Light winds and general recalls once again impede progress on event format; only one race held in Class B
Image copyright Max Ranchi.
by Dobbs Davis
The locals claim that in over a decade of June championship racing in Cres, itʼs never been like this: four consecutive days of light wind. But this is what Principal Race Officer Bojan Gale has had to contend with at the 2011 ORCi World Championship, along with an unruly group of competitors in both classes of the 119-boat fleet.
Image copyright Max Ranchi.
After a 3-hour postponement on the water, a light southwesterly sea breeze finally filled to 7-8 knots, allowing race managers to start a sequence for Class Bʼs first inshore race.
Image copyright Max Ranchi.
However, a right shift in the breeze prompted one general recall, then another, and only under threat from the black flag did the fleet finally behave and get off the line clean. A big left shift rewarded those on that side of the 1.4-mile windward leg, including race winner Spin One, an X-35 owned and skippered by Pietro Saccomani. The dying and shifting breeze then prompted a course shortening at the second top mark.
Image copyright Max Ranchi.
Image copyright Max Ranchi.
Class A had the same general recall affliction as their smaller bretheren, and the delay caused them to have to wait until the gate area cleared of Class B boats before another start could be made. But the dying breeze prevented this, and even after re-locating to a new course area closer to the harbor at Cres where the sea breeze was still strong, by the time a new course could be set this breeze drifted away as well, prompting Gale to signal the fleet to go home for the day.
Image copyright Max Ranchi.
So, while the results from yesterday remain unchanged for Class A, with Cesare Salotti and Pieralberto Settiʼs Farr 40 Shear Terror in the lead, for Class B there is a new leader. Francesco Montanariʼs Grand Soleil 40R Vahineʼ 5 now leads the 63-boat class on scores of 3 – 5, 7.125 points ahead of yesterdayʼs leader Despeinada, another GS 40R skippered by Claudio Margherita, and 9 points ahead of 3rd-placed Next Team, a modified X-35 skippered by Filippo Tognana.
Image copyright Max Ranchi.
Inshore racing will resume tomorrow, with Bura conditions predicted for the final two days of racing which ends on Saturday.
Image copyright Max Ranchi.
ORCi World Championship
