Ricoh sponsored Musto Performance Skiff World Championships run by Segel Club St. Moritz
Click here to read the full report www.mustoskiff.com
Day 5
After a short postponement, races 10,11 and 12 were sailed in 18knots and brilliant sunshine.
Dave Poston led at the first windward mark of race 10, and was not headed. Roger Oswald was 2nd and Bruce Keen 3rd.
Race 11 was won by Richard Stenhouse, and with this result he secured the World Championship title. Jerry Wales was 2nd in the race and Dan Vincent 3rd.
Race 12 was almost a repeat of race 11, with Richard Stenhouse leading the fleet home followed closely by Bruce Keen and Roger Oswald.
Prize giving followed as soon as possible after racing, and the fleet all agreed that the venues was one of the best they had sailed at.
A big thank you to Segelclub St.Moritz for laying on an excellent regatta, and special thanks to PRO Stefan Zullig and Felix Hurter (event principal organiser and his team) and Urs Scherrer class regatta liaison.
The next World Championships is to be held at Black Rock Sailing Club, Melbourne Australia in early 2010.
Day 3 of the Ricoh sponsored Musto Performance Skiff World Championships
Race 7
Racing started on time today in a 10-12knot breeze with continued brilliant sunshine and 20 degrees air temperature.
Rick Perkins and Bruce Keen led around the windward mark closely followed by Andy Peake, Roger Oswald from Sailing Club Zug, Tom Wright, Richard Stenhouse and Ian Trotter from Derwent Water Sailing Club.
The left hand side of the course was paying, and most boats went this way on the following upwind and downwind legs. On the final beat Richard Stenhouse went hard left to the port layline to recover from 8th to 3rd at the finish. Andy Peake sailed very well to claim the win closely followed by Rick Perkins from Whitstable Yacht Club.
Yaroslay Petrov and Tim Chapman were unlucky to capsize at the windward mark whilst holding their best respective positions.
Race 8
Hard left off the committee boat end again paid, with Richard Stenhouse leading from a large pack including Pablo Arandia, Roger Oswald and Bruce Keen.
The upwind tackticks were essential to get right in the oscillating breeze but Richard Stenhouse hung on from Pablo Arandia, Roger Oswald and Bruce Keen all finishing within 4 seconds of each other. The first 30 boats finishing within 50 seconds of each other.
Race 9
Dave Poston led the race from the first downwind leg to take a well deserved win from Jerry Wales and Richard Stenhouse, who recovered from 9th at the first mark.
Pablo Arandia finishing in 4th place.
Thursday is a lay day for the fleet, and racing will resume at a scheduled 11:30 on Friday.
Ricoh sposored musto performance skiff world championships day 2
Day 2
Following a 2-hour postponement for the wind to stabilise, race 4 got underway in brilliant sunshine and a 13-15knot breeze.
Bruce Keen from Stokes Bay Sailing Club led at the windward mark, closely followed by a group including Richard Stenhouse, Pablo Arandia, Andy Peake, Graeme Oliver and Roger Oswald.
Stenhouse pulled through on the first downwind leg and consolidated a small lead to take the win. There was a very close battle for 2nd place, which finally went to Bruce Kean holding off Graeme Oliver, followed by Roger Oswald and Dan Vincent from Stokes Bay Sailing Club in 5th.
Race 5
Richard Stenhouse led at the windward mark, and maintained this lead to the finish. Again there was an intense battle for 2nd place with Dave Poston from Queen Mary Sailing Club, Andy Peake from Whitstable Sailing Club Jerry Wales from Queen Mary Sailing Club and Graeme Oliver all close together. 2nd place finally going to Dave Poston.
Race 6
The breeze increased to 15-18knots, but the sun continued to shine on Richard Stenhouse, who again led at the windward mark and took a credible win in more shifty conditions. Again there was close racing for 2nd place, with Roger Oswald, Bruce Kean, Dan Vincent and Graeme Oliver taking the respective places. Andy Peake was pulled out at the windward mark having been in 2nd place on the water following a premature start.
For those not fortunate enough to have sailed at Silvaplana, the lake is at 1815m above sea level, and then surrounded by some of the highest mountains in Europe; one of the closest peaks is 4049m. The spectators can be torn between watching the racing and the scenery, and a number of the participants join in between races. The mountain and glacial run-off turns the lake an incredible azure blue, which makes for some fabulous photographs.
Ricoh Musto Performance Skiff World Championships day 1
Day 1 of the Ricoh sponsored Musto Performance Skiff World Championships run by Segel Club St. Moritz was held in 13-19knots of the classic Maloja wind of Silvaplana, Switzerland.
All three scheduled races started on time after a memorable opening ceremony organised by the club with local Swiss singing and accompanying music.
Race 1
Left initially then right centre of the upwind leg appeared to pay, and Graeme Oliver from Whitstable Yacht Club held the lead for the majority of the race, only to be overtaken on the final beat by Richard Stenhouse (Rutland Water Sailing Club) and eventual winner Roger Oswald of ...........
Race 2
Following promptly on from the first race, race 2 was dominated by Richard Stenhouse, who rounded the windward mark in the lead, and progressively pulled clear to win from Graeme Oliver and ? as with race 1 and 3, the fleet were close together, and great racing was had throughout the fleet, keeping shoreside spectators entertanined as the winward mark was only 100m from the beach.
Race 3
Richard Stenhouse again showed excellent speed and tactical awareness to win from race 1 winner Roger Oswald and Spain's Pablo Arandia (Club Nautico Denia). A worthy mention on the opening day must go to Tom Wright (Rutland Water Sailing Club) who dominated the youth fleet. Jerry Wales also showed good form to lead the Grand Masters both giving the front runners a real run for their money.
Graeme's comment of the day
'Once I'd stopped looking at the scenery and started looking at the wind bends all went to plan, should have won the first one but lost my bottle and missed a shift. Moral of the story is Roger knows where he's going!'
Richard's comment of the day
'Great scenery, great sailing, great people and a great blast downwind!'
Roger's comment of the day
'Today was a Swiss day!'
Photo's credited to Tania Samus, Photoblink.co.uk
Musto Performance Skiff
The Musto Performance Skiff has been designed and developed with the following brief in mind – to produce an elegant yet simple dinghy with blistering performance that is highly enjoyable to sail. Just ask any Musto Performance Skiff owner and they will confirm that the design brief has been achieved.
The Musto Performance Skiff has evolved and been tested using the considerable experience of the development team. From the concept in 1999 by German designer Dr. Joachim Harpprecht, a lifetime single-handed trapeze dinghy sailor, through Victor Boats production prototypes to Dave Ovington and Ovington Boats work to finalise the production and manufacture. The previous successes of these world premier boat-building companies guarantee the quality of the Musto Performance Skiff.
The Musto Performance Skiff was presented at the ISAF single-handed trials in March 2000 for consideration for future Olympic Class. The result of the evaluation event was clear and very satisfying to everyone who was involved in the project. Evaluation sailors invited to the event by the ISAF had no problems in sailing the Musto Performance Skiff and the smiles showed their enjoyment of sailing this boat.
Victor Boats and Musto Ltd have now established an exciting new class, with up to 7 Nations currently to be seen competing at European events. The boat clocks speeds of over twenty knots and the hull with all deck fittings weighs only 55kg for a length of 4.55m. (Bare hull weight 40kg)
The following countries are represented by the
Musto Skiff Fleet.
GBR, SUI, GER, AUT, ESP, ITA, USA, FRA, AUS, LIE, NED, CAN, SLO
The top sailors also publish all their tuning data on the class website www.mustoskiff.com
