Wednesday was a crucial day for both the competitors at the Silva J/80 World Championship in Falmouth and for the race management team at the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club. With the week so far dominated by very light airs the concern has been to run fair and competitive racing and to ensure that a series of at least five races is completed. A discard is included once six races have been sailed and with some clever shimmying of the race area by PRO Jeff Martin this was where we found ourselves at the close of play on yesterday.

Race 5 commenced after a short postponement ashore, in 6-9 knots of southerly breeze, again in Carrick Roads rather than out in Falmouth Bay. A general recall was followed by a black flag start and the ‘lucky left’ was once again the favoured option for those that could get there from the pin end. Glen Darden from the USA, sailing Red Sky Glide, worked his way up through the fleet and by the leeward mark had established a clear lead. At the gun is was Red Sky Glide 1st, Mikael Lindquist sailing Team SBAB 2nd and Ruairidh Scott in Team Volvo 3rd.

It seems that they like winning, these Americans, and in Race 6 (which was sailed in a particularly irksome dying breeze) Red Sky Glide once again showed the rest of the fleet where to go. With patience and tactical brilliance tested all around the race track, French favourite Laurent Abignoli in Tendrisse slotted in a 2nd which his best result of a strong and consistent series so far. Michael Sundelin of Sweden in Tyra took third place.

Boat of the day then was Red Sky Glide, and at the prizegiving at the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club the US team dedicated their two wins to fellow American and renowned J/80 sailor Steve Hammerman, who was in hospital yesterday being operated on for cancer. The whole class wishes him well and wishes him here.

Only 8 points now separate the top five boats at this regatta, the breeze today will hopefully allow a course to be set out in the bay, and it’s going to be a scorcher in more ways than one.
Results

1st team sbab SWE Mikael Lindquist 18.pts

2nd red sky glide USA Glenn Darden 20.0 pts

3rd Volvo GBR Ruairidh Scott 21.0 pts

4th Silva Dream Machine GBR Kevin Sproul 22.0 pts

5th Tendrisse FRA L Abignoli 26.0 pts

6th Needles and Pins GER Peter Hecht-Ulrich Muenker 40.0 pts