Monday:
The final day of the 18th International Easter
Optimist Regatta brought us sun and comfortable temperatures (around 20
degrees) but very light winds from SE directions with big shifts. Based on
the results of the five races of Saturday and Sunday the competitors were
divided in a gold, silver and bronze fleet, to sail the final two races in
these summer conditions.
The first final race started at
10:00hrs and Hannah Mills (GBR), leader after 5 races, did a good job by
finishing sixth while her biggest rivals like Gijs Pelt (NED – second
after 5 races) and Patrick Follman (GER – third after 5 races) got stuck
in the second half of the gold fleet.
Before the last race could be started the race committee had to postpone
due to lack of wind. After all the last race started around 13:30hrs with
some more black flags and for the bronze fleet a shortened course. Well
begun is half done, so Hannah Mills could sail her discard race, finishing
72, and won the 18th International Easter Optimist Regatta with a strong
lead. Oskar Taurel (SWE) had a good last day which brought him from 8th
place after 5 races to second place overall, before the first Dutch and
second female competitor on the podium, Rikst Dijkstra. Overall
results.
Hannah Mills (GBR)
Photo © Annemiek van Kinderen Photography
Sunday:
The second official racing day of the 18th
International Easter Optimist Regatta had two races planned. It was a
sunny day with temperatures around 14 degrees Celsius and wind from
Easterly directions, about 10-12 knots with some gusts and big shifts
making it a demanding day for both the competitors and the racing
committee. The first race started this morning at 10:00hrs. Some of the groups
were too eager to start, which resulted in 15 BFD's but the other sailors
had a nice two laps race. All sailors went ashore for their lunchbreak before the
start of the second (and
last) race of today. This fifth race of the event was originally planned
to start at
14:20hrs, but after some black flags, generall recalls and postponements
the first group finally started at 15:15hrs with no less than 41 BFD's in the
first fleet. Racing was difficult with the shifting and
gusting wind, but the fleet stayed close together with over 80 finishing
Opti's within 7 minutes. All in all we had a very nice day with the
following results.
On Monday the two final races will be sailed in the gold, silver and
bronze fleet, which will bring us the overall winner of the Easter Regatta
2003. Pictures
>>
Saturday:
All three scheduled races could be sailed on the first official
racing day of the 18th International Easter Optimist Regatta. The races
were sailed in a cold wind from ENE around 18 kts with gusts up to 23 kts
which made it quite hard for some competitors to stay aboard. Temperatures
of 8 degrees Celsius, clouds and some sunny spells resulted in a typical
Dutch spring day. Every race took about 1 hour to finish and
between the second and third race the competitors could enjoy a short
lunch and warming up break. At the start of the third race there were as
many as 22 OCS and BFD's. Pictures
(3 pages)
>>
Friday:
The YC Braassemermeer and Optimist Club Nederland welcome all compitors
for the 18th International Easter Optimist Regatta. We had the sun
shining, with temperatures around 15 degrees Celsius and wind from ENE,
about 5 bft. The practice race had some difficulties to start but with
some black flags and 110 competitors BFD we still had a beautiful race. Results
>>
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Last update: 30-01-2004