International One Metre World Championships in Gladstone, Australia – Day 2
by IOM Worlds 23 Oct 03:40 PDT
20-28 October 2024
International One Metre World Championships in Gladstone, Australia Day 2 © Jennifer Golison / IOM fleet
International One Metre World Championships in Gladstone, Australia Day 2 © Jennifer Golison / IOM fleet
Day two of the IOM World Championships in Gladstone, Australia mirrored the previous day closely. Racing experienced delays once more as the PRO anticipated the breeze shifting from the West to the North quadrant. With the wind blowing from that direction, it was offshore, making it impossible to configure a course where competitors could see the start/finish line.
When the North wind finally arrived, it was in the low teens, perfect for the A rig competitors. As the day progressed, the wind strength increased, reaching the top of the A rig range and creeping into marginal B rig territory. In high wind scenarios for the A rig, the IOM tends to drive its nose down during runs, especially when a gust strikes and the boat is moving slowly.
The B rig trial was not successful except for Chuck Millican. The US sailor was well positioned at the start line when a major gust hit right as the gun fired, allowing him to pull ahead of the fleet and maintain his lead until the heat concluded.
Overall, several significant shifts occurred at the front of the fleet. After five races, with one drop included, Zvonko Jelacic emerged as the leader with two second-place finishes and one third. Following a flawless performance the previous day, Ian Vickers fell to second place after finishing with scores of 11, 9, and 1. Consistent sailing from Alexis Carre places him third overall. Additionally, Australia’s Sean Wallis made notable progress, discarding a previous 37, and achieving a 7, 1, and 4, raising him to fourth overall.
Regrettably, defending champion Olivier Cohen faced a substantial decline. He was relegated to the B fleet and narrowly missed moving up by only a quarter of a boat length. His results for the day were 13, 18, and 21, leaving him in thirteenth place overall. This underscored the competitive nature of this fleet.
Once again, today’s action was thrilling. The best IOM sailors are lightning-fast with their reactions, but the stakes are high, leading to numerous incidents throughout the fleet. Watching is a delight. All the races are being live-streamed, and you can watch them on YouTube. Links to the stream and results are available at www.iomworlds.com
