2014 29er Worlds off to a Wet & Windy start

Kingston, ONT (July 28, 2014) – The CORK facilities in Kingston, Ontario, Canada is playing host to 102 teams representing 14 nations for the 2014 29er World Championship. Participants include 10 ISAF Youth World teams fresh from Tavira, Portugal including gold medalists Brice Yriex & Loic Fischer-Guillou (FRA) and silver medalist crew Riley Gibbs (USA). Such is the precedent with top ISAF Youth World competitors vying for the 29er Class World title.

The 29er is an open class for both age and gender, yet with ISAF announcing separate boys and girls fleets for the Youth Worlds beginning in 2015, 68 of the registered teams are youth teams (18 or under) with 17 all-female teams, ready to hone their skills on the world stage and possibly also with an eye on the 2020 Olympics in skiffs.

Racing began today for over 200 sailors as they hit Lake Ontario for a wet and windy start to the 2014 29er Worlds. The rain never let up but brought lots of breeze in the 20 knot range.

Kurt Hansen and Harry Morton (AUS) fresh off winning the North American Championship last week, sailed a perfect day with a picket fence of 1-1-1-1 in the four races held. ISAF Youth World Champions Brice Yrieix and Loic Fischer-Guilou (FRA) are close behind in second sailing a 1-2-3-2. New Zealand sailors Micah Wilkinson and Jack Rogers sit in 3rd with Wilkinson commenting “We had a good day on the water today with four solid results (5-2-4-2); we had a capsize in the first race which cost us a few positions but all in all it was a solid day on the water.”

Tomorrow’s forecast calls for clearing skies and 12 knot winds, even though Gillies Munroe from Great Britain said the weather was “Just like home.”

At the Opening Ceremonies held the evening before, the Mayor of Kingston proclaimed July 26 Aug 2 “Kingston World Sailing Week” which the competitors from the 14 nations highly applauded.

Racing for the qualification series continues tomorrow through Wednesday, followed by the finals, which start July 31, and the prizegiving on August 2.

Results
Event Website