Have you watched some of the outstanding coverage from the IOM worlds in Croatia? Tomorrow is a lay day but I have seen some of the video footage so far and have few observations.
Firstly it looks as though the Croatians are putting on a great show. Long courses, just enough wind and a superb backdrop. The video coverage is excellent and the drone footage can make us all tactical experts.
Unfortunately with all the footage there is no where to hide. In one race a boat missed the windward mark and continued without being spotted. However a review of the drone footage clearly showed the mistake and the competitor was able to rectify the situation to everyones satisfaction in a subsequent race. You can see each collision clearly. It is a shame we do not have the VAR system they have in football.
Three days of racing are completed and we reached the conclusion of race 7. There are 5 heats in a round of racing with each heat taking approximately 15-20 minutes and with 5 minute breaks between races means each completed round should take approximately 2 hours. After 3 days, 7 rounds are completed which means if you race in the same heat in each round, you will sail approx 2.25 hours in the 21hours available for racing so I guess it is a good idea to have plenty to do while not racing. If you are having a bad regatta that is a lot of time for contemplation.
Watching the racing, the starts are so important. I watched race 7 A fleet and saw Peter Stollery attempt a port end start. He hit the line on the gun and had control of the fleet but the wind eased for him and he was soon buried by the fleet as there was more wind for the boats starting at the centre of the line. It is tough out there even for the very best.
The water is flat but there is enough wind to keep boats moving well and it interesting to look at the designs in the hunt for honours. In the top twelve after race 7 there are the following designs, 3 Venti, 3 V11, 3 Britpop, 3 Kantun.
Given the light wind and flat water, boat set up is absolutely critical. A mm adjustment here can be the difference between winning and mid fleet.
The French hold the top 3 places and 12th, the Brits are 4,5 and 7, a spaniard in 6th, Croatians in 7,9 and 10 and an Australian in 11th place.
Thats all for now.
Here is the link to the Worlds web site
You tube links
Day 1 Part 1
Day 1 Part 2
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
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