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Tornado 2001 World Championships - Day Five
Author: Nigel Cherrie
STYLES AND MAY HOLD THIRD WITH TWO RACES LEFT
Photo: © Peter BentleyTeam Styles & May
With up to two races to sail, Hugh Styles and Adam May are poised to claim RYA Team GBR's first Olympic class medal of the new four year cycle as they hold third place overall at the Tornado World Championships in South Africa after a tense light wind race yesterday afternoon.
In stark contrast to Thursday's testing conditions, the fleet left Richards Bay just after 14.00hrs local time in a fickle 6-knot breeze. Whilst some of the class veterans faltered, Styles and May held their nerve and made some sound tactical decisions to finish second across the line. This moves
them to within one point of second placed double Olympic medallist Mitch Booth (Netherlands), although Sydney Olympic champion Roman Hagara (Austria) can not be discounted as he is a similar single point behind.
Adam May explained the race afterwards: "There was a port bias on the line but there was a lot of tide running so it was hard to get across and there was a large raft of boats there anyway. We bailed out and hit the committee boat end and had a comfortable first beat. When we got close to the
windward mark layline we got knocked (headed by the breeze) so we tacked but then overstood the line so although we were the first round the mark a couple of guys caught up".
Helge Sach (Germany) and Hagara edged past on the downwind leg but Team Styles and May overtook the German on the next upwind leg. Although they couldn't overhaul the Olympic Gold Medallist who built up an unassialable lead, Styles and May held second place for the next three legs to the finish.
RYA Team GBR teammates Rob Wilson and Will Howden asserted themselves as the leaders of the pursing pack to clinch third and are now seventh overall.
"It's tight at the top," added May later "The positions will be decided by the weather. Everyone has their specialist conditions, (Mitch) Booth doesn't like the light stuff and Hagara doesn't like big breezes but we tend to be fairly consistent so we feel quite happy. The top four are well
clear of fifth overall so barring disaster the medals will be decided amongst us".
Final results will be available this afternoon (Saturday 17th February)
Day 5 Race 7 from Team Styles and May
A light wind day for us today with a large swell left over from yesterdays southerly winds. We were held on the beach for about 3 hrs waiting for the large swell left over from yesterday. When we finally got out to the race area the sea was still very large and with little wind it made conditions very tricky.
We got off to a clean start only one boat was over the line, we elected to start on port at the starboard end of the line to head for the inshore side of the course (out of the current), and best option on the start line as the current was washing everyone down on the start line so much it was hard to make it across the line on starboard tack. We sailed a good first leg rounding 1st from 2nd AUT Roman Hagara and 3rd GER Helge Sachs. The downwind was very tricky with very large patches of no wind and the first 3 boats were swallowed by one of these 1/2 way down the leg. Unfortunately we didn't do so well out of it and dropped to 3rd at the next mark. The wind steadied up the next beat and we pulled back a place on the German putting us 2nd and with the wind dying we maintained this position for another lap and into the finish.
SOUTH AFRICA; Richards Bay. Tornado World Championships after five days (seven races, 1 discard):
1, Darren Bundock and John Forbes (Australia)1,1,1,1,8,1,5 - 10pts
2, Mitch Booth and Herbert Derecksen (Netherlands) 2,2,2,2,1,7,OCS- 16pts
3, Hugh Styles and Adam May (Great Britain) 4,3,3,8,3,2,2 - 17pts
Other British placings:
7, Rob Wilson and Will Howden - 38pts
9, Leigh Mcmillan and Jo Hutchinson - 42pts
More Information:
- Event Website
- YachtsandYachting.com Tornado Page
- YachtsandYachting.com Tornado Sport Page
See also: CORONADO 27 CB for sale
