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World Championship 2001

Båstad, Sweden

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August 4th - 10th

Day one:

Race one by: Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE):

The Worlds started in quite heavy winds. WSW 8-10m/s. The starting line had a small favour for the leeward end. The first beat it payed off to go on the shifts and work toward the left side. A tight reach followed by a much more open second reach. It payed off to go low on second reach, getting good surfs and then gybe and go to mark. Second beat a bit like the first, cover the left side. The run was a nice one with big waves and fun sailing. Finally, after a long run it was the time for the last beat and I rounded 5th after heading Karston Hitz (GER), Bart Bomans (BEL) and the two Britts, Hedley Fletcher and Nick Craig.

Got a good lift at the end and could finish as third. The race took 2 hours and I think most of us sailors could have settled with one race since almost the whole fleet went in to the stay out of the wind in the harbour.

Report for Race Two by Hedley Fletcher (GBR):

The second race for the day started in 15-20 knots with a shifty direction off shore. Mark Jackson from Australia popped out at the start but places changed constantly up the first beat. Karsten Hitz (GER) sailed on conservatively to lead at mark one followed by Hedley Fletcher (GBR) and Oliver Gronholz (GER). Gavin Waldron (GBR) headed a further bunch. Karsten opened up a substantial lead on the downwind legs and led to the finish. Thomas Hanson Mild (Sweden) and Nick Craig sailed good downwind legs to get amongst the leaders. At the finish, Karsten won from Thomas who squeezed passed Hedley at the finish. Nick was fourth with Bart Bomans (BEL) sailing an excellent last beat to finish fourth.

Day two:

Report for Race Three by Jørgen Lindhardtsen (DEN, 3rd in race, 6 overall):

The Race was sailed in 6-8 m/s NW. After one general recall, the fleet was off the starting line. The Belgium Bart Bomans had a big lead at the first mark followed by Hedley Fletcher (GRB). I , Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) Nick Craig (GBR) and Karsten Hitz (GER). After second beat Bomans was still in the lead with Hansson-Mild second, me in third, Craig, Hitz and Fletcher in the next places. In the last beat Hansson succedded in pass Bomans and won the race. Bomans second then me, Hitz, Craig, Fletcher. Seventh was Ollie Gronholz (GER).

Day three:

Report of Race 4 by Bart Bomans (BEL):

Racing got underway in a good force 5 land wind. This meant the swell was replaced by a nasty chop. Most of the favorites went right up the first beat, but it was Gunther Arndt (GER ) who came in from the left that was leading at the first mark. He was closely followed by Christian Midtgaard (DEN) and Karsten Hitz (GER). All the other contenders were back in the early teens. At the end of the triangle, Karsten was leading from Christian and Gunther. Bart Bomans (BEL) went fast on the reaches to round 4th just ahead of Hedley Fletcher (GRB) and Nick Craig (GRB). Positions remained the same on the second beat, and on the run both Karsten and Bart made up a lot of ground on the others. On the final beat, Karsten loosely covered Bart, and only just held first place from Christian who had escaped to the right. Bart came 3rd and Gunther 4th. The race course was huge with the race nearly lasting for two hours.

Report of Race 5 by Olle Albrektsson (SWE):

The race started with heavy rain and 11m/s wind. On the first beat the wind started to turn right and at the same time the wind decreased at the left side. J&oslahs;rgen Lindhartsen (DEN) and Olle Albrektsson (SWE) came in from the right and could go round the top mark in a good lead. Karsten Hitz (GER) made fast downwind and passed Olle at the end of the run. In the end, the wind dropped to 4m/s when Jørgen got the gun followed by Karsten and Olle.

Day four:

Strong Winds Postpone Racing

Due to extreme weather and winds above 32 knots racing was postponed on Thursday.

Day five:

Report of race six by: Nick Craig (GBR) (also on www.SailSail.com)

Karsten Hitz (GER) wins his title in style

Karsten Hitz wins the title with one race spare. Racing finally got under way to conclude the Championship yesterday in Bastad, Sweden. Race 6

Karsten Hitz (GER) went into the final day with a 20 point lead but with light airs he was looking a little worried. Race 6 got under way in a force 3 with a nasty chop left over from yesterday's gale force 8. The race started in shifty winds with Bart Bomans (BEL) making a strong challenge for the World Title with an early lead from Hedley Fletcher (GBR). Hitz was burried in the 20's at the first mark. Bomans motored away down wind for a big win followed by the veteran legend, Jørgen Lindhardtsen (DEN). The chasing pack finished very closely led by Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) and Fletcher. Hitz hit left up the last beat to make a remarkable recovery to 5th and retain his World Title.

Report of Race six by Bart Bomans (BEL)

Conditions were friendlier for the last two races. A nice force 3-4 and sunshine all day. The first race got underway after one general recall. Left seemed favoured on the first beat and Paul Rhodes (NZL) who shot the left corner went round the first mark first, followed by H. Fletcher (GBR) and Bart Bomans (BEL). Bart Bomans pulled through on the reaches to win from J. Lindhardtsen (DEN) and T. Hanson-Mild

Report of race seven by: Nick Craig (GBR) (also on www.SailSail.com)

With Hitz already won gold, the battle for silver was on between Bomans and Hansson-Mild, with Hansson-Mild needing to beat Bomans by around 3 places. The race started in similar tricky conditions with Bomans once again picking the shifts righ to lead at the windward mark and win again with his excellent downwind speed. The chasing pack was again very tight especially when the wind went light up the last beat. Hitz won his title in style with another 2nd followed by Hansson-Mild and Nick Craig (GBR).

Hitz won't be able to rest on his laurels for long because the next world championships is in sunny New Zealand in January, only five months away.

Report of Race seven by Karsten Hitz (GER)

After the first race the wind dropped down a bit and shifted about 20° in all directions. Bart Bomans was leading from the first mark on till right to the finish. Behind him Thomas Hanson-Mild and Jørgen Lindhardtsen were sailing out the third place over all. Karsten Hitz became second and Thomas with the third place in the race, won the bronce medal.

Report of Race seven by Bart Bomans (BEL)

The seventh race was quite similar, with the shifty wind being very dominant. Getting the shifts right was importand. Bomans popped out of the middle to round first, followed by H. Fletcher and T. Hanson-Mild. The order stayed pretty much the same throughout the race. Ending in 1. Bomans, 2. Hitz, 3. Hanson-Mild. This gave Karsten the title, ahead of Bomans and Hanson-Mild.

Point System: "Olympic": 1st=0; 2nd=3; 3rd=5,7; 4th=8; 5th=10; 6th=11,7; place+6