Tom Slingsby from Australia successfully defended his 2007 Laser World title on his home turf at the NSW Central Coast town of Terrigal following the abandonment of the final two races due to extreme weather, including the opening day. 

Slingsby’s talent and flair, along with his obviously close working relationship with coach Arthur Brett, has lifted the sailor into the record books as only the second Australian sailor to win back to back titles in this competitive class; Glenn Bourke won three consecutive titles from 1988 to 1990.

Brett himself a former world sailing champion (Contender 2001/2002) says his brother’s job as coach to German tennis ace Boris Becker for five years gives him great insight into what role requires. “I am very proud of Tom.  He’s a pretty special talent.”

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Slingsby said when the Championship was called to a halt.  “It’s a weird feeling when they (race committee) pull up the AP flag – it’s a strange way to win a Championship, but I’m over the moon, especially to win on my local waters.”

One hundred and sixty of the world’s best sailors representing 57 nations contested the Championship in conditions that were mostly very windy southerlies on big seas and swell.  “Fresh is my preferred conditions,” Slingsby confessed, “but I am getting there in the light winds. 

On Day 5, he scored two from two wins to add to a pair of earlier wins.  “It was my perfect conditions,” he said of the steady 10-20 knot nor-easterlies, “but I’ve had good speed all week.  Sometimes speed can take you the wrong way though, as it did day before yesterday and I have to be careful of that.”

The 23 year-old from Point Frederick on the Central Coast, paid tribute to his coach and also to second place getter Julio Alsogaray from Argentina, who won the opening two races in light shifty south-easterly winds on a huge swell and sea.  It was to be the only light air day of the event. 

“Julio did a great job here; he didn’t finish any worse than ninth place.  He will be a big threat at the Games in China.  He sailed awesome,” said Slingsby who finished the event on 27 points. 

“He has all the tools to win in any conditions, but in China, it will be whoever can perform best that week,” Slingsby said.

The World Ranked No. 1, Laser sailor won the title in a shortened Championship hosted and organised by Gosford Sailing Club.  The venue though, was the Terrigal Trojan Rugby Club, set right on the water at The Haven.  The club’s rugby field served as an excellent boat park and club officials provided a very user-friendly environment.

Extreme conditions, evidenced from photos taken at the wind and rain-drenched event, meant two Qualifying Races and two Finals Races had to be abandoned, cutting short the chances of others at the top of the board to redeem themselves in what was initially to be a 14 race series.

That is not to take away from Slingsby, who sailed in the top five throughout, barring one day when he fell short with 14^th and 18^th place finishes.  He was to say afterwards:  “It was shifty and I went the wrong way every time; I had a really bad day.”

While Slingsby only had two blips in his score, the silver medallist, Julio Alsogaray from Argentina, took charge at the top of the scoreboard from the first day, only losing his lead marginally on two days to Slingsby. 

Alsogaray finished the Championship on 29 points, just two points adrift of the Australian. One ponders what may have been had two more races been sailed.  Fairly reliable results from World Ranked No. 11 Javier Hernandez, including a win in one race, ensured a bronze medal for the Spaniard. 

Second to 10^th places changed daily and the Argentine sailor, not one of the hot favourites going into the title, was obviously the one to beat, and he was keen.  “For sure I came here to win and I will do everything in my power to do that,” he said in the closing stages of the Championship.

Of the sailors ranked No’s 2 to 10 in the world, only two finished inside a top 10 result.  No. 9, Michael Bullot (NZL) finished fifth, 24 points behind Slingsby.  No. 2, Paul Goodison, placed seventh, 44 points away from the winner. 

Already chosen to represent New Zealand in Beijing, Andrew Murdoch, the World Ranked No. 4, fell short with a 13^th overall finish.  Both his Kiwi team mates beat him.  Athens silver medallist and Beijing bound Adreas Geritzer (AUT) missed out making the Gold fleet in the Finals while Athens bronze medallist, Vasilij Zbogar (SLO), finished fourth overall, but 20 points away from Slingsby. 

Goodison and Murdoch, along with other top rankers, said the first day of racing had pretty much dictated their results from there.  Both suffered 33^rd results in Race 2, but Goodison’s subsequent disqualification from Race 6, coupled with two other ordinary results, killed any hopes he held.

Unusually, and especially after coming fresh from a win at the Laser Asia Pacific Championship at Sail Melbourne, Goodison did not win a race, but did come up with four third places.

 Murdoch, on the other hand, counted two wins, a second and a third in his score, but his other results let him down.

Slingsby was surprised that the two, his greatest rivals, did not do better.  “I thought they would do better, but the first day of racing was a hard one for a lot of sailors,” he said.

Silver medallist Alsogaray felt understandably thwarted when the last two Finals Races were abandoned due to winds that gusted to 40 knots at times, whipping up huge seas.  Principle Race Officer Tony Denham stated on the day at around 2.00pm: “it’s too dangerous.  We have a duty of care.”    

Over the past year, the world ranked No. 13 Argentine scored top three results at ISAF Grade 1 regattas, but at others, he fell well short.  During these World’s, he was on top of his game.  Slingsby overcame him on two days, and when it mattered most, particularly on what was ultimately to be the final day, when he won both races, streaking away in Race 10 to win by a huge margin.    

Agreeing his chances of defending his 2007 world crown were good, Slingsby nevertheless admitted: “while you feel confident, you never know in a great fleet of sailors like this.”  He now gets on with the job of training for the Olympics to be held in Qingdao, China, in August.

“My diet for China has started.  I have a goal weight of 74-75 kilos which I think is achievable,” he said of the lighter conditions expected at the Olympic sailing venue.

“This has been one of the most testing Laser world championships ever,” said organising committee chairman Rob Lowndes.  “Conditions over the past week have ranged from superb north-easterly sea breezes to wild electrical storms and lighter variable winds. 

“In spite of the weather challenges, all of the competitors I’ve spoken to said they had a great regatta, regardless of their placing, and that’s all we can hope for,” added Lowndes.   

“Now it’s time to crank the system up to cope with the 370-odd competitors in the Laser Masters Worlds that start off Terrigal on Sunday,” he said.

Ten make Beijing Games cut

From the 26 nations vying for the final 10 places Laser places for nation qualification to the Beijing Games, Jeemin Ha made Korea proud as the first one in when he made it into the Gold fleet Finals. 

The other nine nations qualified from the Silver fleet.  They are:  Switzerland (Max Bulley finished fifth), Japan (Yoichi Iijima, 10th), Malaysia (Kevin Lim, 15th), Singapore (Leong Seng Koh, 23rd), Venezuela (Jose Ruiz, 26th), Dominican Republic (Raul Aguayo, 31st), Russia (Igor Lisovenko 32nd), Hungary (Zsombor Berecz) and Guatemala (Juan Maegli, 45th).

Qualifying one’s nation does not necessarily mean an automatic entry to the Games for the competitor who qualified his country. A number will have to sail off against their compatriots in other regattas to claim their Beijing selection or prove to their national authorities that they are up to the job.

A case in point is Germany. Qualifying at the 2007 ISAF Worlds, five German competitors came to these Worlds. Of the five, four remarkably made it through to the Gold fleet Finals. Alexander Schlonski was best placed, finishing sixth overall a fantastic effort. But now he will have to go home and plead his case to his national authority which will decide whether or not to send him to Beijing.

Various other countries have as many as seven sailors in contention for one Olympic place. Canada is one of those; with six in the mix.  One, Michael Leigh, is World Ranked No. 5, but will have to sail off against six others to secure an Olympic berth.

Revolutionary results system

The Laser World’s test drove the revolutionary Destiny Digital Pen results system and it worked a treat!  Consisting of a digital pen, mobile phone with Bluetooth capabilities, normal paper with mathematical dots and someone to point the pen, this new technology is set to revolutionise results systems worldwide.

The system, which was developed by William Crendal, allowed mark roundings and finish places to be viewed at the Laser World’s website as racing happened and made life a lot easier for officials and more beneficial for the general public.

The system was first tested worldwide at the November Laser Masters Championships hosted by Georges River Sailing Club in Sydney.

Crendal, who comes from a technical and sailing background, plans to launch a special sailing package for events such as this Championship.  The kit will include a hardboard sailing folder, dot paper, Bluetooth capable mobile phone, digital pen, and course map – that simple.

The Laser World Championship was made possible by the NSW State Government, including contributions from NSW and the Department of Sport and Recreation.  Other major sponsors included Gosford City Council, Ace Conveyor Group and Star of the Sea Luxury Apartments.

Thanks also go to race day sponsors and the many volunteers who selflessly helped to make the event the huge success it was.

Minister for the Central Coast John Della Bosca opened the 2008 Laser World Championship which was held from 4-13 February.

For all information and photos on the Laser World Championship, go to:  http://aus08.laserinternational.org/

Di Pearson
Laser Worlds media manager 

Further information:
Di Pearson,
2008 Laser Worlds media manager