Laser 4.7 Youth World Championship Regatta Report
9 -15 August 2014
Castle Bay, Karatsu
Saga Prefecture Japan
By Caelin Winchcombe.
Recently I was lucky enough to travel to Japan to sail at the 2014 Laser 4.7 Youth
World Championships in Castle Bay, Karatsu, which is on the northern side of
Kyushu. The World Championship would easily be the biggest ever regatta I have
yet been to and I was pumped to get it underway as soon as we got there.
My Dad and I arrived in Karatsu on the third of August, by train, which took us
about 2hours from Fukuoka International Airport stopping at about twenty five
stations along the way. We had travelled from Perth with Zoe Thomson and her
Mum, Karen, and Luke Elliot our team coach and his bike. We would see the rest
of the Aussie team soon enough, as Hamish Wiltshire and Noah Taylor and his
Mum Sonia were already there. Lachlan Dare and his Dad and coach Oli would
arrive a couple of days later.
My dad and I got to the hotel that we were staying at about 9 o’clock at night, so
we put down our stuff, went and got something to eat and walked up to Karatsu
Castle in the rain to settle ourselves down a bit after 20 hours travelling from
home. The castle, which was being worked on, was very impressive and over
looked the bay that we would be sailing on.
The next day Zoë and I sorted out our charter boats as Hamish and Noah had
already been out sailing. I got my boat rigged with all the gear we had to take
with us and we got on the water that afternoon. We had a couple of practice
races with the Japanese and the Singaporean sailors, I felt good about how I was
racing being close to the front in each practice race.
The weather in Karatsu was good on the first day of training, it was a clear sky,
sunny and humid but the next couple of days it was pouring rain which made it
hard for the sailors to keep dry as we all had to ride bikes to and from our
accommodation. Typhoon Halong had been threatening from the south for a
direct hit over the first four days, which caused mild concern with the regatta
organizers and our parents. Finally the typhoon weakened and turned right
crossing Japan further north over the main island. But throughout the regatta,
there was fine weather of 4 to 7knots in the late afternoon sea breeze, except on
the last 2 days with it was raining during most of the finals races.
One hundred and three sailors, from 24 countries eventually arrived with
parents and coaches and the yacht club was a hive of activity and bustling about.
The boys were split into two fleets of about thirty boats each for the qualifying
races, while the 30 plus girls raced in a fleet of their own. After nine qualifying
races the highest ranked half of the two boy’s fleets would be re combined into
the Gold and Silver fleets for the Finals.
The regatta proper started on the tenth of August and my nerves were buzzing
when the five minute signal went up for the first race. I tried to keep a clear head
and decided I was going to start about one third down the line from the start
boat, I tried to snake someone’s spot but when the gun went I was head to wind
and I got rolled by the fleet. Fortunately, the start was general recalled and in the
repeat I had a good start with clear air.
I sailed inconsistently throughout the qualifying races, placing in the top ten and
then toward the back of the fleet. Even though, I was set to be in the gold fleet for
the final series. But, when the Jury Boat gave me my second yellow flag for
excessive body movement and I didn’t retire from that race, it meant that I would
get a dne for that race (Disqualified No Exclusion). That meant that I couldn’t
discard that result from my combined regatta race score which you can normally
do after several races. I was now in the silver fleet for the finals.
I managed a win in one race in the finals, which placed me third in the silver
fleet, 37th over-all and 12th in the Boy’s Under Sixteen age group.
Luke Elliot was the coach of four members of the Australian team. I felt that Luke
was an excellent coach who was easy to talk to and gave me excellent advice on
ways to check the wind and stay in phase as well as ideas on racing in big fleets
and starting strategies.
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, learned a lot, made lots of friends who I
expect to be sailing with and against for the rest of my life and came home
determined to do what I need to, so I can do better next time.
I thank the Western Australian Laser Association for its support and look
forward to many more enjoyable experiences as part of this sailing group.
Yours sincerely
Caelin Winchcombe
Race three, fifth back and clear.
Day 5 Caelin (sail number 150815) hunts down Swiss competitor
Considering options pre-race
Hardstand with Karatsu Castle (circa 1600) looking on.