Team from Denmark holds early lead
By PAULINE ZENNER - Sentinel staff writer, SANTA CRUZ
A
Denmark sailing team credits a fast start off the mark and frequent wind shifts
for the strong lead it took in the first of six races which comprise the 505
World Sailing Championships off the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor on Friday.
Jorgen Schonherr, 35, and teammate Michael Paulson, 27, sailed leagues ahead of
the 85-boat fleet during the first day's 12-mile buoy race.
"We had a good race," said Schonherr, a 1990 505 World Champion. "The wind wasn't as strong as other days, but we like less wind." Schonherr said he and Paulson first raced together in 1982. He said they missed three years and returned to racing together this year.
Schonherr said that even though he and Paulson had a strong lead, they were a bit worried about "the Americans," Howard Hamlin and Cam Lewis, who won the North American Championships here earlier this week and ended Friday's race in second place.
"I feel good about winning today, but there's
five races to go yet." Schonherr said.
Hamlin and Lewis held second place throughout the race. "Schonherr had a better
start than we did and then played a perfect job in blocking us," Lewis said.
"They capitalized on their lead and it was impossible to catch them. We just
tried to block the guys behind us."
Lewis said their boat speed was good despite lighter winds "It would have taken a major wind shift to jeopardize Schonherr's lead," he added.
Many of the international racers welcomed the slightly lighter winds and varying wind shifts as a change from the steady 15 to 20-knot winds they endured during the three-day North American Championships earlier this week.
Dave Wahle, race coordinator, said that after the race started they realized the second leg of the race was too light so the race committee shifted the buoy a half-mile to achieve "a tighter first reach," said Wahle. Wahle said the boats averaged 15 knots after the course was altered.
Terry Kyrwood and Charles Spence, of Australia took third place in the nearly 3-hour World race. Kyrwood, a 505 boat builder in Australia, said coming in third was "a bit of luck and a bit of skill." Spence said that given that their centerboard fell apart during the race, they were lucky they didn't have more trouble than they did, and said they're happy with third for now.
The two-man teams are racing in 16-foot (5.05-meter) boats weighing approximately 280 pounds, generally less than the weight of the two-person teams. The sailors strap themselves to the boats with harnesses and reach speeds topping about 22 knots, or about 25 miles an hour under the large mass of main, jib and spinnaker sails.
The 505 World Championships will continue daily through Wednesday The race begins at 1 p.m each day
Photo 1: Jorgen Schonherr and Michael Paulson of Denmark
set their sail after rounding the first mark of Friday's opening race.
Photo 2: Bruce Edwards and David Shelton of Santa Cruz wrestle their 505 around
the second mark on Friday.
— Sv.505 F�rbundet —
Uppdaterad 2023-04-20
