Leaders tied

US teams ahead at the LightSurf 2004 International 505 World Championships

The competitors of the LightSurf 2004 International 505 World Championship left the beach today under a moderate marine layer. While they were ghosting over the oily swells to the mile buoy in Monterey Bay the fog started to lift and a light northwesterly made its presence known. By the time the rabbit took off for the start of today's first race (race 3) 10 knots were being clocked at the weather mark with the promise of more.

After the recalled start attempts and gate start infringements/DSQs of two days ago, the fleet was cautious and well behaved for the start with a large portion well below the rabbit. They then spread themselves evenly across the width of the course. Halfway up the fleet divided, with the majority heading right. The left sailed into the fog. At the mark whitecaps were developing and the fog was descending as the fleet rounded, with most but not all electing to gybe set.

On the second weather leg the fleet split again but with a fog bank hanging out on the left hand side of the course more were diving right into clear skies. The last beat had the masses going for the beach (right) in wind now at about 15 knots. Finishing downwind first was the team of Morgan Larson/Trevor Baylis (USA), followed by Mike Martin/Jeff Nelson (USA), Charles Walters and Dougal Cram were third and the team of Ian Pinnell/Steve Hunt fourth.

The results of today's second race (number 4 of the series) are pending a protest decision. The 102 teams gated in 15 knots and selected right, or up the middle, towards building pressure at the weather mark. Martin/Nelson rounded near the front, with Larson/Baylis about 12th. Everyone set chutes for the first run, with places changing all the way to the leeward gate. The pressure was lighter at the leeward mark, and there were significant holes on the way up the next beat, though in typical Santa Cruz form the breeze was stronger at the weather mark.

The first reach looked windy and tight, tempting many teams to two-sail high first, but the pressure had eased as the first half of the fleet gybed around the mark, with those teams that had gone too high wishing they had hoisted earlier. Some teams were airborne off waves on the first reach, while others swam. Teams doused either just before the mark, or soon after, as the second reach was initially too tight to carry, though part way down the reach the breeze had lightened enough that most re-hoisted spinnakers.

The third beat also had some big holes in it, though once again the breeze generally built on the way to the weather mark. One final run, and a beat to the finish (course 2) and when the dust had settled it was Mike Martin/Jeff Nelson 1st, Dan Thompson/Andy Zinn 2nd, and Morgan Larson/Trevor Baylis up to 3rd, with local team Mike Holt/Carl Smit 4th.

Results:

Pos	Helm	Crew	Nat	R1	R2	R3	R4	Tot
1	Martin	Nelson	USA	3	1	2	1	4
2	Larson	Baylis	USA	1	2	1	3	4
3	Hamlin	Alarie	USA	2	4	12	6	12
4	Thompson	Zinn	USA	5	6	13	2	13
5	Holt	Smit	USA	4	7	11	4	15
6	Beeckman	Glass	USA	8	3	21	13	24
7	Edwards	Shelton	USA	9	8	22	9	26
8	Higgins	Johnston	AUS	15	10	5	12	27
9	Kellner	Schoeler	GER	10	20	8	10	28
10	Pinnell	Hunt	GBR	103	23	4	5	32
11	Higgins	Marsh	AUS	12	12	9	15	33
12	Scutcher	Diebitsch	GBR	6	103	29	7	42
13	Nathanson	Machin	AUS	19	5	23	19	43
14	Chappell	Gill	AUS	24	13	6	103	43
15	Findel	Tellen	GER	14	103	17	16	47
16	Taugher	Tripp	USA	22	24	7	26	53
17	Hagan	Park	USA	103	15	26	14	55
18	Voelckner	Dehne	GER	11	27	19	30	57
19	Miller	Bell	USA	7	17	103	34	58
20	Buchan	Buchan	USA	17	31	10	62	58
21	Poe	VonGrey	USA	27	37	27	11	65
22	Renehan	Lanzinger	USA	26	14	28	25	65
23	Nelson	Schelter	USA	21	26	25	21	67
24	Jackson	Nicholson	AUS	28	32	18	22	68
25	Cox	Grange	USA	36	18	24	28	70
26	Boyd	Schell	CAN	35	103	16	23	74
27	Herlihy	Buttner	USA	13	48	41	24	78
28	Oswald	Woelfel	USA	23	103	50	8	81
29	Harris	Saunders	USA	50	11	59	20	81
30	Bixby	Boothe	USA	103	9	30	43	82
31	Smith-White	Fulcher	GBR	16	50	103	17	83
32	Chatham	McQueen	USA	32	16	46	35	83
33	Boite	Goerge	FRA	25	103	32	32	89
34	Moore	Sparkman	USA	33	29	36	27	89
35	Van Munster	McAllister	AUS	49	19	35	36	90
36	Meller	Falsone	USA	31	44	103	18	93
37	Harris	Silverman	USA	41	22	31	44	94
38	Brown	Fry	CAN	30	39	34	31	95
39	Lieb	Smith	USA	44	36	40	29	105
40	Meyer	Jess	USA	46	45	15	56	106
41	Turnbull	Lunn	GBR	38	21	47	50	106
42	Quirk	Showell	AUS	48	46	14	54	108
43	Napier	Bristow	GBR	18	60	38	52	108
44	Fowler	Fowler	CAN	34	65	37	41	112
45	Jenkins	Merino	USA	42	25	48	57	115
46	Larsen	Andersen	DEN	45	28	42	53	115
47	Lott	Franks	AUS	53	43	33	39	115
48	Bojland	Stormark	DEN	43	41	44	37	121
49	Flam	Waterman	USA	67	103	20	38	125
50	Walters	Cram	GBR	20	103	3	103	126