2006 Optimist Selections - Day 4 @ South African Optimist Sailing News

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2006 Optimist Selections - Day 4 Sunday - normally a day of rest, but, in the sailing world ideal sailing conditions wait for no-one. The forecast was for a light south east building to 12 - 15 knots in the afternoon. Coupled with a slight overcast and small swell we had conditions ideal for the Optimist fleet. WE sailed a total of four races in winds ranging from 6 to 9 knots. Later in the afternoon we saw round 11 knots for a small time. The wind stayed steady in the 130 to 140 degrees range. Which, big bonus for Gavin and I meant the only course change we had to do was for the last race. The start line was down near Kings Beach, windwark mark offshore south east of that and the reach mark towards the north with the gate closer to the harbour wall. Small chop, steady south est mad for a great days sailing for all but the heaviest Optimist Sailors. Stand out sailors on the day - Alex Lehtinen and Scott Stephens who, revelling in the light conditions, after carding a15 and16 in the hard blow of the very first race, pulled themselves up to 4th and 5th place overall on preliminary results. Most of the sailors opted for the right side on the first three races, only to go left after the gate on the last race. Once again, the sailors who started well, read the conditions correctly and managed to keep boat speed up in the small chop were the front runners. Race Officer Richard Stephenson kept a healthy port bias on the first three races and laid an almost perfect line for the final race of the day. Each race lasted an average of 45 minutes for the top finishers and the entire fleet finished within 5 minutes of the first boat. Top three in each of the four races sailed today:

6. 1st Mathew Shaw, 2nd Brevan Thompson, 3rd Alex Lehtinen
7. 1st Brevan Thompson, 2nd Michael Crossland, 3rd Mathew Shaw
8. 1st Brevan Thompson, 2nd Michael Crossland, 3rd Mathew Shaw
9. 1st Brevan Thompson, 2nd Mathew Shaw, 3rd Alex Lehtinen

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