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wMonday, July 09, 2007 | |
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Tough Way to Beijing ... Nikola Girke reports from the ISAF World Championships 2007. Day1: The second race in my opinion and in many others should not have beencontinued. This was the most random, ridiculous race I have ever racedand this at a World Championship too. I got off the starting line at the committee boat, tacked right away, got in a puff and a header, tacked back onto port and looked like I was going to cross the fleet. The the wind died... completely where I was and the people who were way left had a huge lift and were near planing. Needless to say, that didnt help my cause. We were going in circles in no wind while others around us, maybe even only 2 board lengths from us were in completely different wind and charging past. We could be on two different tacks going in the same direction. Random. I finished 25th in that race.  Winner Zofia Klepacka (Pol-8) caused windgirls.com author Nikola Girke sorrow... photo: Hugh Sims Williams/RsxClass.com Day 2 and 3: ... I had a great position near the boat end of the starting line and at 40 seconds to go, POL 8 (current regatta leader) ran into me from behind. I shouted protest, but she did nothing (should have done apenalty turn). About 20 seconds later, she came with some more speedstraight into the back of my board again, this time lodging the nose of her board into my fin and took a chunk out of it. There was a big bang, then I lost balance and I fell into the water. She got my position at the start and had a great race. I started the race in the water. I was able to get up and get back into the race and ended up finishing 15th. I got to watch the sunset as I was on the final lap and when I was finishing the boats had to have lights on so we could see the finish line. I was finally on shore a bit past 10pm, de-riggedin the dark and had to file my protest. My protest started at 11:30 pm and ended past midnight. The protest ended up being dismissed, which was quite disappointing as her story changed from when we arrived onshore to when we arrived in the protest room. All of a sudden shecouldnt speak English and had an interpreter who was her team rulesexpert and I felt that they might have been some discretion in the translation. I finally had dinner at 1am. Today racing started at 1pm. Once again the wind was absolutely crazy. In the first race I sailed really well and was in 13th place until I got stuck in a hole and lost 6 places to finish 19th. In the second race of the day, I had a great start, tacked in the right places and was well in the top 10. I rounded the last reach mark one leg in front of my nearest competitor. I only had a downwind to go and then 50 meters to the finish. Unfortunately, when you are on a run, the wind comes from behind you and when the wind does come, it takes the sailors that are behind closer to you. Then a huge field of wind came and so did the entire fleet from behind me. They came planing around me while I was unable to move forward. In the 50 meters before the finish, I was passed by at least 10 boards in my fleet as well as others from the other fleet. I ended up finishing 17th. This resulted in me not making Gold Fleet, as the qualifying ended today. I was 3points from making the cut. I am pretty disappointed as I was sailing very well tactically and technically and am in the best physical shape I have ever been in. These results have not reflected where I feel I am at in relation to therest of the world. Although the regatta is not over, I now have tolook forward to China Pre-Olympics in August and next years Worlds inNew Zealand to gain Olympic selection. (Nikola Girke, nikolagirke.com) RESULTS: www.cascaisworlds2007.com= more: www.rsxclass.com posted by editors at 7/09/2007 04:31:00 PM |
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