[UK Cat Info] [PRESS RELEASE] France and Tahiti win first race open qualifier 17th Hobie 16 Worlds

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 12:17:22 -0400

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PRESS RELEASE

FRANCE AND TAHITI WIN FIRST RACE IN OPEN QUALIFIER 17th HOBIE 16 WORLDS=20
Strong wind keeps competitors ashore=20

Port Elizabeth / South Africa, October 29th 2005
=09
=09
  _____ =20

On Saturday October 29th 2005, France and Tahiti won the first race in
the open qualifier round for the seventeenth Hobie Cat 16 Worlds in Port
Elizabeth, South Africa. Both teams, Alban Bruna / Jean Bernaz (FRA) and
Telva Veronique / Kaya Guillain (TAH), gained convincingly their first
victory. Although the conditions looked perfect this morning, they
became rough again and further racing was abandoned. Spectators had a
good time on the pier watching the spectacular sailing of the H16 crews
out on the Indian Ocean. Back on the beach, all hands were needed to
bring the equipment safely in.=20

Race one=20
After yesterday=92s complete cancellation of competition due to a 40 =
knots
offshore wind, today started with a nice breeze from almost the opposite
direction. It increased very quickly before the first start and already
shifted to the north-west. The starting gun was fired at 10:00 hours AM,
with about 20 knots of wind and it continued to build up. Most of the
teams went to the left side of the course. Only six decided to try their
luck on the right, which did not pay off. The H16s that took a long
starboard tack also fell behind, but the ones that took an early flier
came out best. Bruno and Bernaz were first at the upwind mark: =93We =
kept
this position throughout the race. It was difficult sailing with high
and short waves.=94 They finished about three hundred meters ahead of =
the
runners-up, Fletcher Warren and Georgia Myers from New Zealand.
Meanwhile, eleven crews out of forty-three gave up due to the wild
conditions. Boats were blown over and the beach master warned the
competitors of the next race: =93The wind and surf are picking up. If =
you
do not feel comfortable, do not go out. If you want to reef your
mainsail, there are ropes available.=94=20

Race two
During the boat swap, the H16s were tuned for high winds, as it had
increased up to 30 knots in gusts. Some of the teams did reef their
mainsail. All of them were allowed to leave the beach at 11:15 hours AM,
whereafter the struggle against the elements started. The conditions
were rough and required a very good teamwork. Veronique Telva and
Guillain Kaya from Tahiti knew how to play this game and took the lead
pretty soon. Skipper Telva: =93We are used to sail in these conditions,
although it is normally a little bit less extreme at home. We did not
have a good start, since we missed the five minutes signal, but we have
been in first position all the time.=94 According to Telva, they were =
one
or two minutes ahead of Mark Laruffa (ITA) and Joshua Selig (RSA).
Telva: =93In the end, we had difficulties to find the finish line. They
shortened the race, so the gate was gone. We stopped and looked around,
before we knew where to go.=94 After his arrival back on the beach,
experienced Hobie 16 sailor Mark Laruffa explained that it was really
scary: =93The waves just smashed your feet off the boat. The wind must
have been easily 35 knots. I have never depowered my side stays that
much.=94 The South African ladies Belinda Hayward and Kim
Wilkinson-Davies, silver medallists in the Women World Championship,
performed a remarkable feat by finishing in third position. Twenty-seven
teams out of forty-three completed the race.=20

Sunday will be the last day of the open qualifier with 83 teams,
representing nineteen countries. On Monday October 31st, the semi-finals
will start.=20

/// The End

  _____ =20

For more information about the seventeenth Hobie 16 Worlds, please
contact the following person:

Diana Bogaards, press contact
Mobile: +31 6 51383762
E-mail: diana@diabo.nl <mailto:diana@diabo.nl> =20

For the complete results, please surf to www.hobieworlds.com
<http://www.hobieworlds.com> .=20

Photographs: Pierrick Contin

www.hobieworlds.com <http://www.hobieworlds.com> =20

 <http://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/newspics/wave_h16.jpg>  Big waves
<http://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/newspics/wave_h16.jpg>
<http://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/newspics/team_tahiti.jpg>  Team
Tahiti <http://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/newspics/team_tahiti.jpg>
<http://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/newspics/starting_fleet.jpg>
Starting fleet
<http://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/newspics/starting_fleet.jpg>=20
  _____ =20

  U staat momenteel in ons bestand met het volgende mailadres:
info@catamaran.co.uk=09

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC"-//IETF//DTD HTML//EN"><html><head><style =
type=3Dtext/css></style></head><body =
bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"><DIV align=3D"center"><center><table border=3D"0" =
cellspacing=3D"1" celpadding=3D"1" width=3D"680" =
bgcolor=3D"#ffffff"><tr><td width=3D"100%" bgcolor=3D"#ffffff"><table =
width=3D"100%" height=3D"110" border=3D"0"><tr><td width=3D"100%" =
align=3D"center"><img =
src=3Dhttp://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/eventlogo/0183_HOBIELOGO_INT.jpg =
border=3D0></td></tr></table><tr><td =
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bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"><DIV align=3D"center"><center><table border=3D"0" =
cellpadding=3D"2" cellspacing=3D"0" width=3D"96%"><tr><td =
width=3D"100%"><h3>PRESS RELEASE</h3><STRONG>FRANCE AND TAHITI WIN FIRST =
RACE IN OPEN QUALIFIER 17th HOBIE 16 WORLDS</STRONG>=20
<BR><EM>Strong wind keeps competitors ashore</EM>
<BR><br>Port Elizabeth / South Africa, October 29th =
2005</td></tr><tr><td width=3D"100%"></td></tr><tr><td =
width=3D"100%"></td></tr><tr><td width=3D"100%"><hr class=3Dhr_blue><br>
</td></tr><tr><td width=3D"100%"><P>On Saturday October 29th 2005, =
France and Tahiti won the first race in the open qualifier round for the =
seventeenth Hobie Cat 16 Worlds in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Both =
teams, Alban Bruna / Jean Bernaz (FRA) and Telva Veronique / Kaya =
Guillain (TAH), gained convincingly their first victory. Although the =
conditions looked perfect this morning, they became rough again and =
further racing was abandoned. Spectators had a good time on the pier =
watching the spectacular sailing of the H16 crews out on the Indian =
Ocean. Back on the beach, all hands were needed to bring the equipment =
safely in. </P>
<P><STRONG>Race one</STRONG> <BR>After yesterday=92s complete =
cancellation of competition due to a 40 knots offshore wind, today =
started with a nice breeze from almost the opposite direction. It =
increased very quickly before the first start and already shifted to the =
north-west. The starting gun was fired at 10:00 hours AM, with about 20 =
knots of wind and it continued to build up. Most of the teams went to =
the left side of the course. Only six decided to try their luck on the =
right, which did not pay off. The H16s that took a long starboard tack =
also fell behind, but the ones that took an early flier came out best. =
Bruno and Bernaz were first at the upwind mark: =93We kept this position =
throughout the race. It was difficult sailing with high and short =
waves.=94 They finished about three hundred meters ahead of the =
runners-up, Fletcher Warren and Georgia Myers from New Zealand. =
Meanwhile, eleven crews out of forty-three gave up due to the wild =
conditions. Boats were blown over and the beach master warned the =
competitors of the next race: =93The wind and surf are picking up. If =
you do not feel comfortable, do not go out. If you want to reef your =
mainsail, there are ropes available.=94 </P>
<P><STRONG>Race two</STRONG><BR>During the boat swap, the H16s were =
tuned for high winds, as it had increased up to 30 knots in gusts. Some =
of the teams did reef their mainsail. All of them were allowed to leave =
the beach at 11:15 hours AM, whereafter the struggle against the =
elements started. The conditions were rough and required a very good =
teamwork. Veronique Telva and Guillain Kaya from Tahiti knew how to play =
this game and took the lead pretty soon. Skipper Telva: =93We are used =
to sail in these conditions, although it is normally a little bit less =
extreme at home. We did not have a good start, since we missed the five =
minutes signal, but we have been in first position all the time.=94 =
According to Telva, they were one or two minutes ahead of Mark Laruffa =
(ITA) and Joshua Selig (RSA). Telva: =93In the end, we had difficulties =
to find the finish line. They shortened the race, so the gate was gone. =
We stopped and looked around, before we knew where to go.=94 After his =
arrival back on the beach, experienced Hobie 16 sailor Mark Laruffa =
explained that it was really scary: =93The waves just smashed your feet =
off the boat. The wind must have been easily 35 knots. I have never =
depowered my side stays that much.=94 The South African ladies Belinda =
Hayward and Kim Wilkinson-Davies, silver medallists in the Women World =
Championship, performed a remarkable feat by finishing in third =
position. Twenty-seven teams out of forty-three completed the race. </P>
<P>Sunday will be the last day of the open qualifier with 83 teams, =
representing nineteen countries. On Monday October 31st, the semi-finals =
will start. </P>
<P>/// The End<BR></P></td></tr><tr><td width=3D"100%"><hr =
class=3Dhr_blue>

</td></tr><tr><td width=3D"100%"><P>For more information about the =
seventeenth Hobie 16 Worlds, please contact the following person:</P>
<P>Diana Bogaards, press contact<BR>Mobile: +31 6 51383762<BR>E-mail: <A =
href=3Dmailto:diana@diabo.nl>diana@diabo.nl</A> </P>
<P>For the complete results, please surf to <A =
href=3Dhttp://www.hobieworlds.com>www.hobieworlds.com</A>. </P>
<P>Photographs: Pierrick Contin</P>
<P><A href=3Dhttp://www.hobieworlds.com>www.hobieworlds.com</A> <BR></P>
<br><a href=3Dhttp://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/newspics/wave_h16.jpg =
target=3D_blank><img =
src=3Dhttp://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/icon/icon_pics.jpg =
border=3D0></a>  <a =
href=3Dhttp://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/newspics/wave_h16.jpg =
target=3D_blank>Big waves</a>
<a href=3Dhttp://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/newspics/team_tahiti.jpg =
target=3D_blank><img =
src=3Dhttp://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/icon/icon_pics.jpg =
border=3D0></a>  <a =
href=3Dhttp://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/newspics/team_tahiti.jpg =
target=3D_blank>Team Tahiti</a>
<a href=3Dhttp://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/newspics/starting_fleet.jpg =
target=3D_blank><img =
src=3Dhttp://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/icon/icon_pics.jpg =
border=3D0></a>  <a =
href=3Dhttp://www.diabo.nl/images/applic/newspics/starting_fleet.jpg =
target=3D_blank>Starting fleet</a></td></tr><tr><td width=3D"100%"><hr =
class=3Dhr_blue>
</td></tr></table></center></div></td></tr><tr><td width=3D"100%" =
colspan=3D"2" bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF" class=3D"smalltext" =
align=3D"center">&nbsp;&nbsp;U staat momenteel in ons bestand met het =
volgende mailadres: =
info@catamaran.co.uk</td></tr></table></center></div></body></html>
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