Titles awarded at Laser Under-21 Worlds

Split, Croatia (November 2, 2019) – Juan Pablo Cardozo of Argentina won the U-21 Standard Men’s Championship, and also the U-19 award. Wiktoria Golebiowska of Poland won the U-21 Radial Women’s Championship.

It was a difficult week at the Laser Under-21 World Championships, for the sailors and for race committee. After five days, only two races had been scored, with a minimum of four races needed to award a championship. But the Yugo wind rolled in overnight, and along with rain it delivered 15 to 19 knot easterly winds.

Race committee scheduled three races on this final day, with a 1000 start time. Racing started on schedule and continued through the early afternoon. The wind strength varied some, dropping to twelve knots at times, with gusts that likely exceeded twenty, but the direction remained stable. Race committee adjusted the course heading only once, midday, after the wind backed about five degrees.

One fleet started cleanly on the first attempt, several starts were postponed in sequence to adjust the line, and there were multiple general recalls. Also, quite a few BFD (Black Flag Disqualification) penalties. Despite the half-meter seas and an adverse current, the fleets pushed the starting line. With it all coming down to the last day, maybe sailors were pushing for every advantage they could get.

It all came together with a final day of good racing. Big changes in the leader board from yesterday, as expected, but the Men’s and Women’s Under-21 Championships were awarded.

Two hundred and seventeen sailors representing 45 countries are registered for this six-day event – 146 men from 42 countries sailing Standard rigs and 71 women from 31 countries sailing Radials. To be eligible, sailors must be, or will turn, 17 years old this calendar year, but not 21 years old or older this year.

North American entries include Canadian sailors Clara Gravely, Liam Bruce, Noah Collinson, James Juhasz, and Norman Struthers. Peter McGriff and Lucija Ruzevic are from the US.

Racing was held from October 28 to November 2, 2019.

Event Details – Entry List – Results – Facebook

Source: International Laser Class Association