Only one race was possible on the fourth day of the U23 Finn World Championship for the Finn Silver Cup, at Canet en Roussillon, France. The second race was cancelled when very strong winds arrived soon after the first race was competed. Oskari Muhonen, from Finland, won his seventh race in row to take a 13 point lead into the final day where three races are possible. Guillaume Boisard, from France, remains in second while Taavi Valter Taveter, from Estonia, moves up to third after another great result.
The forecast for the day was always for a big change and strong wind later in the afternoon. After a delay the wind came in 6-8 knots at 030°, but it was a strange situation with a current upwind and forecast of more wind from 120°. It was difficult to race on the left knowing the big right shift was going to come.
There was still a difference of opinion on which way to go up the first beat, but Taveter got it right to win the pin and lead round from Muhonen and Boisard. Muhonen and Boisard went out to sea on port. After close downwind, there was a bug split on the second upwind wth Boisard going all the way to the right, but at the end they came in to the top in the same order.
The race was decided at the final top marl. Muhonen rounded better and went deep by the lee out of the mark and passed Taveter to lead down to the finish. Both Taveter and Boisard are showing some nerves as the regatta nears the end, and were not as fast as they have been. However another second from Taveter moves him up to third overall. Domonkos Nemeth, from Hungary, passed Boisard on the final downwind to finish third.
Soon after the finish the wind died for a while and then came in really strong with big waves. The race committee waited for a while to see if it would settle but with winds up to 40 knots, quickly decided to send everyone home with no more racing for the day.
Nemeth is among the leading group and just seven points off a medal going into the final day.
“My race was really good. I really enjoyed it. I ended third but started around sixth. I moved up on the second upwind and passed the French downwind. It was a pretty good race. The best part of the day was the 40 knots training with Oskari afterwards. It was not that long, but 40 knots winds and 3 metre waves was pretty nice. I also capsized twice, but it was OK. But I don’t sail in those conditions very often.”
Andres Juan Lloret Perez is the only Spanish sailor in Canet. He said of the day, “Today was a great day and I sailed better than the last days. As we saw today I am improving in the second half of the regatta. The two first days was difficult for me because it was such light wind. Before coming here I expected the weather would be quite normal for the summer. I expected some sea breeze with 12 knots, but it was not the case except yesterday. But I think it has been fair for everyone.
“My plans for the next weeks are first I will go back to Valencia to train and after that I will take part in the Spanish championship so that will be quite fun. After that I expected to go to the Gold Cup, but that’s been cancelled.”
Three races are possible on Friday, the final day of the championship, but defending champion Muhonen is closing in on a record third Finn Silver Cup win in his last year as an U23.
Results after 9 races
1 FIN 8 Oskari Muhonen 9
2 FRA 9 Guillaume Boisard 22
3 EST 1 Taavi Valter Taveter 26
4 GER 723 Nicolas Thierse 29
5 HUN 80 Domonkos Nemeth 33
6 FRA 49 Kevin Maurin 52
7 FRA 85 Aubert Lerouge 54
8 ESP 888 Andres Juan Lloret Perez 58
9 FRA 98 Thomas Piotrowski 61
10 FRA 1 Lucas Descriaud 77
Full results: http://2020.finnsilvercup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/silver_cup_2020_g-1.htm
Photo album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/finnclassphotos/albums/72157715536147498
– Robert Deaves
