French pair take Tiger Worlds

Diana Bogaards reports from the final day of Hobie racing at Cangas, Spain

Team Mourniac/Citeau (FRA) have won the Hobie Tiger Worlds 2006 convincingly, while Waterhouse/Lurati (AUS) have beaten their Dragoon opponents by one point. The Tiger top 3 consisted of three French Nissan teams. Five youth crews had made their way to the top 15. The week’s conditions varied from calm and tactical racing to strong breezes and huge waves, but the sun was shining consistently. The Hobie Tigers sailed 16 races altogether and the Hobie Dragoons 19.

After the wild conditions of the last few days, the final races were rather tame, but tactical. The water was flat and the wind came in patches and with shifts. Mark Laruffa: “The last race, I just couldn’t figure out what was going on out there.”

Today Mourniac and Citeau won the first Tiger race. Father and son Booth were leading at the top mark, but in the second upwind leg, the French passed the Ozzies. Citeau: “We like to have a good competition, so when they went left after the gate, we went right.” Overall, Citeau thinks the racing level was very high, but especially today: “The wind was shifty and light, those are tricky conditions.”

Mitch and Taylor Booth had a good day on the water, they went from a sixth position overall to a fourth. Taylor Booth: “Especially since this isn’t our kind of weather, we are very happy.” Mitch Booth comments on the high standards of racing: “In this kind of competition, there’s no luck or tricks to it, you just try to be a bit smoother and a bit smarter than the others.” Although they have been quite successful as a team, they won’t be sailing together on a regular basis. Taylor Booth: “Just once a year, but at the next worlds, I’ll be the skipper.”

The Dragoons sailed their final races in a bronze, silver and gold fleets. In the gold fleet, the number one Waterhouse/Lurati (AUS) was only three places ahead of the three teams that shared second position. The preceding days, fun was the main goal, but now the serious stuff started. This morning the atmosphere was tense. The children were rigging their sails more fanatically than ever. Vincent Domand and Eric Chaussat had a good start, and maintained their lead until the end. Number two and three had a close finish, but Sebastien Greber and Nikki Boniface (GBR) managed to cross the line a second earlier than the Australian team. Now Jason Waterhouse and Chase Lurati were only one point ahead of Domand/Chaussat.

During the second race, the wind decreased. Domand/Chaussat profited from some shifts and made their way to the front, whereas Waterhouse and Lurati were falling behind. Waterhouse/Lurati lost their hopes on an overall victory: “It was just terrible when the wind died out”, Waterhouse recalls, “We were shocked.” But they were lucky.

The wind dwindled, all the cats were just floating around and the racing committee blew its horn. Waterhouse: “First, we didn’t know what it meant, but when I realised the race was cancelled, I was so happy!” Waterhouse jumped into the water, his crew just couldn’t believe they won the Worlds. Lurati: “We are so lucky.” Waterhouse was feeling a bit sorry for the French team though: “They must now be feeling the way I felt during the second race. They are good, quick sailors.” Waterhouse’s next goal is to win the Hobie 16 Worlds in 2007.

This morning, the top five Dragoon teams competed with the top five Tiger crews in a close-fought battle. Though the races took place right in front of the beach, some of the Tigers were a little late for the start - 11:30 is rather early for those who are used to the Spanish rhythm! On the beach, friends were shouting and cheering to support the sailors. There was little wind, only 5 knots. The first race, the French Dragoon team Domand/Chaussat got off well and won. With two second places, Jason Waterhouse and Chase Lurati were the overall winners of this fun race. Lurati: “It was easy to beat the big boys. They are too heavy, their boats just sink.”

Hobie Tiger - top 50

Pos	Crew	Nat	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	Total	Net
1	Jean-Christophe Mourniac	FRA	3	5	1	4	1	11	1	2	1	1	1	4	2	1	3	24	65	41
	Franck Citeau
2	Moana Vaireaux	FRA	17	6	6	2	4	1	7	6	3	4	4	6	5	12	4	1	88	71
	Petit Romain
3	Christophe Renaud de Malet	FRA	4	9	19	8	2	6	4	1	4	7	5	3	7	8	20	8	115	95
	Alban Rossollin
4	Mitch Booth	AUS	7	22	16	17	7	2	3	18	2	2	60	2	4	5	9	3	179	119
	Taylor Booth												OCS
5	Greg Thomas	USA	1	3	2	15	10	10	2	10	15	10	3	11	19	25	5	13	154	129
	Jacques Bernier
6	Mark Laruffa	AUS	43	2	17	1	13	14	16	9	13	3	2	1	1	18	11	23	187	144
	Ricky Heasman
7	Tom Phipps	GBR	8	7	26	3	22	4	9	20	8	15	11	14	11	14	1	2	175	149
	Jonathan Cook
8	Simon Kearns	GBR	11	10	5	26	16	9	10	5	20	24	7	22	16	19	2	6	208	182
	Mad dog Burns
9	Cédric Bader	FRA	23	14	8	16	6	26	32	11	9	11	8	13	8	21	14	12	232	200
	Montoya Yann
10	Brett Dryland	AUS	19	4	33	9	9	5	13	3	17	26	6	15	60	13	27	14	273	213
	Rod Waterhouse														OCS
11	John Tomko	USA	13	23	11	22	8	8	11	17	6	5	10	16	60	28	31	11	280	220
	Ian Billings														OCS
12	Kevin Cooper	GBR	16	19	20	14	30	15	22	8	11	14	60	12	14	17	6	7	285	225
	Justin Martin												DNF
13	Gerard Loos	NED	39	1	22	7	17	33	27	22	5	8	13	5	6	7	18	36	266	227
	Pieter van Ruitenburg
14	Jerome le Gal	FRA	10	30	4	6	18	7	6	14	60	21	9	17	32	2	10	41	287	227
	Mickael Siret										DNF
15	Loic Fequet	FRA	25	34	9	33	3	28	8	4	10	6	60	8	3	11	26	22	290	230
	François Filippi												OCS
16	Oscar Zeekant	NED	6	13	27	23	14	16	25	29	19	29	21	19	18	10	8	4	281	252
	Noor van Uchelen
17	Mal Gray	AUS	14	15	10	19	15	20	23	28	7	9	60	10	10	20	37	28	325	265
	Daniel Sims												OCS
18	Sam Newton	GBR	20	41	7	10	27	18	14	15	25	16	22	18	12	35	12	19	311	270
	Harry Blakey
19	Normand Thomas	FRA	30	26	3	12	21	31	21	13	12	60	23	29	21	15	17	20	354	294
	leMaitre Brice											DNF
20	Allan Lawrence	RSA	38	31	13	13	24	25	30	16	27	19	19	40	17	4	13	15	344	304
	Inge Schabort
21	Rudolph Chichemanian	FRA	12	39	12	21	41	32	15	19	24	22	16	9	24	39	33	5	363	322
	Greg Bresil
22	Bernardo Benitez Cabrera	ESP	31	24	24	18	25	41	29	7	16	12	24	23	60	24	7	21	386	326
	Miguel Perez Quintana														DNF
23	Shane Peterson	AUS	2	20	28	25	12	12	26	27	18	20	60	25	60	6	32	16	389	329
	Jerome Binder												OCS		OCS
24	Eric Proust	FRA	9	17	60	27	20	23	19	21	14	13	18	28	9	27	29	60	394	334
	Timothe Bruneel				OCS													DNF
25	Julien Feraud	FRA	18	29	60	20	32	3	20	23	21	23	17	20	20	9	28	60	403	343
	Alexis Doglio				OCS													DSQ
26	Sandra Tartaglino	USA	5	21	15	34	44	19	17	12	30	35	34	33	26	46	16	10	397	351
	Luke Butler
27	Andrew Tayler	GBR	21	16	60	29	5	13	5	60	60	60	12	24	15	3	23	18	424	364
	Nick Tayler				OCS					DNF	DNF	DNF
28	Blaine Dodds	RSA	44	32	25	31	11	40	34	26	23	31	15	35	25	30	21	9	432	388
	Peter Dodds
29	Ibrahim Mustafa	PUR	15	47	39	39	31	43	18	24	28	32	20	32	23	36	25	27	479	432
	Gustavo Pinto
30	Steve Leo	USA	42	18	18	24	34	39	37	37	22	37	28	26	36	34	15	32	479	437
	Jeff Fortuna
31	Frédérique Ffeiffer	FRA	34	27	35	5	23	17	41	34	38	60	25	34	28	16	48	34	499	439
	Françoise Dettling											DNF
32	Scott Miller	USA	29	40	23	11	35	29	28	30	44	42	31	31	29	33	22	30	487	443
	Kiki Miller
33	Ysbrand ten Houte de Lange	NED	27	12	43	40	45	38	24	25	26	33	14	21	22	32	43	47	492	445
	Roland van Joolen
34	Colin Whitehead	RSA	47	52	32	42	39	24	12	39	29	18	27	27	13	31	40	33	505	453
	Peter Verdon
35	Nacho Botas	ESP	26	46	29	37	26	45	42	41	31	27	29	7	60	23	34	31	534	474
	Pepe Etcheverria														OCS
36	Elke Delnooz	NED	36	28	41	47	43	22	33	38	60	30	32	37	35	29	30	17	558	498
	Tim Hulsman										DNF
37	Guillaume Hemery	FRA	41	45	14	38	40	21	35	60	34	28	33	30	30	22	39	60	570	510
	Olivier Fernandez									DSQ								DNF
38	Richard Ayres	RSA	22	43	21	36	19	30	44	35	40	41	37	50	38	47	49	29	581	531
	Roxanne Dodds
39	Olivier Pilon	CAN	24	37	31	28	42	27	38	32	39	60	38	38	60	44	19	35	592	532
	Guillaume Paradis											DNF			OCS
40	Hylton Hale	RSA	28	44	38	35	28	35	39	36	35	17	26	46	60	40	41	46	594	534
	Robert de Rooy														OCS
41	Ran Stav	ISR	49	25	37	45	36	36	40	31	43	38	39	43	34	26	38	43	603	554
	Ron Barak
42	Daniel DeLave	USA	60	38	60	32	29	42	31	33	32	60	36	36	27	38	44	26	624	564
	Eileen Haubl		DNF		OCS							DNF
43	Chris Green	USA	35	48	34	30	46	37	36	60	37	39	30	52	37	48	35	40	644	584
	David McDaniel									DSQ
44	Vincent Levionnois	FRA	40	50	30	53	50	47	50	52	33	36	35	39	33	41	36	38	663	610
	Simon Levionnois
45	Peter Davies	HKG	45	36	46	41	48	46	45	43	41	60	47	47	40	42	42	25	694	634
	Brenda Davies											DNF
46	Franck Jehenson	NED	54	35	45	48	37	34	47	40	60	60	42	41	41	53	24	37	698	638
	Angeline Jehenson										DNF	DNF
47	Michael Goodyer	RSA	46	42	40	50	33	48	51	47	47	25	43	60	31	52	50	39	704	644
	Louise Goodyer													DNF
48	David Stiemsma	USA	48	8	36	44	38	44	46	44	42	60	44	44	60	43	60	60	721	661
	Jerry Mohney											DNF			DNF		DNF	DNF
49	Mark Kopel	RSA	32	49	44	46	53	52	52	49	36	34	40	42	60	51	53	42	735	675
	Kevin Swanson														DNF
50	David Heroux	USA	53	11	47	49	47	49	49	48	45	40	60	60	60	45	60	60	783	723
	Barbara Powers												DNF	DNF	DNF		DNF	DNF

Dragoon Gold Fleet

Pos	Name	Nat	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	R17	R8	R19	Total	Net
1	Jason Waterhouse	AUS	2			5				1			1			1		1			3	14	9
	Chase Lurati
2	Vincent Domand	FRA			1			11		5		1					1			1	1	21	10
	Eric Chaussat							DSQ
3	Adam Butler	GBR	1				3		1					3			2	2			7	19	12
	Gilly Sutcliffe
4	Sébastien Greber	GBR	3			1				4			2			4		3			2	19	15
	Nikki Boniface
5	Angus Furnaque	GBR		1		2			5			4			5				1		4	22	17
	Ellie Furnague
6	Perico Velón	ESP			2		1				1		11		1					4	10	30	19
	Bernal Figueiras												DNF
7	Geert Schouten	NED			4			1		2		5					4			3	9	28	19
	Thomas Schouten
8	Laurence Carter	GBR		2		7			2			3			3				2		8	27	19
	David Carter
9	Ute Vrijburg	NED		4				7			3			2		2			3		5	26	19
	Dominique Vrijburg
10	Oscar Sutcliffe	GBR	6				5		4					1			3	4			6	29	23
	Alfred Sutcliffe