2010 REVIEW 2011 PREVIEW - International Dragon Association

British take 2011Dragon WorldChampionship!Page 10It had been eight years since a Dragon World Championship washeld in the southern hemisphere (Hobart, 2003) so when the Australianswere awarded the right to host the 2011 event they wentall out to ensure a great turnout and a great event. With 70 boatsfrom a dozen nations travelling to Melbourne to compete theycertainly got a great turnout and, despite the challenges of oftenatypicalweather, it also proved to be a great championship.The Prince Philip Cup, for the Australian National Championship,preceded the Worlds and was raced on the same courseproviding an excellent pre-worlds regatta. After seven hotly contestedraces Denmark’s Joergen Schoenherr, crewed by Axel Waltersdorphand Theis Palm, snatched victory by just two points fromGermany’s Tommy Müller with Anatoly Loginov of Russia third.The Opening Ceremony for the Worlds and the Prize Givingfor the Prince Philip Cup were held at the Queen’s Hall ParliamentHouse, one of Australia’s oldest public buildings, and the crews enjoyedan evening of traditional Aussie hospitality.With warm-up, registration and formalities completed theWorlds got underway. For the opening PRO Kevin Wilson laid hisline in 16-18 knots in front of the Royal Brighton Yacht Club. Manyof the ‘form’ boats worked the starboard side of the first beat includingBritain’s Lawrie Smith, who was in a tight group at the firstrounding with Tommy Müller, Denmark’s Stig Lassen and Germany’sMarkus Wieser sailing for the Ukraine. For the second beat theleaders worked the shifts up the middle resulting in some placechanging, but on the last beat those who went right made thegains and were led into the finish by Smith with Jens Christiensenof Denmark second and Anatoly Loginov third.Predicted 25 knot winds for day two went through earlier thanexpected and the second race got underway in around 6 knots. Ageneral recall was followed by a clean start on a long line and manyfighting for space at the committee boat end. Meanwhile from thepin a handful of boats including the beautiful varnished ‘GalejanII” of Sweden’s Johan Palmquist, which sailed in the Olympics inMelbourne in 1956, and the equally beautiful brand new ‘Wolly’ ofWouter ten Wolde from Holland, sailed serenely up the left handside of the course and arrived first and second at the weather mark!The first run was difficult with the fleet splitting, the lead pairwere overtaken by a clutch of boats, and with a course change atthe bottom the left hand lane on the next beat was the way to go.Australia’s Wolf Breit led at the second top mark and on the longslow frustrating second run, but then the course was shortenedand Willie Packer, from Perth, overhauled him right on the line. Russia’sMikahil Apukhtin was thirdand Wouter ten Wolde fourth.With two days gone andonly two races completedday three was all-important. Itdawned with no wind, and theAP hung from the masthead allmorning until around 2.30pmwhen the fleet was ordered tosea. The PRO got the race awayin around 10 knots after twogeneral recalls and with theBlack Flag in play. Middle wasthe place to be and the ‘names’were back in charge as Müller,Smith and Evgeniy Braslavets ofUkraine led down the first run.There were plenty of incidentsat the gate, as the bulk of thefleet blanketed those turningahead, but generally the topten boats hung on to their places.On the second beat the rightpaid and there were changesat the front but Braslavets stillled from Dirk David from Germanyfollowed by Denmark’sLars Hendriksen sailing for theUkraine. The final positionswere Braslavets first, David secondand Wieser third.And that was it for the day!Three days gone and threeraces in the can, Markus Wieserleading, Martin Pallson of Swedensecond and Evgeniy Braslavetsthird, with two more racesneeded to make a series andthree to allow for a discard!With the lay-day ahead, thatevening all the competitorswere treated to a “European”night, where the German teamsgenerously sponsored foodand copious amount of alcoholthroughout the evening.Hendrick’s Gin proved to be themost popular drink of the party,which saw 84 year old AustralianOlympian Gordon Ingatedancing the night away with 16year old competitor Juliette tenWolde – a combined age of exactly100 years. There seems tobe no end to Gordon’s stamina- or was it the Hendrick’s Gin?Thursday dawned with torrentialrain and 25 knots, whichabated as the day wore on. Followinga recall the Black Flaggot the fleet away clean, withthe pin end looking good. Tasmanianstar Nick Rogers pickedthis end, as did Danish legendFrank Berg. They both sailedright in to the beach then outto the mark to arrive first andfourth, meeting Igor Goihbergof Russia and Markus Wiesercoming in on starboard in secondand third places.The lead group got away andthe separation continued downthe run. At the bottom Berg wasahead but Steven Shields of Tasmaniahad taken second fromGoihberg with Rogers fourth.At the top Berg was stretchinghis lead, Goihberg was back tosecond and Willie Packer had arrivedinto third. The course wasshortened on the run and at thefinish Berg and Goihberg heldtheir position but Rogers hadretaken thirdRace five followed on in