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Report of day 5, the last one!
It may be the first time that the new 11-races format is completed in an International Snipe Regatta.
In a 10 Kt Southeasterly gradient wind, Barbossa/Bonini from Italy early capitalized the offshore backed wind to cross the fleet and work out a comfortable lead by the first windward rounding. Yoshimura/Shimamoto rounded in second place followed by the Foglia sisters. As in the days before, the Foglias approached the leaders, took on the Japanese by the last run and engaged in a tacking duel with the Italians in the middle of the last beat. At the end, the World Champions took the race from the Italians and crossed the line to officially become the Women's World Champions for the second time in a row. The Italians were in second and Yoshimura/Shimamoto in third.
The Prize Giving Ceremony was great fun! The pictures are already online!
View results, the regatta site, and photos.
Report of Day 4:
Although Friday was supposed to be the lay day, the race committee decided early on the week to use it if there were postponed races by that time. As the dissapearing wind of day 2 made the RC to postpone 2 of them, the layday was active with 3 exciting regattas, leaving just one left for Saturday.
Race #8 was won once again by the Foglia sisters from beginning to end. The Uruguayans started at the pin end of the line, sailed on until they reached the port layline, then tacked and got to the windward mark in the first place, a good distance from Rafaniello/Bugge (2nd) and Stefani/Sposatto (3rd). This strategy usually pays off when the wind blows from the East in Punta del Este, and this day was no exception. Yamaguchi/Ibaragi, who rounded the windward mark in 5th place, had very good speed and climbed to the second place, followed by Rafaniello/Bugge in third, and Stefani/Sposato in fourth.
The same wind blowed during Race #9. Trixy Agusti and Florencia Guerra, who had a perfect start at the middle of the line, got first to the windward mark followed by Tato/Rodriguez and Yamaguchi/Ibaragi. The Foglias managed to win the race, followed by Yamaguchi/Ibaragi, but with a pending protest consequence of an incident with the Argentineans Agusti/Maroglio. The Uruguayans were on port tack and thought they could pass ahead but forced the Argentineans (who were on starboard tack) to tack in order to avoid a collision. The Uruguayans would later retire from the race, assuming their responsibility in the incident.
In race #10, Foglia/Foglia needed to finish less than 3 places behind Yamaguchi/Ibaragi in order to nail the Jiro Yamaguchi Trophy even without racing the eleventh race. At the first windward mark, Stefani/Sposato were first, followed by Barbossa/Bonini in second and Maurin/Court in third. At this point Yamaguchi/Ibaragi were 7th and Foglia/Foglia 10th. Throughout the regatta, both the Japanese and Uruguayan team climbed in order to finish 4th and 6th respectively. The race was won by Stefani/Sposato who kept their first place since the start, followed by Rafaniello/Bugge and Barbossa/Bonini.
Although Foglia sisters were World Champions, they wouldn't believe it until they could see it with their own eyes the regatta results and make their own calculations. After realizing that their had won the championship even with one race to go, the party started with their parents Sandra and Alejandro, with their coach Pablo Defazio and with all the competitors.
Everything is set for the last race tomorrow, when the new World Champions are not planning to be just spectators.
Report of Day 3:
The weather forecast for the third day was moderate breeze for the morning and low winds for the afternoon. For this reason the race committee decided to change the regatta schedule and start race #5 at 10AM instead of 2PM as planned.
Race #5 started with 13 knots from the North in very puffy and shifty conditions which remained for the rest of the day. Ayako Yamaguchi and Motoko Ibaragi had an excellent start at the race committee boat and were leading until the first half of the windward leg. Although Andrea and Mariana Foglia didn't have a good start, they managed to sail with great speed as the breeze grew stronger and got first to the windward mark. From then onwards, Foglia sisters kept well their first place, leaving the Japanese team in second and Tato/Rodriguez in third.
Race #6 was also a fight for the first place between Yamaguchi/Ibaragi and Foglia/Foglia. Marķa Stefani and Catalina Sposato from Bermudas rounded the windward mark in third place very close to the leading boats, but was penalized with a yellow flag and a 720° turn pushed her back with the rest of the fleet. Then it became a close fight for the third place between Barbarossa/Bonini, Bellotti/Overgoor, Maurin/Court and Rafaniello/Bugge. At the finish line the Uruguayan sisters were first, the Japanese second and the Chileans third.
At the start of race #7 puffs came in from the left side, and Foglia/Foglia chose to go to this side with the rest of the fleet. The Argentineans Agusti/Maroglio and Bellotti/Overgoor went to the right and it paid off rounding the windward mark in first and second place. At the second windward leg, the Uruguayans had already taken the lead, followed by the Brazilean team and Bermudas in third until the finish line.
Report of Day 2:
Race #4 started in a 10 knot wind Westerly wind and 1 knot cross current. The RC set up for an Olympic course.
Marķa Stefani and Catalina Sposato from Bermuda started first by the pin end and they were leading by 100 meters by the first windward mark. The Argentineans Agusti/Guerra got close during the reach legs, but the Uruguayans fought back for the first place.
The pressure was on the left side of the course. Yamauchi/Ibaragi from Japan noticed that and got close to the leaders at the end of the second beat. After rounding in second place the last leg, they showed great skill in catching the shifts and handling their boat, to beat Stefani/Sposato by half a boat lenght just crossing the finish line.
Race #5 started in an 8 Kt but decreasing breeze. Andrea and Mariana Foglia managed their way to lead the race going down for the leeward mark, but got there 5 SECONDS too late and the race was abandoned by the RC.
After waiting one hour for the breeze to build up, the RC called out the day and planned for an early start on Thursday.
Report of Day 1:
The first race went out in a 10 Kt Northwesterly wind. The Italians Barbarosa/Bonini and the Foglia
sisters from Uruguay took the favored pin end. After a close fight, the
Uruguayans took the lead and never looked back.
By the end of the race, the fleet managed extremely well the 18 knots of the last beat, showing
that the weather limit is of no concern to them. At the finish line, the Foglias
were in first followed by Maurin/Court of Chile and Barbarossa/Bonin from Italy.
In the second race the wind played all its tricks, but the RC did an good work to keep the course
straight. Maurin/Court took a fair lead in the light and lumpy conditions. The
Foglias had a bad start and were sailing back in the pack by the first leeward
rounding. But, in the second beat they were the first to catch a strong righty
shift and managed to round the second beat in second place, following the
Chileans. The Uruguayans had great speed, got closer and closer to the leaders
and beat them in a tacking duel just 50 meters from the finish line. Barbarossa/Bonini
came in third again, giving a hint of what the fight for the first places of the
championship will be.
The third race was for Japan from the very start. Yamauchi/Ibaragi started first at the RC
boat and comfortably extended their lead in the 5-6 knots breeze. Time was on
their side, but very close, when they rounded the first leeward mark in 38
minutes! Nobody was sure if the race would have to be abandoned or not but, with
the help of the light but steady wind and a shortening of 30% of the last leg,,
the Japanese crew managed to complete the race in 1 hour and 25 minutes. They
were followed by the Foglia sisters who finished the day leading the
championship with a 5.5 points advantage over the Italians Barbarossa/Bonini.
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