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| International Star Class Yacht Racing Association |
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103 BOATS POISED FOR SIX PAINFUL DAYS OF SAILING MARINA DEL REY, Calif.---There was a lull known as the official practice race Saturday before Sunday's start of the Nautica 2002 Star Class World Championship, but don't expect a storm. Not on Santa Monica Bay in August, locals say. The forecast for Sunday was for winds of 3 knots leading up to 10 knots at the 1 p.m. starting time and holding, it was hoped, through the afternoon. It was humid and overcast Saturday as the veteran Stephen Gould of San Francisco won the final tune-up in a breath of air building to 9 knots, perhaps setting the tone for the next six days of serious and painfully tactical racing. "It's such a hard place to sail," Eric Doyle, the '99 winner from San Diego, said. "You have to be consistent and not go for the home run." "Patience," Doyle's crew, Rodrigo Meireles, counseled. "You must have patience." Behind Gould, in order, were Australia's Ian Walker, New Zealand's Gavin Brady, Denmark's Niklas Holm, Bermuda's Peter Bromby, San Diego's Robbie Haines, Canada's Ross Macdonald, Seattle's Dave Watt, England's Iain Percy and Denmark's Mads Christensen. Macdonald, the 1994 winner at San Diego, is the only past champion in that group, although Brady was runner-up to Loof at Medemblik, The Netherlands last year and Bromby is ranked No. 4 in the class. The final entry list is 103 boats but only 34 completed the race. Several of the elite chose not to finish or, in the case of defending champion Fredrik Loof of Sweden, not to sail at all. "I never to do the practice race," Loof said. "It's a waste of time. I was out there in a coach boat. You get a better picture." There will be one race each day starting at 1. A boat may discard its worst race in the low-point scoring system, but two-time champion Mark Reynolds of San Diego figures it won't be a low-scoring regatta in which one boat dominates. "If you finish every race in the top 10 you'll have a good chance to win," Reynolds said. The colorful opening ceremonies Saturday evening featured appearances by Anita DeFrantz, first vice-president of the International Olympic Committee; Paul Henderson, president of the International Sailing Federation, and Riccardo Simoneschi, president of the International Star Class Yacht Racing Association. Women of the host California Yacht Club carried in the flags of each of the 26 nations represented. The climax was a cannon shot and the release of dozens of balloons. For all the latest
news and images visit the regatta website at: http://www.starworlds2002.com. |
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