19th Flying Fifteen World Championship final day.

With first place already decided, 50 boats turned up at the start line for the seventh and final race of the Worlds. It’s no exaggeration to say that the weather and sea state has been different on every day of this regatta and today was just perfect – sunny, 15kts, a light swell …

Race management was not in for an easy day though, with two ships anchored on the preferred layline. Having moved closer inshore to allow adequate leg length without encroaching into China waters, the line was laid for an axis slightly to the right of the wind, to balance the course against the ‘left at Lamma’ effect.

Everything was going to plan until two minutes into the start sequence, when the AP had to be raised to allow for a commercial ship crossing the course on the port layline.

Just as thoughts were turning to getting into the start sequence again, a tanker anchored just upwind of the start line, forcing the team to up sticks and move back further offshore and reset the course.

Finally, 50 minutes behind schedule, the start gun was fired for the last race of the 19th International Flying Fifteen World Championships and the fleet was away with a clean start. Nick and Janet Jerwood, already assured of second overall for Ineffable, were out for glory and led from the front to take their second first of the series, finishing on a nett 15 points two minutes ahead of Matthew Owen and Andrew Reed on The Wife’s Ffault – their best placing of the series. El Toro was only seconds behind in third, cementing third place overall for the Australian duo of Grant Alderson and Dean McAullay.

The Jerwoods seemed happy with their overall performance and unperturbed by the changeable weather, with Nick saying “conditions are probably the best I’ve ever sailed in at a (Worlds) regatta”.

Flying Fifteen World Championship 2013
Country: Hong Kong
Venue: Royal Hong Kong Yacht club

Key Dates
Friday 25 to Sunday 27 October
Registration and Measurement

Monday 28 to Thursday 31 October
National Championships Qualifying Event

Friday 1 November
Lay Day, Registration and Measurement

Saturday 2 to Friday 8 November
World Championships Racing

Social Program
Sunday 27 October
Evening Welcome Function

Thursday 31 October
Cocktail Party and Prize giving

Friday 8 November
Prize giving Dinner

Further information: http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/ffworlds.aspx