024 IOM World Championships in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia.
Hosted by the Australian Radio Yachting Association and the Gladstone Radio Controlled Yacht Club
Day One.
Day one of the IOM World Championships was intense. It started slowly, with an offshore breeze from the exact wrong angle for setting a course, delaying the start for two hours. At 11 a.m., the wind moved to the north and started to stabilise, and the race officer called racing on.
Racing at the IOM Worlds is conducted under the HMS fleet racing system. The fleet is split into five different groups. One race is complete after all five fleets have sailed. In the first race the top fifth go to A fleet, the second fifth to B fleet and so on. Once into the second race, if you are in the top six you step up into the next fleet and don't count a score until you no longer step up.
Today, we saw several sailors who ended up in the E fleet after the first race keep moving up by placing in the top 6, stepping into the next heat, placing into the top 6, and stepping up until they made the B and C fleets. Most of the favourites had placed themselves in the A fleet, and the intensity was through the roof. Some aggressive starting and mark rounds caused a few pile-ups and dragged some favourites down.
Two full races were completed, plus part of the 3rd race - (C, D and E fleet). So, at the end of the day, with only two races in total, the best place is Ian Vickers from NZ, who has two firsts. He is at his 7th World Championships but has never won a Worlds. His best place was 3rd in 2019. The next 3 places are French sailors, with Olivier Cohen, the defending World Champion, in second with a 2nd and 4th. Alexis Carre third with a 5th and 2nd, and Patrice Montero fourth with a 3rd and a 5th.
Zvonko Jelacic, Ante Kovacevic, both from Croatia, Steve Landau of the USA, and Paolo Cappa of Italy each won their first heats. However, they suffered in the carnage that was the A fleet heat in the second race, finishing 14th, 16th, 18th, and 19th, respectively.
Overall, Day One delivered. We had intensity and shifty racing and an extremely positive response to the live stream of racing, which you can view on YouTube. The link for the photos and results is all available on the website.
#gladstoneregion #worldsailing #iomworlds24 #sailingaustralia #sailinglife #aussailing #sailingqueensland #internationalonemetre #IOMAustralia #rcyachts #a
rya
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