24-7 FINAL PRESS RELEASE by Robert Wilkes, IODA Secretary
The 42nd Optimist World Championship ended today with a general feeling of
huge satisfaction.
In the final race held on Saturday nerves and match racing betwen rivals altered
the minor medal placings while Wei Ni, with no need to sail, calmly registered
a 2nd place.
Lukasz Przybytek (POL), in silver overnight, was black-flagged. Unfortunately
he did not appear to be aware of this and understandably match-raced his main
rival Daniel Willcox (NZL) leaving Eugenio Diaz (ESP) to win that race and with
it the bronze medal. In the final start Paul Snow-Hansen (NZL) had no close
rivals to worry about and won with ease to secure silver.
Among the girls an OCS by Susannah Pyatt (NZL) gave the remaining bronze medal
to Stephanie Roble (USA) despite a late challenge by Griselda Khng (SIN).
Fourteen countries from five continents shared the top 20 places.
CHAMPIONSHIP OVERVIEW
Coming to Ecuador was for many a leap into the unknown. Salinas is not one
of the famous venues of the world like last year's Gran Canaria or next year's
Silvaplana. No one knew much about the weather. What we got was a venue with
utterly reliable 10-16 knot winds shifting subtly under 100% cloud cover to
tax the most talented sailors.
Turnout was 75% up on the last time we visited South America in 1992, with
a new record of 51 countries, and those Europeans who found the travel too expensive
can console themselves in Sweden next month when eleven additional countries
are expected to bring the European Championship fleet to over 40 nations.
The results confirmed some trends of recent years. Asian Optimist sailing has
improved greatly and Wei Ni's comprehensive victory will not be the last from
that continent. Poland, where Nivea sponsorship has helped an explosion in numbers,
gained their first ever medal in the team racing and two top-ten individual
places. New Zealand too has been expanding in recent years and has found the
talent which always had to exist in that bastion of sailing.
Earlier than perhaps expected has come the fruit of the effort that has been
put in to developing the Caribbean. Matthew Scott may have a natural talent
that could have been found anywhere but his result was backed up by solid performances
from other Caribbean sailors. Six countries were represented and it is forecast
that when Tobago hosts the IODA North American Championship next year 15-20
teams from the continent will participate, a big change from the three countries
of just ten years ago.
Some of the traditional Optimist countries are responding to the challenge
of an expanded world. Italy, with silver in the team racing and three sailors
in the top 20 can compete with the best.
23-7 PRESS RELEASE by Robert Wilkes, IODA Secretary
We have a champion!
Without needing to sail the final race 13 year-old Wei Ni from Shanghai, China
is the 2004 IODA world champion. His results have been devastating, starting
with placings of 2, 1, 5, 1 and apart from one race he was never out of the
top ten. With 1,4, 1 today he can take back his discard and still finish with
a minimum 19 point lead.
China's first Optimist medal came as silver in 2001 in "home" waters
at Qingdao from Zhu Ye and this was followed by Xu Lijia, 6th over-all and first
girl in the windier venue of Corpus Christi. Last year Wei Ni showed that he
could deal with the big waves of Gran Canaria and lay in th top ten at halfway
before falling sick.
For the record Wei weighs 40kg and measures 1.55m. He used, like maybe 30%
of the fleet, a Toni Tio sail from Spain and used the standard McLaughlin foils
supplied with the charter boat.
Behind him the minor medals are mathematically between five sailors. Currently
second is Lukasz Przybytek (POL) aiming to improve on last year's best ever
Polish result of 4th. Next are two New Zealanders, again representing a big
leap forward for the Kiwi team, Eugenio Diaz (ESP) and 2003 world champion Filip
Matika. Filip has realistically little chance of a medal but this does not diminish
the fact that he has been a great champion.
Among the girls gold and silver are already decided for Tina Lutz (GER) and
Nathalie Zimmermann (PER) but the bronze remains to be fought out between Susannah
Pyatt (NZL) and Stephanie Roble (USA).
22-7 PRESS RELEASE by Robert Wilkes
Individual racing started again today Thursday after the rest day. Three races
were sailed in rather lighter winds and, with eleven races sailed the second
discard was taken.
There was little change on the leaderboard with Wei Ni of China (discarding
a 10th!) maintaining a precarious lead over Paul Snow-Hansen of New Zealand.
Erik Brockmann (MEX) slipped back to leave Baepi Lacativa (BRA) and reigning
champion Filip Matika (CRO) tied on points in third place.
The surprise of the championship remains Matthew Scott from Trinidad currently
in 8th place. He has been sailing less than a year and, from a non-sailing family,
took up the sport at the relatively late age of 12. He is thus a direct product
of the IODA development programme in the Southern Caribbean which has subsidised
both instructor training and equipment. Added to the solid top-50 place of his
compatriot Andrew Lewis and third place in the unofficial but fiercely contested
Coastal Race for Jason Tindale of Barbados, signs are that Caribbean sailing
may be acquiring a new dimension.
Among the girls a battle is developing between Tina Lutz (GER) and Nathalie
Zimmermann (PER), seperated by just four points.
A further four races are scheduled, three on Friday and one on Saturday.
All comments based on provisional results.
20-7 TEAM RACING REPORT by Robert Wilkes, IODA Secretary
HOME ADVANTAGE COUNTS!
Tonight the Ecuadoreans can celebrate an bronze medal and some incredible victories
in the IODA World Team Racing Championship.
The first shock came in the first round where they defeated top seeds and 2003
bronze medallists Croatia. Luck? Well maybe, as they then lost their next match
to China and had to face the long repechage. As it progressed a pattern developed
in which the ECU team were behind in each race but recovered to register victories
over first Brasil, then Greece and, in a tight struggle, Spain steadily raised
their spirits and, confronted once again with China, there was no way they were
intending to lose. In fact the re-match was almost one sided and the hosts had
their bronze medal.
Poland had it relatively easy .... NOT! Argentina may not be the force in Optimist
sailing that they were but they have still won team gold for the last four years.
When they lose they lose to Peru - who were the Poles' next opponents! A third
victory over Spain led to a final against Italy. Two Poles went to the front
from the line but a fierce battle developed to secure a winning combination.
This is the first European victory in the event since 1995, the intervening
years belonging to Argentina and Peru. But what will remain in the memory is
the exhuberance of team Ecuador who were only included in the event as a courtesy
to our hosts and took full advantage of the offer.
Results...
20-7 PRESS RELEASE by Robert Wilkes, IODA Secretary
Wei Ni of China retains the lead after a further three races held on Monday
19th but the taking of the first discards and mixed results from the leaders
has closed up the points difference between them. 2003 winner Filip Matika slipped
back slightly in the lighter winds (at 53kg he is the heaviest of the top ten)
but remains firmly in contention.
Today Tuesday individual racing is suspended for the IODA World Team-Racing
Championship. The top sixteen teams are seeded on the basis of their early individual
results and the format is direct elimination with repechage. This format is
common in other sports and, while the table looks complicated, is based on the
simple idea that two defeats lead to elimination.
Top seeds are 2003 bronze medallists Croatia and great individual results see
New Zealand seeded second. Argentina, reigning champions for the last three
years, are seeded a lowly 14th and face a tough first round against Poland.
For the 35 teams not engaged in team racing there is an innovative Coastal
Race (the nearest Optimists get to an offshore!) to a yacht club along the coast.
British sailors, deprived of their team racing place by the rule that gives
automatic entry to the host nation, will be eager to show their quality.
Wednesday is a rest day and individual racing restarts on Thursday with a further
seven races scheduled.
Robert Wilkes
I. Optimist Dinghy Assoc.
19-7 PRESS RELEASE by Robert Wilkes, IODA Secretary
The 42nd Optimist World Championship opened on Saturday at
the magnificent (think San Diego or Gran Canaria!) Salinas Yacht Club in Ecuador.
A total of 51 countries are represented by 229 sailors, a new record with the
exception of the special Millennium Worlds of 2000 where many entries were subsidised
by the Class.
The high entry owes much to the enthusiastic response of the
Caribbean where six countries have sent teams including first-timers Dominican
Republic and Netherlands Antilles. All the Optimists are supplied by two builders,
McLaughlin USA and Rio Tecna Argentina but sailors use their own sails.
Despite dense cloud cover winds have provided a consistent
8 knots rising to 12 in the afternoon. IODA Course Representative Luis Ormachaea
is familiar with the race area, having given an ISAF Race Management Seminar
here last month, and hopes for a full programme.
The big question after the first five races is whether 2002
and 2003 world champion Filip Matika can do it again. Only Luis Martinez Doreste
has ever taken medals in three successive championships andthey were all silver.
Filip, who won his first title aged just 11 years and 10 months and is still
only 13, currently lies second.
But initially Wei Ni of China holds a devastating 20 points
lead with 17 points against Filip's 37. Last year Wei was 10th at this stage
but then fell ill and fell to 78th. We guess the Chinese team will be watching
everything he eats from now on!
In third place is Kcper Zieminski (POL) followed by Andrew
Lewis representing the tiny four year-old fleet in Trinidad which has never
previously had a sailor in the top half of the fleet. New Zealand too are delighted
to have two sailors in the top 10, well above past form. Eight countries and
five continents are included in the top ten.
Robert Wilkes
I. Optimist Dinghy Assoc.
Among the girls Tina Lutz (GER) holds a narrow lead over Nathalie
Zimmermann (PER) and Susannah Pyatt (NZL)
