With three World Champions crowned yesterday it was time to start afresh with the qualifying rounds of the Hobie® 16 World Championship Open series kicking off today. 188 competitors are vying for a spot in the Semi-Finals where the field will be whittled down to the top 112.
The day got off to a great start with a 10–15 knot nor’easter seeing race officials set the course for a punctual 10:00 am start, splitting the races into two flights to accommodate the number of competitors on the water at any one time.
In the first race of the day it was Australians Jason Waterhouse and Bridget Waterhouse from NSW (AUS) first off the line and through the gate but they were over taken by Enguerrand Thomas and Cyriaque Thomas (NC) at the second mark. Ultimately it was Tim Shuwalow and Nina Curtis (SWE) however who came through and took first at the finish.
In race 1B it was Sebastien Maron and Titouan Galeain (NC) in the lead for the majority of the race before falling back to second at the finish opening the door for James Wierzbowski and Pip Pietromonaco from Victoria (AUS) to take first with Martin Thompson and Bella Zanesco (AUS) coming in third.
53 boats hit the water for race 2A with winds building to 15–20 knots and gusts of up to 24 knots at the windward mark making for some pretty serious sailing.
Shane Peterson from Queensland (AUS) with German crew Lena Gauthier were in first to the Gate when Victorians, James Wierzbowski and Pip Pietromonaco (AUS) challenged for the lead. Peterson and Gauthier fought back and took victory at the line leaving the standings as Shane Peterson and Lena Gauthier (AUS) in first, James Wierzbowski and Pip Pietromonaco (AUS) in second and Taylor Booth and Chris Barnes (AUS) taking third.
With three races under their belts, race officials deemed the rising winds in excess of safety levels and called off racing for the rest of the day. Race 2B will resume tomorrow in what looks set to be another sensational days sailing on Jervis Bay.
Overall, the standings for Day 1 are James Wierzbowski and Pip Pietromonaco (AUS) in first followed by Tim Shuwalow and Nina Curtis (SWE) in second and Jason and Bridget Waterhouse (AUS) in third.
