By Doug
I could not attend this event so I'm evaluating the competition and playing armchair quarterback. Here are the people who have a good chance of winning in the 99-boat full-rig fleet (after day 1, in no particular order).
- Peter Shope in 1st, has the speed and is smart, but only if he does not OCS.
- John MacCausland in 2nd, has just won the Star Worlds. Smart and very consistent.
- Andy Pimental in 7th, has home-field advantage and does well in good fleets.
- Andy Roy in 10th , will move up if the winds increase.
- Marc Jacobi in 30th, had a rough first day but could still win.
- Wolfgang Gerz (GER) in 39th, is the current GM world champion... what the what?
- Mark Bear in 63rd, has won this event before and sails locally. He must be holding back!
- Derek Stow in 90th, dude - switch to a radial and you'll move up 50+ places!
Update from Pam: Final Results Four of Doug's predicted winners were indeed in the top 5. Doug was rather proud of himself for predicting the guy in 30th place at the end of the first day could win the event (see his report here). Peter Vessella wasn't in Doug's top five but he was very pleased to see Peter prove him wrong. John MacCausland slipped to 12th ... this is after he just won the Star Worlds, so it can't sting too badly and it certainly shows how stiff the competition is in the Laser Masters.
Indeed, Jacobi's come-back from that rocky Friday start was amazing, because conditions were pretty challenging. I can't remember the last time I've sailed in a regatta where you're in full hike survival mode one minute, then huddled to leeward trying to coax boat speed in the blink of an eye. Breeze was light-switch sensitive, and tricky currents added to the challenge. The Jacobi-Shope battle was one for the ages. Great event!
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that none of the top 5 finishers are going to the worlds in Oman.
DeleteHmmm. I don't think Steve Cockerill (who was the Radial NA Masters Champion this weekend) is going either. Will be interested to hear your predictions for who will do well in Oman. My guess is that Peter Seidenberg, Mark Bethwaite, Brett Beyer and Doug Peckover will win their respective fleets/ age groups. But who else?
DeleteApprentice: do not know this group well, Orlando Gledhill is fast
DeleteMaster: Brett Beyer will have fun sailing against Arnoud Hummel
Grand Master: Wolfgang Gerz and Greg Adams will fight it out
Great Grand Master (full): Mark Bethwaite
Great Grand Master (radial): watch Robert Lowndes and Kerry Waraker
Some of the fleet/age group combinations have so few entries that I haven't heard of any of the sailors before. Seems like we will be seeing some new world champions whatever happens.
DeleteDerek Stow achieved his objective for the regatta of winning the race to the bar on each of the first two days. Given that 2 firsts in a 3 race event cannot be beaten, he decided to sit out the 3rd day. Congratulations to Derek Stow, the 2013 North American Laser Master Bar Race Champion, on his crushing victory.
ReplyDeleteWinning is important, but crushing is even better. It must have been from all of those years of training. The sailing world would appreciate it if Derek would send us his training schedule for this great event.
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