ISO Worlds - La Baule
Forty-Seven ISOs from six countries including representatives from as far a field as Zimbabwe and Israel travelled to La Baule in France for the second ISO World Championships.
La Baule, situated a few kilometers north of the Loire, boasts an incredibly long beach in excess of eight kilometers. Ideal for holidaying when the weather is fine. As it turned out virtually the whole week enjoyed blazing sunshine and hot weather, though the light to moderate airs did not suit everyone on the racecourse. The family beach parties did not seem to mind at all.
Racing opened on the Sunday with a practice race which was won conclusively by Alistair Clarke and Pete Lindley sailing RWO. As is the norm in this situation they refused to cross the finishing line, thereby limiting their schedule of bad luck for the remainder of the week. As it turned out their results for the week never quite lived up to the potential shown in this race so maybe they would have been blessed with more luck had they actually finished. The first race proper scheduled to follow this race was abandoned due to the wind dying away completely.
Monday and a midday start saw the lightweight pairing (in weight terms that is) of Mick Whitmore and Sarah Smith 'Team Eastbourne' make a great start by winning both the first and third races, with championship favourites "Team Rob Burridge Race Coaching" sailed by Mike Speller and Rob Burridge managing to break the trend and take the second race. Dave Giles & Richard Chadburn "Team British Airways FRSC", Jeremy Newman & Geoff Gritton and John Caig & Andy Watson all showed strongly in these opening races.
On Tuesday, in exceptionally light airs, the best shift player of the morning was the RAF sponsored pair of Andy Gibbs and Ross Alexander, who led most of the way round and most importantly over the finish line with Speller close on their heels. In the second race of the day Giles crossed the fleet from the pin end and lead the race from start to finish. This result, with Speller only notching a fifteenth, took Giles into a favourable position. Caig and Watson's championship chances evaporated with two very poor results.
Following a very heavy party, Wednesday proved to be a most welcome lay day for the competitors and hangers on alike.
Thursday was scheduled for two races which aggregated, counted for the prestigious Designer's Trophy. In the windiest day of the week, with winds reaching around 15 knots in the first race, Speller & Burridge led from start to finish only briefly challenged by Giles and Chadburn. In the second race Speller was again first to the windward mark closely followed this time by Clarke & Lindley in Team RWO. Both split down the run and met in the same positions at the leeward mark. Another split at the start of the beat saw RWO pull ahead into first place, which they held for two more laps until the finish. Giles had an unusually poor race finishing seventh and losing the overall lead.
Despite Thursday night being another Grand Party night, competitors had to be a little more restrained than usual, as Friday's first start was scheduled for nine o'clock in order that racing could be completed before the spring tide left everyone high dry.
In light and shifty winds a race began after an hours postponement. With Speller & Burridge leading by one point, from Giles and Chadburn, some close tactical racing between the two was in store. A raft at the favoured pin end contained many of the major players. John Caig and Andy Watson starting from the committee boat end gambling on an early veer saw their hunch rewarded and arrived at the windward mark with a comfortable lead from fellow club members Kevin Moore and Peter Hamilton. With places changing continuously throughout the fleet, the best come back was from RWO who started third from last and managed to climb to eleventh. The real interest however was centered on Giles and Chadburn, who by climbing through to fourth place and finishing three places clear of Speller & Burridge, took the overall championship lead by one point. With the wind once more deserting the racecourse and the time fast approaching the midday deadline, racing was abandoned leaving Giles & Chadburn very grateful yet worthy 1999 ISO World Champions.
Thus concluded a very enjoyable week both on and off the water at a very special venue, with special thanks going towards Ronstan who made a substantial contribution to the prizes.
It would appear that prospective ISO World Champions better start flight training immediately since both the first and second Championships have been won by British Airways pilots!
