(Sandringham Yacht Club, Australia) With wind limits on the edge, conditions on day one of Sail Melbourne International 2020 provided many competitors with a wild, windy and challenging day on Port Phillip Bay.
Racing started out in around 20–22 knots but with wind gusting into the high twenties as the afternoon progressed, racing was cut short after several classes reached their wind limits. All classes, but the Tasar, still managed to get one race in with only the kiteboarders as well as the windsurfers completing their race schedule.
Sail Melbourne International continues the 2020 Melbourne Summer of Sailing event series and with just under 200 days until the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games the event has attracted over 300 entries from 25 countries with many of the international sailors using the event as a warm-up for their class world championships, including the Laser, Laser Radial, or RS:X World Championships in February.
The Laser Standard and Laser Radial events have attracted a world-class field and the largest number of entries with SMI an exciting opportunity for the world’s best International Laser class sailors to test the Port Phillip ahead of their class World Championships at Sandringham Yacht Club in February.
The fleets only managed to get one race in on day one though with Rio Olympic champion Tom Burton making the most of it and finishing second behind three-time Olympian Jean-Baptist Bernaz.
“It was a pretty big day with massive waves and big winds. We only had a little bit of waiting around and it was pretty obvious that everyone was close to the limit with one race today, so we are in for a big three race day tomorrow,” Burton said.
The Laser Radial was won by Rio Olympic champion Marit Bouwmeester from the Netherlands with Western Australian Michael Compton following in second and top male competitor in the fleet.
Racing will continue on Saturday with start times scheduled for 2PM and with three races scheduled across all fleets.
RESULTS: http://www.sailmelbourne.com.au/results/
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Photo credit: Beau Outteridge
See video highlights clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzYgNrUSC2E
About Sail Melbourne International & Melbourne Summer of Sailing 2020
Sail Melbourne International (SMI), Victoria’s premier event for Olympic class sailing, continues the exciting 2020 Melbourne Summer of Sailing series which kicked off with the 2019 Finn Gold Cup, the world championships of the International Finn Class, in December and continued with the Australian Open Laser Championships at the start of January.
With over 300 entries, Sail Melbourne is the biggest sailing event in Victoria this summer and a welcome opportunity for sailors from around the world to test the waters ahead of their Melbourne Summer of Sailing class world championships in February and March.
2020 Sail Melbourne International regatta is hosted by Royal Brighton Yacht Club in together with Sandringham Yacht Club (17-21 January 2020).
In February, the Laser and Laser Radial World Championships are coming to Sandringham Yacht Club, while the 49er/FX- and Nacra World Championships will be hosted by Royal Geelong Yacht Club. The 2020 RS:X World Championships are hosted by Sorrento Sailing and Couta Club at the end of February.
Melbourne’s Summer of Sailing 2020 is proudly supported by the Victorian State Government.
For more information about Sail Melbourne International head to www.sailmelbourne.com.au