Nearly 200 teams at 29er World Championship

Brand new facilities at the Plas Heli Welsh National Sailing Academy in Pwllheli, Wales will play host to 195 teams representing 25 nations for the 2015 Zhik 29er World Championship on August 9-14.

Participants include 2014 ISAF Youth World gold medalist skipper Brice Yriex (FRA), who recently finished second in the 29er Europeans this past July, will be sailing with Hugh Ward for the Worlds. All but two teams of the 25-boat gold fleet from the European Championship will be competing at the Worlds.

Also attending are North America’s top 5 teams from their recent championship in The Gorge, Oregon including champions Chris Williford and Wade Waddell (USA). Not to be outdone, representatives from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Brazil are also descending on this small town. Such is the lure of the 29er Class World title.

The 130-boat British 29er Nationals are being sailed on the same waters as the Worlds, with conditions varying from light air, heavy air and no sailing due to 40 knot puffs. The UK Nationals end August 6 with a few days of rest, registration and measurement before World racing begins.

The 29er is an open class for both age and gender, but with ISAF announcing separate boys and girls fleets for the Youth Worlds beginning in 2015, 151 of the registered teams are youth teams (18 or under) with 28 all-female teams, ready to hone their skills on the world stage and possibly also with an eye on the 2020 Olympics in skiffs.

Details at www.29erworlds.org

Report by 29er Class.