First blood to the Kiwis...
Taylor Burn opens his account of the first day of the Splash Class Worlds at Lake Lipno, Czech Republic. Two wins in the first two races, a third in the last race of the day put him 13 points ahead of his nearest rival.
The practice race the day before was the usual shambles, most forgetting which flight they were supposed to start in and then finishing at the most convenient mark for a quick sail home, well before the race was over... all good fun but must drive the Race Committee nuts.
The opening ceremony was held after the practice race, some short speeches and official stuff then the sailors and supporters were treated to a Czech folk music and dancing trio dressed in traditional garb. I was convinced one was dancing with a small, hairy dog but that turned out to be the Czech version of the bagpipes... great entertainment and a slice of Czech culture. The ceremony was capped by a mass toast to the event's success before a typical Czech dinner.
The toast is part of Czech hospitality, and I am not sure my liver can survive more than a few days of this pace. The original Budweiser Beer comes from just up the road and they have this great liquor ....sounds like 'buggeroffkavich' and tastes like 'Christmas in a glass' .. Come over and try it. All along the side of the lake are little camping areas and windsurfing schools, tiny bars in each one, us hard working supporters just move up and down the lake as the wind direction and course changes. The beer is cheaper than soft drinks!
The 1st warning signal was scheduled for 11am but the sailors were held on shore. Sam and I paddled our SUPs the length of the course while we waited. Finally they deemed enough wind for a start. The conditions were very light and shifty all day, some rain and mist too with a major wind shift that caught many of the sailors out. Fourteen got black flagged in the second race, a few more in the third.
Evangeline Masters had a couple of average races then a blinder for the third, leading most of the way before being overhauled in a windshift, finishing sixth, her best to date. Harris Bindon was further back than he would have liked in his races, the first two twenty-first and twenty-second, staying in the top third of the fleet, the third race was a little further back as he got dealt to by the shifty conditions.
O'Shea Butler started well with a thirteenth then a complete disaster for the next two races, two black flags. O'Shea is a great sailor and a strong character and while this is a set back to his campaign, there is a long way to go and he will rise to meet the challenge.
After three races the overall places are Taylor Burn 1st, Evangeline Masters 16th, Harris Bindon 21st, O'Shea Butler 53rd.
The fleet of 67 Splashes and 7 Flashes is small compared to previous years but the top third at least are very good sailors, it is a battle out there. Apparently the famous 'Sneek Week' (the biggest Dutch youth sailing event) was just the week before and many couldn't travel to both. The Organisers are a little disappointed with the numbers but all of us are having the best time so far, it is very social and the sailors are making great friends and mixing well.
More of the same light weather is forecast for tomorrow,., wish us all luck.
Jonathon Masters is taking some great shots I hope to include some of those in the upcoming reports. Go to www.splashworlds.org for results and more stories.
As always, a huge thank you to all our sponsors and supporters.
Happy sailing
Rob Burn
