Hobie 16 World Championships Conclude – With 5 Australian teams in the top 9 !
Congratulations to our new 2022 Hobie 16 World Champions, Cam Owen and Susan Ghent from Australia. After a long day of waiting and an eventual abandoned race Cam and Susie took the top spot in an incredibly talented pool of sailors. They were followed by 2019 World Champions Yamil Saba Fuentes & Gonzalo Cendra Falcon (VEN) in second and Darren Smith & Claire Bisgood (AUS) in third with multiple other World Champions filling out the top 10.
The second day of the finals was not to be. Clouds, intermittent rain, and light winds held sailors on shore for the final day. The breeze did fill in afternoon with more rain. The race committee called the fleet off for the final day of racing but shortly after the start of the race, the wind quit again forcing an abandonment.
15 days of racing, 60 races, 353 sailors from 22 countries participated in this event together. For some it their first world championships, others have been to the world championships many times but for all it was a celebration of the Hobie family, that we all have all become part of. There is a certain magic to arriving at the venue with just your personal gear to see 50 brand new identical Hobie 16’s perfectly lined up and ready to sail. This is only due to the generous sponsorship and support of Hobie Cat Europe, La Ballena Alegre, and Club de vela Ballena Alegre.
The 23rd Hobie 16 World Champions are: Cam OWEN/Susan Ghent (AUS) followed by Yamil SABA FUENTES/Gonzolo CENDRA FALCON (VEN) in second and Darren SMITH/Claire BISGOOD (AUS) in third.
