Star and 470 Olympic class international action
Date Released: 14 April 2008
From: Jodie Bakewell-White
Star Worlds at mid way point
Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams have had a mixed start to the 2008 Star World Championship in Miami and sit in 32nd
place due to a black flag in race two. Now at the mid-way point in the six race series the kiwis have just recorded
their best result with a 3rd in race three which has just concluded on Biscayne Bay.
If Pepper and Williams sail well in race four they are likely to climb up the standings as the one discard allowed for
the series comes into effect following the next race.
Miami produced a 7-15 knot sea breeze for racing on day three and Pepper and Williams came off the line well and held
their position to finish 3rd in the one race of the day.
"After Pepsi [Pepper] launched us off the line with a great start just down from the Committee Boat we were able to get
straight into phase with the shifts and had clear lanes for the whole race - which makes it so much easier!" said
Williams after the race.
"It was a battle of the Gold Stars today with us, Rohart (FRA) and Scheidt (BRA) fighting it out the whole way around
for the win. These guys finished on the podium with us at 2006 Worlds, 2006 North Americans, 2007 Pre Olympics so it was
familiar battle grounds again today."
"It was great to see the 8187 boat going so strong against all the other Olympic hopefuls, another tick in the box for
boat speed! Now we need to focus a little harder on clearing the rust out in the boat handling department, but if that's
our biggest problem then at this stage we should be pretty happy."
Carl Williams describes how the pair was one of 25 boats black flagged on day two.
"The Race Committee were very keen to get the racing underway so the third attempt to start the race was signalled with
the dreaded Black Flag in order to calm the fleet down," says Williams.
"We were positioned at the middle of the line and with 30 seconds to go it was obvious that we were close so we decided
to sacrifice the start and bear away to avoid being over, but what this does is place you under other boats not being so
cautious. The gun went and the race was under way with the Race Committee signalling some boats had been seen over
(Individual Recall)."
"As we rounded the top mark and started the reach to the offset buoy the white board displaying the black flagged boats
had a big 87 (our bow #) in the top right corner, a quick check that yes our bow # is 87 and we sailed off the course to
head home. We were one of 25 other boats Black flagged, and in that a lot of the real top contenders which was really
the only consolation."
"Overall the boat felt really good. This is a big goal here in Miami to line this boat up against the World and help us
confirm that she is the boat of choice for the Olympics. You never like sailing home early but it's important to keep
the big picture in mind of why we are here A different story for some of the other countries who are still trying to
qualify for the Olympics, a Black flag has cost them dearly."
A rest day is scheduled for tomorrow with another three races remaining The regatta concludes on Miami on Thursday
afternoon. (Early Friday morning New Zealand time)
2008 Star World Championship (104 boats)
Top Five Standings after three races
1st - MacCausland & Murphy USA - 27 points (15, 4, 8)
2nd - Murray & Palfrey AUS - 27 points (11, 11, 5)
3rd - Negri & Viale ITA - 31 points (3, 3, 25)
4th - Suzuki & Wada JPN - 34 points (9, 15, 10)
5th - Medalblatt & Strube USA - 40 points (2, 6, 32)
32nd - Pepper & Williams NZL - 120 points (12, 105/BFD, 3)
Visit the regatta website (link below) for full results, race reports and images.
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Top result for 470s in build-up Regatta
Carl Evans and Peter Burling have recorded an impressive result finishing second in the 470 International Spring Cup in
the south of France. A warm-up regatta ahead of the start of the ISAF Grade 1 events approaching this European season,
the young guns have beaten off some top international competition also sailing in this event.
Sven Coster and Kalle Coste of the Netherlands, who were silver medallists at last year's 470 World Championships, took
out this event finishing three points clear of Evans and Burling. The New Zealanders beat the current top world ranked
pair Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page of Australia, who finished third, a further three points adrift.
Winds were moderate to strong with no racing on the final two days of the regatta due to too much wind. Sailors
encountered a mixture of flat sea offshore conditions as well as onshore winds with large waves and a total of eight
races were sailed.
Evan and Burling showed excellent consistency throughout the regatta never finishing outside the top five in all eight
races.
The next major event on the calendar for the 17 years olds who will represent New Zealand in this year's Olympic Games,
is the Semaine Olympique Francaise, an ISAF Grade One event which includes all of the Olympic classes. Starting on April
19th the event is likely to attract all the top 470 sailors. Evans and Burling will then return home to New Zealand for
a few weeks of school before heading back to Europe for more international competition.
470 International Spring Cup 2008 (38 boats)
Top Five Final Results
1st - Coster & Coste NED - 20 points
2nd - Evans & Burling NZL - 23 points
3rd - Wilmot & Page AUS - 26 points
4th - Fantela & Marenic CRO - 30 points
5th - Piasecki & Zieminski POL - 39 points
ENDS