No racing yesterday in ORC Sportboat European Championship
Unstable light conditions make fair racing impossible; today a 9-mile inshore substitute race is added to options to complete the event. After a two hour delay ashore, race managers from the Balatonfüredi Yacht Club headed out to the lake with the intent to set windward/leeward courses in the third day of competition at the ORC Sportboat European Championship.
But the shifting easterly breeze shifted even more, then died, and after another four hours of waiting it became clear conditions were not going to improve enough to allow for fair racing at all day.
So, with an uncertain forecast ahead for today and one remaining race needed to complete a valid championship, an amendment to the sailing instructions was made yesterday to allow the Race Committee to give an alternate inshore buoy race tomorrow if similar style to the distance race given on Thursday. The proposed distance of this course is about 9 miles, depending on the length of the first leg.
The good news is the rain has stopped and sun is shining.
Of interest to both spectators and competitors has been use of the raceQs online tracking system, where boats with smart phones can provide either live through a network connection or later through upload the tracking data for their boats during the day’s racing. This is then displayed on a web page dedicated to the event (www.raceQs.com/regattas/45250).
The utility of this data will be to assist in understanding the behavior of sportboats to improve the ORC rating system, but also to understand scenarios that happen on the course.
In fact, a request was made to re-open a protest hearing held yesterday based on the tracking information shown on raceQs. Although the request was denied by the International Jury, the situation was show in impressive detail.
After racing awards will be made to the top ten teams in the championship, including awards for Corinthian teams sailing with all ISAF Group 1 sailors on board.
Top-ten standings after Races 1-3:
1. Bluesmile (NED) Smile 22 1 – 1 – 2 4 points
2. Onedesign Ruffles (TUR) Farr 25OD 5 – 2 – 5 12
3. Kvartet (RUS) O-800 4 – 4 – 4 12
4. Neoprofil (POL) Cors T2 9 – 3 – 3 15
5. Serafina (SUI) Saphire 27 6 – 5 – 7 18
6. Cheetah 30 (SWE) Cheetah 30 6 – 6 – 6 18
7. Orion (HUN) T-Jolle 3 – 9 – 8 20
8. Nomad (HUN) Elliott 770 7 – 7 – 9 23
9. Grijze Plaag (NED) Smile 22 2 – 28 – 1 31
10. Innov8 (HUN) Code 8 12 – 8 – 12 32
For more information about teams, format and racing details at the 2015 ORC Sportboat European Championship, visit the event website at http://orcsportboateuropeans2015.bycold.digitalwave.hu.
And for more information on ORC and other ORC rules, classes and events, visit www.orc.org.