“Great racing, thanks to Gosford Sailing Club, Terrigal, race officials, volunteers and the school kids who are doing a great job,” said James Liebl (USA) in the Apprentice division.

Liebl finished yesterday’s lone race in third place and picked up a pair of second places today.  “It was great racing; good square racing.  The races were around an hour long each.  It’s great because if you have a bad start, you get the opportunity to catch up – or fall away,” he said.

“It was a perfect day.  If I die and go Paradise today, it couldn’t be any better.  I always wanted to come to Australia to sail.  I’ve spent $5,000 more than I budgeted for already – just cos I’m having such a good time,” he said.

Mid fleet, Lindsay Whitton (AUS) said:  “I didn’t get a good start in the second race – I had to do a 720 penalty turn – not a good way to start a race.  I’m happy though. I finished around mid fleet and was up around the people I should have been around.  It was fantastic conditions, warm with a nice breeze, just right for us old guys!”

Alison Casey (AUS) cleaned up in the Women’s Apprentice today with Justine Ella (AUS) second woman home.  “I had a nice one this afternoon in the second race, I was fifth over the line and second woman.  It was really nice light wind and a nice rolling swell, very enjoyable,” said Ella a local sailor from Wamberal.

Racing in the Master division, John Fullerton (GBR) said he had a much better day.  “It was a more settled breeze.  It’s nice to get into a race course.  The sea was still unsettled though, but the day was a good one – I finished mid fleet, which is my expectation,” he said.

“I did well in the first race – I finished around ninth in the Open fleet (first woman), but in the second race I was 16^th or so.  Vanessa (Dudley) did really well in the second race.  It was light and shifty and close racing – easy to lose and make mistakes, but a pleasant day out,” said reigning Women’s Master champion Lyndall Patterson (AUS).

“I had a beauty in the second race,” Dudley from Australia said.  I was sixth at the first mark, but then a couple of people got me, but I shot off downwind again and finished well,” she said.

Amongst the tail-enders, Annie Taylor (AUS) laughingly said:  “I was fighting it out at the back end of the fleet!” 

“I had a great day, but not result-wise,” Barry Tee from Canada said.  “It’s great being here in Terrigal, Australia, and sailing in big waves.  We don’t get that in Canada.  I’m really enjoying it.”

Gun Kiwi sailor Murray Thom leads a pack in the Masters Worlds. Photo courtesy C & C Images

Tony Austin (AUS) described his day as: “Embarrassing.  I’m finding it challenging – I went for a swim when nobody else around me did!  But it was great racing.  There are three of us here from Canberra Yacht Club and we’re having a good time.”

“Testing conditions,” was how Peter Heywood (AUS), the defending Radial Grand Masters world champion and winner of both races in that division today described racing after taking the lead of the Championship following three days of racing over the past two days.

Heywood, who cleanly won both races following his fifth place in the opening race yesterday, related how his day panned out:  “It was light with big waves and difficult to keep the boat moving along.  There were big holes in the course.  It’s hard to imagine, sailing offshore, but there were big glassy patches.”

“I got away from the rest of my division and right behind me, two Great Grand Masters had overtaken the rest of our fleet; Peter Seidenberg (USA) and Kerry Waraker (AUS).  I tacked off so they could continue their match race to the finish line.  I didn’t want to get in their way, said Heywood, who cleared out at the first mark in both races and never looked back.

Yesterday’s leader after a race win, Poopy Marcon (FRA) commented: “It was quite good racing.  I did not win, but I came fourth or fifth.”

For Peter Whipp (GBR) a capsize did not stop him from making a comeback.  “I had a reasonable day.  I was lying third in the second race, capsized and I was last, but I made my way back to fourth, I think.  Not bad, considering,” he said.

John Sprague (AUS) said: “the thing to do was go left.  I need a fair bit of breeze to get going – I need 10-15 knots.  What we got was 10-12 knots.”

Bobby Green (AUS) said it was a lovely day.  “The race committee set a great course again and everything went well.  We didn’t have much time between races, which worked alright for us.  It was good racing on a bit of swell in a nice steady breeze of around 8-10 knots and gusting at times.”

“I finished towards the end of the division, but I’m enjoying the sailing here,” the Vaucluse Yacht Club sailor said.

Reigning world champion Seidenberg, who leads the pointscore following a win yesterday and second and first places today, described his day:  “Excellent.  I’m leading the regatta and I hope it stays that way!  I found good speed today and sailed my boat the right way,” the American said.

“Conditions were to my liking – I weigh 70 kilos – winds were just right – lightish.  I had great competition with my old rival Kerry Waraker (the 2006 world champion and runner-up in 2007). This is my 25^th successive Laser world championship; I find it addictive.  The Laser is the perfect boat to keep you fit,” the 70 year old said.   

Waraker, who finished the day with a win and a second in some close racing with his rival, responded:  “We were even today.  He beat me yesterday.  It was brilliant today; I had a little bit of match racing with Peter.  It was more his conditions today.  It’s gotta blow for me to beat him.”

Results are provisional pending protests and ratification by officials and will be posted to the official website below in due course.

For all information on the Gosford Sailing Club hosted Laser Masters Worlds go to:  http://aus08.laserinternational.org/

Di Pearson
Laser Worlds media manager

Further information:
Di Pearson,
2008 Laser Worlds media manager