias Capizzano

Overnight Napier was once again subjected to a tropical storm with torrential rain and strong winds. During the morning racing was delayed due to poor visibility and strong winds but by lunch time the fleet was launched and hopefully racing will commence in about 18 to 20 knots of wind.

| Results | Event website | Tracking |


January 5 2012

Forty teams were entered for the IODA Challenge Cup and after 2 days of competition, the winners would be declared the Optimist Team Racing World Champions. Just as the previous day, the wind was light and shifty but the race committee manged to complete 59 races on two courses, to decide the final 16 teams who would continue to compete on the second day. Team racing is all about tactics with the aim to ensure that your whole team (4 boats) incurs the lowest number of points. Each race is a knock out duel with a team that has had two losses being eliminated from the competition. As a consequence it makes an ideal spectacle for the public to enjoy as the races are of a short duration and the results are immediate.

The successful teams competing today were USA, Australia, Thailand (current World Champions), Poland, Malaysia, Sweden, Brasil, Portugal, Netherlands, Croatia, Argentina, Spain, Peru, Norway, Singapore and Denmark.

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Photo © Matias Capizzano

The conditions today were perfect, glorious sunshine and a reasonable breeze. The course was very close to the beach and spectators and supporters gathered to support their teams, many shouting encouragement and waving country flags.

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Sarah Norbury from team GBR who narrowly missed going through to the last 16 teams Photo © Matias Capizzano

Race 23 in this competition is where the 2 unbeaten teams meet, the winner goes straight through to the Finals. Today it was Singapore who dominated Thailand to secure a final place. The team that they were to meet in the Final still have several races to complete and Singapore can only wait for their opponents to be decided. Just Thailand, USA, Netherlands, Malaysia, Peru, Brasil and Spain remain. The teams lay traps for their opponents and Peru converted a tied situation early in the race against the Netherlands, into a 1, 2, 3, 4 win with some brilliant tactics on the last two legs. They then beat Thailand to meet Singapore in the best of three final.

Singapore took an early lead, winning the first race. Peru had to win the second race to remain in contention and there was plenty of action to keep the umpires busy. This was incredibly close with Peru winning and forcing a sudden death final race. Again Singapore dominated but this time they covered well and Peru had to be content with a second place.

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Photo © Matias Capizzano

Congratulations to Singapore, World Team Racing Champions 2011- team members Ryan Lo, Kimberly Lim, Jillian Lee, Jessica Goh, and Elsa Yukie Yokoyama.

| Qualification Series | Final Series | Event website | Tracking of all races in Final Series |


January 3 2012

The weather here is really not co-operating with the championship organisers. It has rained for many days and despite today being dry, it was cold with very little wind. The only race of today was held in about 8 knots but it was shifty and eventually it remained not only light but unstable and the race committee sent everyone home.

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Photo © Matias Capizzano

Now that 6 races have been completed, the sailors can discard their worst result. This now sees Ryan Lo from Singapore leading the event with Bart Lambriex (Netherlands) in second and Javier Arribas (Peru) third, Wade Waddell (USA) fourth and Leonard Takahashi-Fry (New Zealand) in fifth. Five sailors all from different continents demonstrates just how high the standard of Optimist sailing has become in all parts of the world.

Tomorrow sees the start of two days of team racing for 40 teams and on Thursday, a long distance race for those not participating in the team racing.

| Results | Event website | Tracking |


January 2 2012

The race committee decided to try and get four races completed today in order to catch up after yesterday’s delays and the abandonment of the second race.

Racing began in about 6 knots but increased during the day to nearly 20 knots but with several left hand shifts which made conditions particularly challenging.

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Bart Lambriex on the downwind leg

Provisional results after five races show Bart Lambriex from the Netherlands placed first, Wade Waddell from the USA in second and Philip Meijer, also from the Netherlands, in third. Ryan Lo who was in second place yesterday, is now in fourth position.

It was a long day for the sailors and most were more than ready to return to shore after 4 gruelling races. Tomorrow the wind may be lighter and three more races are planned.

| Results | Event website | Tracking |


January 1 2012

The racing today was delayed due to the light winds and when the fleet was finally launched, they were led out of the harbour by the Maori waka Nga Tukemata O Kahungunu.

Over night the sailors had been divided into 6 groups resulting in three fleets per race and a spectacle on the start line of seventy boats. The light wind persisted and unfortunately despite the valiant efforts of the race committee, only one race for each fleet was completed.

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PHOTO MATIAS CAPIZZANO

The opening races can be replayed by viewing the tracking Up to four races are planned for tomorrow and the forecast is much more promising.

| Results | Event website |


December 31 2011

sailors at opening

The opening ceremony, held in the centre of Napier yesterday, began with a traditional Maori welcome. The 210 sailors from 48 countries marched into the arena and watched as the welcome was performed.

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It was appropriate that a class which values the cultural exchange opportunities that events can offer should have an opening ceremony that demonstrated this so clearly. The sailors were also welcomed by the Mayor of Napier, Barbara Arnott and the Chairman of the organizing committee, Peter Dawson. Finally the championship was declared open by Peter Barclay the President of the Optimist class.

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The IODA World Championship will be the biggest junior class event that New Zealand has ever hosted and for such a proud sailing nation this will be an historic event. Racing begins on New Years day and can be followed by live tracking of the boats, and on Facebook and Twitter.