2005 Western Hemisphere & Orient Championships

Cabo Frio, Brazil

Day 1 by Jerelyn Biehl

2005 Western Hemisphere & Orient Championships

Cabo Frio, Brazil

1. Day 1

22 boats from 5 countries have gathered at the satellite club of Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro in Cabo Frio, Brazil. Competitors include the past 2 Snipe World Champions and top racers from the 5 countries—Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, United States and Japan.

Even though it’s winter in Brazil, the temperatures are warm and the racing is perfect. Even a little rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the top sailors at the end of the opening ceremonies and after arriving back at the club at the end of today’s racing!

This is the first SCIRA championship to be run under the latest rules passed by the SCIRA Board of Governors, which calls for more races in the schedule (7-11) and courses based on time rather than length.

After the cold front hit last night bringing cooler temperatures and some rain, the sailing venue held 8-10 knots out of the south. Normal direction is NE. The race course has big rolling waves from the Atlantic with chop and is enclosed in an enormous bay surrounded by beautiful white sand beaches.

The Race Committee began race one at noon, but the anxious sailors generated a general recall and then the Z flag, but after a clean 2^nd start, the sailors were off on a W-L course in 10 knots. Pablo Defazio and Eduardo Medici of Uruguay banged 2 races off leading at the weather mark and never looking back until they crossed the finish line first in both races. Xandi Paradeda and cousin Eduardo Paradeda were close behind, but they were caught asleep in the 2^nd final leg of race 2 where Carlos Wanderley/Richard Zietemann passed them for 2^nd. Shinichi and Michiko Uchida of Japan sailed 2 very good races with a 5-9 with speed pulling them through the course.

Race 3 was another general recall and then a Z flag. Defazio/Medici took the fleets stern to go to the right while the Paradedas went left. At the weather mark Federico Calabrese/Jorge Englehard of Argentina led followed by Paulo Santos/Gustavo Queiroz of Brazil with Defazio/Medici in 4^th and Paradeda in 5^th. By the leeward mark, Defazio led with Paradeda close behind and Calabrese slipping to 3^rd. World Champions Augie Diaz/Jon Rogers found their groove and slowly moved into 4^th where the top 4 were close the next few legs to the finish.

The end of day 1 finds the Uruguayans in the lead followed by Paradeda and junior sailors Eduardo Chapchap and Pedro Tinoco of Brazil. Diaz/Rogers pulled to a tie for 4^th with Federico Norman/Diego Rudoy of Argentina who now rounds out the top 5.