8.8.2011 Racing Day I

The SEB Six Metre World Cup 2011 under way.

The opening day of the SEB Six Metre World Cup saw the AP up for a couple of hours until the fleet of 45 classics and 10 moderns was sent out to the race course. Unfortunately the wind did not stay within the 25 knots limit of maximum wind and the only race had to be abandoned at the last rounding.

Prior to this hard decision a number of boats had some serious breakages including a dismasting, broken boom, damaged rig and a punctured hull. The race committee decided to switch its entire support boat fleet into rescue mode after a crew reported "a hole in the body". This luckily turned out to mean a hole in the boat´s body instead of a human one, and with the hindsight, the fleet probably should have finished the race…

However, safety of the sailors and the boats must come first and due to poor communication, this unfortunate chain of events lead to a lost opening race of the championship.

Erik Lähteenmäen kuutoskuvia sekä muita vene- ja kisakuvia löydät Sailpix-sivustolta