As if somebody had just flicked over a switch the fourth day of the World Championship regatta was very calm – way too calm in the morning to get any racing going, so we again saw AP being hoisted, but today for lack of wind.
But the local weather gurus and advisors had promised some winds for between noon and 3 pm, so the race committee ordered all boats of to the starting area for noon – where we ended bobbing around in zero wind having lunch for about two hours, waiting for the promised westerly winds. At around 2 pm the first ripples were seen on the flat water – wind from the east was building. So the thermal effect over Denmark was stronger than any of the predicted winds and was slowly building. Now the committee boat had to change their position from the German side over to the Danish side to accommodate this new development in wind direction and by around 3 pm they were ready to start racing.
This was quiet a situation: barely 5 or 6 knots of thermal wind at 3 pm in the afternoon of the last regular regatta day of the World Championship and only four race had been finished so far. Everybody knew that if this race would get started and finished then this would conclude the World Championship with fife completed races and no strikers. But if the race would not get under way or the very light wind would die the “reserve day” on Thursday would have to be used, most likely with at least two races thus allowing everybody to drop the least favored results. But here we were: that start scheduled, fifth and last race of this Championship…
And very big excitement in the Classic Division: After the modern 6mR boats were sent off in the first start the Classics needed four trials to get one race started. the first three starts were either cancelled by AP within the sequence or ended up in a general recall. So everything after the first start was done under a black flag rather than flag Papa, meaning that whoever violates the third start under black flag automatically would be disqualified. And one boat still went over the line early, immediately got disqualified by the excellent race committee, but at least we finally had a race under way.
LUCIE had an excellent start, perfectly timed and down at the pin end with lots of clear air in a thermal breeze that was still slightly turning left. And LUCIE likes the light air like she had already shown on the second day, first race. So here she want, pretty much uncovered, on her way to the first windward mark – and got there first with four boat lengths of a lead. And LUCIE was building its lead further more, by the second time she came to the windward mark she already had a lead of 4 min 10 seconds to the second boat. This race was supposed to be a three upwind / three downwind leg race but there ware serious cloud covers developing to the west, essentially putting an end to the thermal wind generator. As for the moderns the race committee then shortened the course for the classics to two up / two downwind legs. LUCIE was under attack on the last leg and some of the boats in the following pack caught a few nice puffs – but to catch up over 4 minutes on a leg that is only 1 1/4 nm is nearly impossible.
LUCIE therefore took her second bullet out of the five races, what an accomplishment of boat and crew! More to come on final standings, results and awards.
Jens
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