Hobie 16 Worlds: Stage Two Begins

Shenzhen, China (June 3, 2016) – Today the specially designed Hobie® red dragon sails flew for the second time in a series in the 2016 Hobie 16 World Championship regatta. Hobie sailors from around the world competed in the Great Grand Masters Class, the Grand Masters, the Women’s and the Hobie Youth Classes during the first day of the three day series.

The Women and Youth are each competing for World Championship titles while the Great Grand Masters, and the Grand Masters are competing to take home the Hobie International Cup in each division.

In Asian sunshine and in beautiful surroundings the first of the three races that were contested today started in a full 7 to 10 knot breeze. Some competitors took a little time to adjust to their new boats, the unfamiliar water conditions with no swell, and like it had over the four days of the Masters, a breeze that came consistently in off the land from the SSW.

After the lunch break that followed race one, the teams headed out on the course once again, to a little more breeze than was present in the morning session for the second race of the day. Having assessed the conditions from the previous race over the lunch break it was obvious that teams had made adjustments to tactics. Suddenly teams were starting to get their act together.

By the start of race three there was some serious shouts happening behind the starting line as boats jostled for positions particularly among the older two fleets on the water. Race one was a tester for some and the serious business had now started. Most boats in all divisions were double trapping across the starting line or early on up the first beat, the breeze was up the best it had been all day for the 5GO race.

The variety of conditions over the day’s three races proved to be an excellent start to the series.

At the close of day one Grahame Southwick and Sharon Rayner from Fiji are leading the Great Grand Masters followed by Bruce Tardrew and Nicholas King from Australia and Dominique Robert and Lisbeth Buonanno from France are in third place.

Masters champions Rod and Kerry Waterhouse from Australia now lead the Grand Masters with John Duchatel and Evelyn Curtis from Australia in second position and Michael Montague and Kathleen Ward from the USA in third.

The Women’s Class is headed by Nina Curtis and Haylee Outteridge from Australia over Meagan Bursa and Bonnie Butler also from Australia and completing the top three are another Australian team Krystal Weir and Georgia Warren-Myers.

The Youth division is topped by Auxence Thomas and Noa Ancian from New Caledonia, L Belouard and Theo Bore also from New Caledonia are in second place, with Benjamin Brown and Emily Rathburn from the USA in third place.

The 2016 Hobie 16 World Championships will be on the water again tomorrow with some excellent racing in this amazing part of the world. Stay in touch with all of the action.

Event details – Results – Facebook

21st Hobie Cat® 16 World Championships
May 30-June 2 – Hobie 16 Masters (skipper shall be 45 years or over)
June 3-5 – Hobie 16 Great Grand Masters (skipper shall be 55 years or over)
June 3-5 – Hobie 16 Grand Masters (skipper shall be 65 years or over)
June 3-5 – Hobie 16 Women’s (skipper/crew shall be female)
June 3-5 – Hobie 16 Youth (skipper/crew shall be under the age of 21 years of age)
June 6-8 – Hobie 16 Open Qualifier
June 9-11 – Hobie 16 Semi-Final
June 12-13 – Hobie 16 Final

Source: Hobie Class