Swedes into the lead

After day two of the Silva J/80 World Championship in Falmouth, plus photos from Lee Whitehead

Races 2, 3 and 4 of the Silva J/80 World Championships were sailed today in Falmouth under the burgee of the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club. Light south to south easterly breeze predominated and Race Officer Jeff Martin set windward-leeward courses in the estuary.

An excitable fleet (perhaps a little too eager for the off) lined up and Race 2 of the championship series got underway with a black flag start following a general recall. Ruairidh Scott in Team Volvo settled in to his stride on the left hand side of the racetrack and was first to the windward mark from where he then proceeded to lead the 53 boat fleet through to the finish. Glen Darden from the USA in Red Sky Glide worked his way up from fifth place to second and Kevin Sproul in Silva Dream Machine took third place.

Race 3 also commenced with the black flag flying high but it was the star spangled banner of Red Sky Glide which led round the first mark. This is a strong fleet and conditions today taxed the best tactical minds in the Class. A twitchy race, more frustrating for some than others, saw the lead change a number of times but at the finish the boys and girls in the Swedish Team SBAB of Mikael Lindquist took the honours with Team Volvo second and Roger Gerrish and Peter Blackler third in Aqua J.

The late afternoon sunshine apparently had a calming effect on the competing teams and following a clean start another Swede, Michael Sundelin sailing Tyra, led from the off. In fact the first three boats didn’t change places at all and at the finish it was Tyra first, Team Volvo second and Silva Dream Machine third.

With four races sailed and another three planned for tomorrow, only three points separate the first three boats in the 2005 Silva J/80 World Championship; Team SBAB lead with 16 points, Silva Dream Machine have 18 and Team Volvo 19.

Close and exciting racing is the order of the day, and it’s certainly hard out there. It’s very plain to see that winning the start is half the battle but as Ruairidh Scott explained, "I have an awesome tactician in Ben Field. He works hard to get us off the start line and then the whole beat is about finding the right lanes and clear air".

The fleet are hoping for a little more breeze tomorrow if all goes to plan, three races will be sailed outside the estuary in the bay.

More photos on the following pages...

Results:

Pos	Boat	Nat	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	Tot
1st	team sbab	SWE	Mikael Lindquist	6	4	1	5	16
2nd	Silva Dream Machine	GBR	Kevin Sproul	7	3	5	3	18
3rd	Volvo	GBR	Ruairidh Scott	14	1	2	2	19
4th	Tendrisse	FRA	L Abignoli	5	8	7	10	30
5th	red sky glide	USA	Glenn Darden	12	2	4	20	38
6th	Needles and Pins	GER	Peter Hecht-Ulrich Muenker	2	21	12	13	48
7th	JSM	GBR	Stephen Hills	10	11	19	9	49
8th	RYA Volvo Keelboat	GBR	Gemma Frier	11	10	27	8	56
9th	Spigg	SWE	Christer Faith-Ell	9	5	29	18	61
10th	Swan Song	GBR	Peter Chester	22	18	16	11	67
11th	Apolojee	FRA	Queveau	27	14	6	24	71
12th	RYA Volvo Keelboat Squad	GBR	H Brown	20	13	9	29	71
13th	Parbleu V	SWE	Charlotte Dahl	36	16	13	7	72
14th	Tyra	SWE	Michael Sundelin	4	19	DSQ	1	77
15th	Aqua - J	GBR	Peter Blackler	17	BFD	3	4	77
16th	PL yachting	FRA	Eric Kerscaven	8	6	31	33	78
17th	Jeronimo	GBR	Roger Hollingsworth	16	15	32	16	79
18th	Juno	GBR	Jervis Devonshire	29	12	14	25	80
19th	Jet Set	GBR	Steve Andrew	23	24	18	15	80
20th	Nemo	GBR	Peter Henney	18	27	11	28	84
21st	TwentyFive	GBR	Steve Northmore	40	9	15	22	86
22nd	Titan Ecole Navale Conseil General	FRA	Arnaud Durande-Ayme	26	17	10	34	87
23rd	J' Suis	FRA	Eric Brezellec	1	BFD	24	12	90
24th	Jenga Tacktick	GBR	Marie-Claude Heys	3	BFD	17	23	96
25th	Liberty	GBR	Richard Bickford	19	7	39	31	96
26th	Volvo Keelboat Racing	GBR	Athol King	41	20	8	35	104
27th	Johnathan Livingston	FRA	Patrick Jeandot	21	30	28	30	109
28th	Volvo Keelboat Racing (662)	GBR	Nick Cherry	46	29	23	14	112
29th	Jiotoo	FRA	E Herve	24	32	BFD	6	115
30th	Thule	SWE	Ola Burmark	37	41	21	19	118
31st	Jevan	GBR	Robert Fox	33	38	22	27	120
32nd	Wave Warrior	GBR	Angus McPhie	13	39	37	32	121
33rd	Jura	GBR	Robert Napier	25	DNC	26	21	125
34th	Oceans Eleven	GBR	Daryl Conyers	38	36	35	17	126
35th	Jalapeno	GBR	Nicholas Over	45	23	25	36	129
36th	Tethys Ecole navale	FRA	Patrick Bot	34	25	20	52	131
37th	Jack in the Basket	FRA	Eric De Mones Del Pujol	30	BFD	30	26	139
38th	Just Savage	GBR	Chris Savage	28	31	35	49	143
39th	Jem	GBR	Peter Wanstall	15	46	40	43	144
40th	Jouster	GBR	Alan Shaft	43	28	34	41	146
41st	Jambo	GBR	Martin Langelaan	31	40	38	37	146
42nd	Jim Bob	GBR	Mark Wolfenden	32	33	41	45	151
43rd	Jezebel	GBR	Jeremy Round Smith	39	22	BFD	42	156
44th	Margaret	USA	Bud Rogers	44	35	42	38	159
45th	Jack	GBR	Simon Unwin	51	43	33	39	166
46th	Jacuzzi	FRA	Ludovic Gilet	42	26	BFD	50	171
47th	Junior High	GBR	Steve Cooper	47	34	43	47	171
48th	Mosquito	GBR	Duncan Johnston	35	44	46	51	176
49th	Giljacker	DEN	Birgitte Soegaard	49	37	44	48	178
50th	Jedi	GBR	Barry Hughes	52	45	45	40	182
51st	Jazz	GBR	Chris Evans	48	47	47	44	186
52nd	Junto	GBR	Robert Fletcher	50	42	BFD	46	191