Canadian 49er Class Association

2010 49er World Championships

Freeport, Grand Bahamas

The bright blue waters and pristine beaches of Freeport played host to the joint 2010 29er/49er World Championships.  The racing area was quite literally straight off the beach, between the shoreline and a reef less than a kilometer offshore that ran parallel to the coast.  This created one major positive characteristic, and the possibility for one major negative scenario.  Flat water is ideal for skiff sailing, while running aground at high speed is not so ideal.  Some teams found this out the hard way while training.  It was quite unnerving, as the water was an average of 8 ft deep and it was quite easy to see the shadow of the boat on the bottom!

Qualifying Series (2 fleets: Red & Green):

The first day of the regatta coincided with the first large cold front, bringing with it moderate to strong (16-18+ knots) Northerly winds.  With the shoreline running East-West, this made the racecourse very short with the windward mark set 50 ft from the beach.  Stronger winds combined with a short course meant 4 lap races, and with 3 races a day scheduled, it also meant exhausted crews.  Our day started quite well with a 6^th place in the first race, but we struggled off the start line in the next two, placing 15^th and 18^th.

Day two brought colder temperatures and really fresh and gusty winds (18-30+ knots) from the North.  Racing was very challenging with numerous teams, veteran and rookie, going for involuntary swims.  The first race of the day (Race 4) had a mediocre start and first leg, but we gradually picked off boats until we were just outside the top ten until the final windward mark where we caught a huge puff during the bear away and pitched it in hard.  We crossed the finish line in 19^th.  The next race we decided to tighten the rig more, and keep the rig in the air.  We had really good upwind speed and finished 8^th.  The race committee sent us ashore after two races as the wind was building and they were worried about the other fleet not getting any races.

Day three was the last day of the qualifying series before the fleets were split into Gold and Silver.  At the start of the day we were in 28^th, and needed some strong finishes to get into the top 25 (Gold).  The conditions were similar to Day 1, with 16-20 knot Northerly winds.  Overall the day went quite well, and we finished with a 5, 8, 14 and we moved into 21^st.

Final Series (2 fleets: Gold & Silver):

The Final series began with different weather conditions as the cold front had passed.  Day 1 of the final series had light and unstable winds from the North.  The Gold fleet was able to get three early races in where we scored an 8, 16 and 20.  Conditions really deteriorated during the last race where we dropped from the top half on the last run to the finish.  Silver fleet was unable to get any races, as the wind became totally erratic.

The second day was a long day for the Silver fleet, as the race committee tried to make up for previous day.  The wind came in from the WSW at 8-12 knots, and the temperature had warmed enough that most sailors were no longer wearing toques or full wetsuits.  It was a nice change.  The Silver fleet started with two races, and then the Gold fleet went out for three, followed by the silver fleet racing two more races later in the day.  Overall our day was okay, but not entirely satisfying, as we often didn’t demonstrate enough patience on the lower half of the beats.  We ended the day placing 14^th, 16^th and 19^th.

The final race day featured two races each for Gold and Silver fleets, followed by the Medal race for the top 10 in Gold fleet.  Another cold front had pushed its way down bringing strong Northerly winds, cold temperatures and plenty of rain.  As a general rule, it always rains on the last day when everyone has to pack up.  The first race was going reasonably until we capsized in a large puff while trying to gybe, and our score ended up being our drop (23).  In the final race we crossed the line 19^th, and ended the regatta in 22^nd place.  It was a little disappointing to finish the event with a relatively poor performance, but at the same time we demonstrated large potential.

Looking back at the event, I have to say I am satisfied with our performance.  Gordon and I had never sailed together prior to December, and only had the chance to train for six days together before the start of the event.  It had also been two and a half years since I crewed a 49er (It was a physically painful re-introduction I might add).  The hard part is ahead.  We have to train hard physically and mentally, and develop more as a team to reach the next level.  I am looking forward to the challenge.

Next Up – Rolex Miami Olympic Class Regatta (Jan 25-30)

-Hunter Lowden, West Coast Rep

Top Canadians : Gordon & Hunter finished in 22nd

Rest of Canadians :
Billy & Ian : 41st
John & Dan : 45th
Matthieu & Trevor : 49th

Team Dubreucq-Parekh sailing the starting line this afternoon

Dubreucq-Parekh at the leeward mark.

Januray 4th : Day 1 of racing

January 3rd : Practice race & opening ceremonies

September 19 – 20, Kingston, On

Not a Great Day 5
We just couldn’t figure out the day today and had our 3 worst races of the event to finish the regatta 18th overall. We load our boat in a container on Monday or Tuesday back to Miami and return to Toronto Thursday.

Moving On Up Day 4 We hit the water today for four races starting around 1500. It was a long afternoon but we put together a pretty solid day. The conditions were a mix of shifty winds from about 6 to 15 knots, and huge rolling waves coming sideways across the course. It was an up and down day for everyone in the fleet in the challenging conditions and we made it through the day with a 13, 8, 13, 6 to move us up to 15th overall. It wasn’t without fighting though. It was some of the toughest sailing we’ve done and we learned a lot as well. Off the water at sunset today, and getting rested up for what will probably be another four races tomorrow in the same conditions. Full results here.

Breeze On for Day 3 We got down to the Sailing Academy today and it was windier than yesterday, with all classes postponed ashore indefinitely. After waiting around all day again, the made the call and sent us out in breeze that was definitely pushing the ’sailable’ envelope around 1400. In the first race it took us a while to find ourselves again in these conditions, since we rarely get to practice in them, and we finished 17th. In the second race we nailed the start and rounded the first two windward marks, of the 3 lap race, in the top 3. We popped the kite and we were going great but had to avoid a capsized boat in front of us, forcing us to gybe a little late and overstand the layline to the second leeward. This meant that we had to drop the kite early and in the process of sailing to the marks under main and jib, we pitched the bow into a wave and both went flying around the forestay. About 10 boats passed us there. When we righted the boat, the shockcord holding my trapeze to the boat had broken and was blowing out behind the boat out of reach. After resecuring my trapeze, we managed around the rest of the course to finish a dissappointing 22nd. We weren’t the only ones wiping out though so we had some reassurance when the guys in the top 10 were down too. The last race was our best. A poor start but we got out to the side we wanted to go and great speed rounding the first mark in the top 10. We lost a few boats on the next few legs to round the final windward just on the edge of the top 15. We had a great final downwind to the finish though and with the help of some guys ahead wiping out, we pulled off a 9 to end the day on a high note. We are still sitting in 19th but only 12 points out of the top 15.

Overall we are happy with the day. We have great speed and can be up there with the top guys (8 of the top 10 and around 20 of the top 25 at Worlds are here). Our boathandling was a little shakey, but you just don’t get 25 knots in Toronto unless it’s April. Tomorrow is another day, with slightly less breeze in the forecast and we’re ready to move up.

S4G Day 1 and 2 The Skandia Sail For Gold Regatta kicked off yesterday in Weymouth, UK. The conditions were definitely difficult with winds averaging around 12 knots from a shifty north east direction. However, there were some severe lulls and puffs present, along with big chop, to make picking the right setup a difficult task.

We started off a little slow with poor starts in the first two races, making it difficult to get out to the favoured left side of the course. We were also involved in a minor collision (no damage) in the second race which slowed us down considerably, even though we were in the right. We managed to salvage a 23 in each race. In the last race we finally had a great start and worked up the left side to round the first mark in 3rd. Sticking to our game plan, we went out left again with the lead group on the second upwind to have the right pay off for the first time all day and we were all passed by the group that went out that way. We finished 15th in a big pack of boats. At the end of the day, we sat in 19th of 43. We thought it was going to look worse but we are happy with that. It was an inconsistent day for most of the fleet in the tricky conditions.

As for Day 2, we waited on shore all day for the breeze to drop below 30 knots so we could go race. And it did around 1530 when they sent us. Just as everyone was getting their sails up and the first boat was already afloat, another big front came through and they cancelled racing for the day.

The forcast for tomorrow is more of the same cold, rainy, windy stuff that we saw today but hopefully we will be able to get some racing in and claw our way up in the rankings.

Off to Weymouth We leave tonight for the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta in Weymouth, UK. Weymouth is the sailing venue for the 2012 Olympics so all of the top teams will be there to start getting familiar with the conditions. This will be our last stop in 2009 before we head south to prepare for the 2010 Worlds in January in Grand Bahamas.
Follow us on here and the regatta website. The regatta starts Monday and runs through Saturday.

August 23 – 27, 2009
CORK, Kingston, Ontario

Regatta Report by Trevor Parekh

Seiko 49er North Americans – Day 1

KINGSTON, ON          With a forecast for northerly winds and T-storms, things didn’t look good for the Seiko 49er North Americans. However, with some patience and good timing, the RC was able to get in 1 race in a dying 5 knot breeze. Conditions were light and shifty, however the fleet of 18 was able to sail the course in just over 31 minutes. Leading the regatta, hot off a second place at the 2009 Canada Summer Games, are Mike Blumer / Peter Soosalu, while Rob Dale / Carl Horrocks are in second, and in fourth place is Olympian Gordon Cook. Racing continues through Thursday, with 24 more races on the schedule. The event is being held in conjunction with the 29er North Americans as well.

Seiko 49er North Americans – Day 2

KINGSTON, ON          Today’s start was scheduled for noon, local-time. A few minutes after noon, the warning signal for the series’ second race went off. With a clean start, the boats were off. Canadian Sailing Team members Bill Gooderham / Ian Hogan won the first race in a shifty 7 knot breeze, while series leaders Mike Blumer / Peter Soosalu finished second – but retiring promptly thereafter. However, the young crew bounced back with a bullet in the day’s second race, in similar conditions.

Former CST member Rob Dale, sailing with American Carl Horrocks, came on strong, winning the next two races before the breeze built to a 12 knot thermal out of the southwest. With a close series, Bill Gooderham / Ian Hogan let loose and boat-speeded the 17-boat fleet for a final two bullets, opening the series wide-open, while the young leaders fell back as the breeze filled-in.

Nineteen races remain over the next three days, with racing wrapping up on Thursday. The forecast is for sunny skies and nice wind before a cold front arrives later in the week.

Seiko 49er North Americans – Day 3

KINGSTON, ON          Conditions on Tuesday were warm, sunny and windy with a classic Kingston thermal treating the sailors. Canadian Sailing Team members Billy Gooderham and Ian Hogan turned on the after-burners in the 15 knot breeze by posting four bullets in five races to take the overall series lead. Despite a capsize in the day’s first race, the young team was able to bounce back and win the day.

The winds reached 20 knots at times with a growing swell, sometimes reaching in excess of 1 metre. Many boats had to return to harbour for repairs throughout the day. Gooderham / Hogan credit their success today to their experience at the 2009 49er Worlds in Lake Garda, Italy where winds can easily reach 25 knots on a daily basis.

Seiko 49er North Americans – Day 4

KINGSTON, ON          Wednesday was met with lighter and shiftier winds from the north. With the top three boats only a few points from each other, racing was bound to be close. In the first race the top three boats finished 3, 2, 1 only to make things closer in the puffy and shifty conditions. The next three races proved equally challenging for all crews with the gradient wind fighting the building thermal, often causing 30° shifts in either direction. In the end, Billy Gooderham and Ian Hogan won the day, posting a 3, 1, 3, 2, extending their lead over fellow CST members Matt Dubreucq and Trevor Parekh.

The series concludes Thursday with six watches up for grabs for the top three crews.

Seiko 49er North Americans – Day 5

KINGSTON, ON – Billy Gooderham and Ian Hogan (CAN) held on to their lead today (owing much to mother nature) to become 2009 Seiko 49er North American Champions. They narrowly beat out the rival Canadian team of Matt Dubreucq and Trevor Parekh. Conditions Thursday did not permit any racing with a 2:30 PM drop-dead time for a warning signal.

The eighteen teams from five countries waited anxiously on the water as gradient and thermal breezes danced in circles around them. Just a few
moments after 2 PM, race officer Ron Roubideau abandoned the races and sent sailors to shore for the awards ceremony. There, the three top teams received two Seiko watches each.

In the end, the regatta was won by Gooderham/Hogan (ranked 30th in the world) on their superior speed in heavy wind, scoring four bullets on day 3. The event was a success from a media, sponsorship, visibility and sailing perspective. A big thank you is also owed to Seiko Canada for their support of this year’s event. The 2010 NA’s will be in Miami January 14 – 16 at Miami YC, while CORK will play host to the 49er Canadians next year. Max Fraser and Dave Libenberg of Santa Cruz, CA won the 29er portion of the event. Results: http://www.cork.org/results_2009.html#

Riva del Garda, Italy

Updates from Matt & Trev
2009 49er Worlds
Sunday July 19th:
Today was the final day of 6 long days of racing at the Worlds. We went into the day sitting in 2nd spot, 13 points behind first place and four points ahead of third, with three boats sitting in a tie for third. We had an early start (but not as early as Gold & Silver fleets). The first race we crushed it off the line using our superior boat speed to take an early lead at the first windward. We battled hard and covered the competition but we lost the lead on the final upwind by choosing the wrong gate at the bottom of the course. Despite our best efforts, we had lost two points to the boat immediately behind us. Luckily, we gained about 5 points on the Germans in front of us.

So it all came down to the last race. This one was a little lighter, with the Peller starting to die with the approaching Ora. We had great speed and a nice lane out to the left side of the course (what we thought would be favoured). We tacked back and realized that the right still had some life to it. We rounded the first weather mark in second to last. Luckily for us, GER 914 (series leaders) capsized at the weather mark. We battled hard to take boats on every leg of the race. Thank goodness it was a 3 lap race! We battled back to 11th (i think). Unfortunately, GBR 940 who were just behind us in the series finished 2nd and leapfrogged us in the standings. This race became the drop for the Germans and so we got closer but not close enough to pass them. We finished 3rd in the Bronze fleet. Next time i suppose!

Saturday July 18th:
Today was for sure the windiest day of the regatta – well, at least for the Bronze and Gold fleets! But it wasn’t the Ora, it was a storm system! The winds were blowing from 15 to 25 knots out of the north, veering slightly. In the first race, we rounded the mark 3rd. On the gybe, the 2nd place boat went for a swim, then at the first leeward, the leaders went for a swim! So we magically found ourselves in the lead. However, on the next downwind, we also swam on the gybe. We got it up and on the ensuing bear away, we pitched the bow into a wave and went A over apex. By the time we got it back up we had been passed and only managed a 4th.

Race 2 was much of hte same and literally about 10 seconds after taking the lead in the race we swam. This time we held onto 3rd place.

Races 3 and 4 were in the afternoon in lighter and shiftier conditions. We did well with two more top 6 finishes. That proved to be good enough to put us in 2nd overall (in Bronze fleet).

Friday July 17th:
We are getting ready to go for our first day of the final series. Three Canadian boats are sitting in about 60th, a few points out of the lead from the top of Bronze. You can bet that we’ll all be gunning hard for those Seiko watches!

OK – time to go hydrate! We have three races today… Go Team PPE!

Thursday July 16th:
We didn’t have our best day today. Actually no Canadian did! We all fell in the standings, which sucks. Billy & Ian were close to qualifying for hte Gold Fleet but missed out due to a few hickups on the race course. So did Ben & Gord, although they sailed well. It should be a nice fight for tops in the Silver Fleet.

Today was supposed to be the day where we move up four points in the standings to get into Silver Fleet. Our buddies from France are currently sitting in 57th and that’s the cut-off. So we need to go get them! We are on the Bravo Course today.

Wednesday July 15th:
Today was the 2nd day of racing. We had another classic Ora day but  were on the Alpha Course. One thing for sure is that Matt & I are consistent! We had 17, 18, 20 to cap it off. Although we had a better day today, we actually slid a little in the standings, thanks to the drop race. We are sitting a few points out of Silver Fleet and are gunning to get into the top 57 so that we can move up to our goal of top 50.

Going for wine and pizza now with Billy & Ian!

Tuesday July 14th:
Today was the 1st day of actual racing. The fleet has been split into 3 on 2 courses. We were selected to be in the red fleet along with two other Canadians: Billy & Ian, and the Newbies. Today was a classic Garda day with another Ora blowing 15 to 20 knots out of the South. It was amazing conditions: breezy, hot and sunny – a skiff sailor can’t ask for much more!

We had a great start in our first race and about 30″ after the start we tacked out to the right hand side of the course. That turned out to be a little late as all the leaders hit the right ASAP. We finished 20th. Second race we also had a good start and tried to hit the right again, but wound up with another 20th on the 3 lap race. In the third start we were squeezed out by two Olympians and were shot out into the 2nd row. However, this enabled us to hit the right a little earlier and so we rounded the mark just at the heels of the leading pack. We finished 17th.

Our placings today are good enough for 59th overall. Not a perfect start, but it’s a good point to work from. Other Canadians are Billy & Ian in a very encouraging 26th place, Gord & Ben in 43rd (carrying an OCS), Hunter and Kevin just behind us in 60th, John Ladha in 66th and the Newbies a little further back.

We look forward to another good day of racing tomorrow. I am pooped!

Monday July 13th:
Today is the 2nd day of the event, but racing still doesn’t start today. There is still some measurement/registration that needs to happen downstairs. Then at 3 PM will be the practice race, which could turn out to be a disaster, but we’ll just have to wait and see. We are the 2nd start on the far course. What i have been told is that most people will wind up on the first start on the close course. What could make matters worse is that today is one of those hot, sunny days which make Garda famous because these conditions bring the world-renowned “Ora” breeze. It is only noon and its already blowing 15 knots, so it should be a real howler today…!

Then at 6 PM we will have a skippers meeting. I will try to report back after that… Real racing starts tomorrow at 1 PM local time.

Sunday July 12th:
Today the Worlds officially start! However, real racing doesn’t start for another 2 days. Today is registration and measurement. Canada is scheduled to measure in at 2 PM. We have a 6 boat contingent, with 2 Gold-Fleet hopefuls. To start the day, we went for a nice 2 hour early morning session with three other Cdn boats (which was AWESOME!). It is really fun to sail with a bunch of other boats. I wish we could do that all the time. Once the “Peller” morning breeze died we got a tow in from old Downhaul Dan and took our boat apart in preparation for measurement. After lunch we got measured in right at 2 with no problems. Everyone else followed with only a minimal sail track stopper issue on the mast for a few.

Opening Ceremonies started at 6 PM and were brief. They were followed by the “49er Open Forum” where a few new topics were discussed with the class executive (including JB, Jerelyn Bhiel, Marcus Spillane (CEO), Malav Shroff (Pres), Si Hiscocks (VP), and Barry). Topics included new sail numbers, new carbon boom, new vang, some current mast issues, the new hulls and wings (which are here on display) and the upcoming 2010 Bahamas Worlds which should be out of this world and according to JB the best yet. I can’t wait!

After the forum, we went to dinner with Ben & Gord and their respective girlfriends, which was lovely. That was followed by our nightly viewing of a few episodes of Entourage!!

Pre-regatta setup & training

Saturday July 11th:
We started today with a nice early morning session that included some races with the Brits. Our speed was very good and we were able to keep up quite well. We were racing in 8 – 12 knots and in those conditions we have a good setup and a good feel for the boat. After the racing we just did some lineups with the other Cdn guys.

It was nice and warm and sunny and that meant that the “Ora” was coming. We had a nice classic Garda day of 15 to 20 knots of breeze. We went out with Hunter/Kevin (BC Team) and did some up and downs. By the end, the waves were starting to get gnarly! We executed a bunch of gybes (some of them quite ugly) but managed to save them all, which was good. We are expecting most of the racing to be in similar conditions. We were also happy with our speed against Hunter, who seems to be VERY fast upwind. Given the breeze, I am extremely tired tonight so that’s it!

Friday July 10th:
We went out again this morning for an early morning sail. This time, the Brits and the French were running some races. It was a good opportunity to see where we stacked up. Unfortunately, it was the early morning breeze so it was puffy and shifty – so lots of snakes and ladders. We even rounded a few marks ahead of former World Champions!

We then broke off and did some training with the other Canadian guys and coach Dan Cunningham. This is a gorgeous place to sail even when it’s light and shifty!
We are just onshore for a little break now and to out-wait some T-storms, then we’ll be back at it. TTYL!

We just got in from an afternoon session. While rigging the breeze was building and looking pretty good. But by the time we were ready to launch, it was dying. So we had a short little light air session (alone) before the breeze totally died. We came in and did some boat work and now we’re gonna go grab some food with the Vancouver boys. Talk tomorrow!

Thursday, July 9th:
We planned to meet all the other Canadian guys at the club at 830 in the morning, dressed and ready to sail. We briefed and went on the water with 3 other boats. The “Peller” breeze was blowing nicely from the mountains in the north over the lake. About 500 yards South of the club, the breeze was a nice 10 to 15 knots. We get some nice training in with the other guys and developed a nice, little competitive spirit. It was clear who the faster boats are (Billy & Ian, Gord & Ben). At 10 AM, like clock-work, the breeze shut-down to nothing, so we decided to head in.
We prepared for a 2 PM launch after our de-briefing. During the break Matt and I had to do a little boat work to settle out the kinks that come with the first day of sailing. At 1 PM every day the wind shifts to the Southerly “Ora” breeze, which makes Garda famous. However, just before 2 PM, some T-storms rolled in and killed the thermal effect that brings the Ora. Those unstable cells stuck around all afternoon, bringing some nasty squalls and never allowed the Ora to settle back in. So, we stayed on shore to work on rig settings with the other guys. We are now over at the Newfie’s hotel (Matt & Ladha are working out downstairs) and about to go for dinner over in Torbole sul Garda (the next town over), which is quite nice.

Wednesday, July 8th:
We started with a nice sleep in to try and over-come the jet lag. Unfortunately, we over-slept a little (right up to 10 AM). It took is the whole rest of the day to get our new boat set up and fully ready to go. So another late night at the yacht club! But that’s OK – b/c it is so damn beautiful here! The mountains are massive and spectacular, overlooking the 1000′ deep lake. We finished the night off with another pizza & red wine, this time with the Toronto boys (Billy & Ian).

Tuesday, July 7th:
We arrived in Milan after connecting through Zurich around 9 AM. We then embarked on the 2.5 hour drive from Milano to Riva. Unfortunately, traffic in Milan was terrible and  then our exit up to Riva was closed. However, this seemed to work out in our favour. Instead of the freeway, we had to take the long, scenic route up the west side of the lake. This was incredible! It was a narrow winding road alongside 1000′ cliffs that frequently tunneled through the mountain. This is actually where they shot the opening scene of the last Bond movie, to give you an idea of how awesome this road is.

We arrived at the club, found our hotel, checked in, showered up and went straight back to the boat park to get started on our new gear. Unfortunately, our new mast had a few production defects. The major one was that the tip of our top section was completely plugged with carbon fibre! This took about 5 hours to clear using various crude and imprecise methods of chiseling.  We were finally able to thread the main and spinnaker halyards, after which we gave up and headed up the street for pizza and red wine (my favourite!) with the Newfie boys.