On Friday in St. Petersburg, where he continued the Russian championship in yacht class SB20, already in the morning it was raining – it looks like autumn after all and got to the Eastern Baltic.
© Elena Razina
At the morning briefing, the Chairman of the Race Committee Vladimir Komel shared with the participants of the forecast, which predicted significant – up to 25 knots and strong winds. “In this case, we will cancel the race – said the chief judge. – The fleet would like to keep intact”. After investigation carried out at sea, sailors were asked to go the distance.
The start of the fifth race of the championship was given at 13:05, and an hour later it ended. Contrary to the fears of the wind during this time is not only not increased, but overall was blowing weaker than before: 12-14 knots from the West. Position “brightened” the most powerful downpour that began an hour before the first signal that was filed with the judicial vessel.
As before, the first race of the day was won by Vadim Pusev, almost half a minute ahead of its nearest rival – Alexey Lesnikova and Alexei Semenov. But the torturers at the finish were only second in the use of the B-team.
Starting from the 5th race when scoring the system of “emissions”, so, along with getting “good” points, the leaders of the regatta at one point got rid of a load of hurtful lesions. So, B-team was written off 5 “extra” points, Victoria six, New Territories – seven, MST – ten, and Flow Sailing Team – as much as eleven. However, not all of them were able to immediately replace them with more successful number. The same Daniel Banan in the fifth race and finished in eighth place, and Vasily Grigoriev failure was waiting for later.
The next start was already slightly increased when the wind speed reached 19 knots. The entire race the leaders were athletes from the Victoria Team, but for the second and third positions at this time, argued three of the crew – Timur Sabirzyanov, Alexei Semenov and Vasily Grigoriev.
After another looked like a team of MST, the third rounding the mark, put the gennaker and went to the final segment of the distance, however…the finish line never crossed. Judges puzzled, looking for a room RUS 3327 in their protocols, but traces of finish of Muscovites and have not found. As it turned out, breaking the rudder did not allow MST to complete the race. Hurtful mistake! Already on the banks of the athletes said that as a result of incident two riders have been left behind, and their friends-rivals from Yekaterinburg conducted a “rescue operation”, taking athletes out of the water.
The seventh race was the final in the competition program of the day. Vasily Grigoriev, who missed his prize at the last stage of the previous race, this time not only walked the entire distance among the first, but the first finished. Fought on par with him Daniel Banan and Alexei Foresters crossed the finish line in 2nd and 3rd positions respectively. And for them completed the race crews Alexei Semenov and Sergey Musikhina…
Vasily Grigoriev (RUS steering 3327):
We were in third place when uvarivanie came side wave, was a strong pull, and the boat lost control, and my hands were separated extension… Boat well as started to evaluates and went on without us. And we together with Maxim (Kuzmin – ed.ed.) as if from a catapult flew into the water. The first time I tried to signal the yachts that raced for us full rate. Thanks to the guys from Ekaterinburg, which we picked up. And they, incidentally, went well, but everything was abandoned and began to save us. Transplanted on our boat, we reached the judicial ship, somehow I fixed the problem (spun new screws) and was able to take part in the third race. Well, Yes, swim. The water appeared to be warm. And freeze it once.
Sergey Musikhin (RUS steering 3511):
Today it was cold, the guys dropped out – it happens to everybody. When we approached, they were already far from the boat, which left one person. Alone to manage “asbestos” is not very convenient. Pulled guys, brought them back to the boat, and went to the finish line. By the time we walked in the sixth-seventh position. In race mode on a SB20 we didn’t go for a long time, although have just participated and won races in a match race. But here, every day feel all better, but can’t find the speed. Need to remember!
The position of the leaders now is this:
1. RUS 3712 (steering Alexei Lesnikov) – 13 points
2. ENG 3730 (Vadim Posev) – 15
3. RUS 3711 (Alexey Semenov) – 19
4. RUS 3656 (Daniel Banan) – 24
5. ENG 3327 (Vasily Grigoriev) – 25
What do you think?