PRESS RELEASE
AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA WIN 2008 HOBIE TIGER & DRAGOON WORLDS
Langebaan / South Africa, March 8 2008 |
|
 On Saturday March 8, Australia and South Africa won the 2008 Hobie Tiger & Hobie Dragoon Worlds. It was a nerve breaking morning for the leaders in both fleets, as the lack of wind kept them waiting. The first attempt on the Dragoon course was cancelled after the wind died completely. At about 1 pm, the race committee dropped the postponement flag and all teams left the beach. When the Tigers finally managed to start clean, Mark Laruffa and Daniel Sims (AUS) lost initially their golden position, but they fought back and won the title. Today’s scheduled final race for the Dragoons could not be sailed anymore, due to the long postponement. That means that at the time limit of 3 pm, Matt Whitehead and Megan Du Plessis (RSA) were declared the new Hobie Dragoon World Champions.
As the clock ticked this morning, sailors sat inside the party tent and played cards or socialized. Beach volleyball seemed to be popular amongst the youth. Meanwhile, Laruffa and Sims were close to their first World Title ever. Mitch Booth and Tiffany Baring-Gould, representing the Netherlands, were only one point behind, so they were very keen to go. They got their chance in the afternoon, but patience was still needed. The wind was not stable enough, so the 62 Tigers floated for another hour. This was followed by two general recalls. Laruffa: “That was nerve-racking, because I knew we were running out of time. They hoisted the black flag and it was pin-end favoured, so that was tricky. It could be all over at the start. Mitch was right at the pin and was leading at that moment.” Booth and Baring-Gould came first at the top mark, but had a problem with the spinnaker hoist. Laruffa and Sims rounded in tenth position, so at that stage the Dutch team was winning the regatta. Booth: “Unfortunately, the spinnaker halyard got stuck behind the spreader, so we lost three boats. Near the bottom mark, we dropped the spinnaker sheet, so that cost us another three boats. We went from first to seventh and it was all over after this downwind.” Duncan Ross and Rick Nankin (RSA) took the lead and the last bullet.
Emotional win
According to Laruffa, they had a good first spinnaker hoist and caught two boats. Sims: “Everybody went to shore and we were just behind Shaun Ferry. We did not want to go over him, because that would limit our options. We slowed down and gibed away. Mischa Heemskerk did the same.” Halfway the run, the Australians gibed back to cover on Mitch. They gained another three competitors at the gate and rounded the left hand mark. Sims: “Mischa chose the other side and Mitch followed us, which was good. We just had to keep him behind us, so we tacked when he tacked. We actually wore different shirts today, so Mitch would not recognize us on the course.” Laruffa and Sims finished third and won the Hobie Tiger World Title 2008. Sims: “This is Mark’s first win in 27 years of trying.” Laruffa: “I had to be careful not to cry at the finish. My partner at home is in tears.” Although Laruffa has finally achieved his goal, he does not speak about retiring: “It is only starting. This time I did not party during the championship.” Baring-Gould, crewing for Booth, won silver at her first multihull event ever: “I am very happy with our result and I will be definitely back in the catamarans.” Robbie Lovig and Lachlan Gibson had never sailed a Hobie Tiger World Championship before, but they go home with a bronze medal. “We are pretty pleased, because it was really tight with close racing. Mark was exceptional this week. We have exceeded our own targets, because we wanted to be in the top five. We have only started twelfth months ago.”
Big Youth Party “I am so nervous”, said Matt Whitehead this morning. Despite his domination throughout the whole championship, he was still thinking of the best strategy to secure the title. But in the end, he did not need it, as they run out of time. Whitehead: “The wind was perfect, but it was already 3 pm.” His dream came true, he and his crew Megan Du Plessis became the new Hobie Dragoon World Champions. Whitehead: “I just sat there and couldn’t believe it. It will sink in. This week has been great fun with awesome sailing and it was well planned.” His mother Tracy Whitehead did a wonderful job on organizing the event. His father Colin Whitehead, Hobie 16 World Champion 1978, finished 15th at the Tiger Worlds. As soon as he came back to shore, he gave his son a big hug and a champion’s bath in the Langebaan Lagoon. Son Whitehead: “It will be a big party tonight. My whole family is here, which is cool. They have been a great support for me. My dream was to win these Dragoon Worlds in my home town and it has come true.” His crew Du Plessis seemed to be overwhelmed as well: “It feels awesome. In a way I am happy, but I am also disappointed that it is over now.” Ewald Erasmus and Riccardo Suttner-Scalco won silver. Erasmus: “It is a great experience to meet all these people. I definitely enjoyed it.” Geert and Thomas Schouten won bronze in the open class and Petrus Smith and Ewie Loubser in the junior class. Smith: “It feels quite nice. I will be probably up all night, together with Matt.” Most of the South African youth sailors will meet each other again in two weeks at the qualification for the ISAF Youth Worlds 2008 in Denmark. That means they will switch to the Hobie 16 with spinnaker.
Tiger – Final Overall Results
1 AUS M.Laruffa/D.Sims Total pts: 43 (10,3,1,1,2,7,3,9,64,3,1,3)
2 NED M.Booth/T.Baring-Gould Total pts: 50 (11,4,2,4,5,2,6,7,4,4,3,9)
3 AUS R.Lovig/L.Gibson Total pts: 53 (3,1,3,3,4,11,64,4,3,12,4,5)
4 NED M.Heemskerk/B.Tentij Total pts: 55 (4,11,7,2,1,5,8,1,64,1,13,2)
5 RSA S.Ferry/J.Van Der Vyfer Total pts: 65 (1,2,5,10,64,6,9,3,8,8,9,4)
6 BEL C.Brouwer/D.Bundock Total pts: 72 (17,8,6,64,16,1,2,2,6,6,2,6)
7 RSA D.Ross/R.Nankin Total pts: 96 (6,7,8,14,18,4,12,17,1,64,8,1)
8 RSA A.Lawrence/I.Schabort Total pts: 99 (16,5,12,5,6,18,1,12,64,2,10,12)
9 RSA B.Dodds/P.Dodds Total pts: 103 (9,16,4,17,8,20,10,10,7,9,6,7)
10 RSA H.Hale/S.Botes Total pts: 114 (7,13,17,7,12,10,7,13,5,11,12,17)
Dragoon – Final Overall Results
1 RSA M.Whitehead/M.Du Plessis Total pts: 8 (1,1,1,1,2,1,1,1,1)
2 RSA E.Erasmus/R.Suttner -Scalco Total pts: 18 (2,1,3,6,6,1,1,1,3)
3 NED G.Schouten/T.Schouten Total pts: 23 (5,2,2,3,1,2,8,3,5)
4 RSA P.Smith/E.Loubser Total pts: 25 (4,6,2,2,1,2,2,14,6)
5 RSA D.McLean/S.Du Plessis Total pts: 27,2,8,7,3,2,4,4,3,2)
6 RSA G.Norton/C.Norton Total pts: 31,1,14,1,1,4,6,3,4,11)
7 RSA R.Hayes/D.Maidment Total pts: 35 (7,3,4,5,3,3,10,2,8)
8 NED U.Vrijburg/D.Vrijburg Total pts: 36,6,2,3,5,7,5,7,5,3)
9 RSA S.Walker/B.Hayward Total pts: 37 (6,12,4,4,8,4,5,5,1)
10 RSA A.Fourie/C.Lord Total pts: 40,5,5,6,2,6,7,6,6,4)
The Hobie Tiger & Hobie Dragoon Worlds 2008 are sponsored by Southey, Airport City, Seiko and Coca Cola with Langebaan Yacht Club as the event host.
/// End
Or more information about the Hobie Tiger & Hobie Dragoon Worlds 2008, please contact the following persons:
Our photographer Pierrick Contin from France captures the action and beach life. A selection of his work will be offered for free publication. The included images may be published for free, by mentioning Pierrick Contin.
Rat Race Media is filming the Hobie Worlds. In case you are interested in footage, please contact Liesel Kok directly at number +27 82 8876449 or liesel@ratracemedia.com.
 Dragoon Champs with Tracy Whitehead Tiger Champs Dragoon podium Tiger podium |
|
Press release on day four of Hobie Worlds 2008 by Diana Bogaards.
|
|
PRESS RELEASE
NO RESULTS ON FOURTH DAY HOBIE TIGER & DRAGOON WORLDS 2008
Langebaan / South Africa, March 6 2008 |
|
 The fourth day of the Hobie Tiger & Hobie Dragoon Worlds 2008 ended with no official results. The Langebaan Lagoon looked flat this morning and the sun was bright. The Dragoon kids played for hours on the beach and in the water. The Tiger sailors discussed their tactics, played cards or had a massage. The breeze picked up a little bit at noon and half a hour later the race committee decided to give it a try, but the catamarans were still floating. Racing was cancelled at about 2 pm. On the way back inshore, the wind became strong enough to start a long distance race that does not count for the overall results. Unfortunately, thick fog came up and the race committee had to abandon the battle halfway the scenery course.
At the briefing, Colin Whitehead told the competitors that there were ‘no rules’ for the long distance race. The Olympic duo Brouwer/Bundock interpreted that notification pretty literally and started a few seconds earlier. Brouwer afterwards while taking down the jib: “I think we were a bit early, but they said there were no rules.” The start looked spectacular from the Langebaan beach. The Dragoons were already beating up, as the Tigers lined up with the national park in the background. After the signal they headed for the gate at the Langebaan Yacht Club. Not everybody actually. Whitehead: “The Olympians obviously didn’t know the course, because they missed the gate.” Brouwer with a confident smile: “They said there were no rules.” That is how Gerard Loos from the Netherlands lost his leading position: “I tacked to go through the gate and all of a sudden I saw five boats in front of me. They simply passed it.” After the top mark, the fleet hoisted the kites and went back to a buoy close to Langebaan beach, from where they had to do another lap. According to Whitehead, the ‘Champion of the Race’ would be the first at the bar on Kraal Beach in another gorgeous bay. Unfortunately, fog came up rapidly and the sailors were sent back inshore.
South African Hobie Cat Youth Sailing
About a year ago, the South African youngsters started sailing the Hobie Dragoons. Two national youth programs were set up. One on the West Coast, called the Hobie Cat Youth Club. Colin Whitehead: “This is a non-profit organisation. Six parents bought a Hobie Dragoon and donated their boats to the school. They became shareholders of the Hobie Cat Youth Club.” Tracy Whitehead was announced as Managing Director, which means that she runs the organisation of the Dragoons. Whitehead: “There are 12 courses a year and they take four days. We have three levels: beginners, intermediate and advanced. Two out of 12 to 14 kids per course, are Previously Disadvantaged Individuals (PDI), so they don’t have to pay a fee.” Over the past year, 72 children learned how to sail a multihull in the Langebaan Lagoon.
The other South African school operates under the name of Gauteng Hobie Cat Association Youth Club. They also have six Hobie Dragoons. Belinda Hayward (RSA), multiple medallist at the Hobie 16 Women Worlds, trains the Gauteng youth with great enthusiasm. “Watching these guys is even more rewarding than sailing myself. I do give a beginners course once in a while, but I concentrate on my six teams to get them on Worlds standard. They have come a long way, but they all made it to the top ten at the nationals.” Ewald Erasmus and Riccardo Suttner-Scalco became the 2008 Hobie Dragoon Champions of South Africa. Matt Whitehead and Megan Du Plessis won silver, but are leading the Worlds at the moment. Thanks to both initiatives, the South African Hobie Dragoon fleet has grown from zero to 17 competing teams.
The weather forecast for tomorrow looks more promosing. The breeze should pick up again.
The Hobie Tiger & Hobie Dragoon Worlds 2008 are sponsored by Southey, Airport City, Seiko and Coca Cola with Langebaan Yacht Club as the event host.
/// End
For more information about the Hobie Tiger & Hobie Dragoon Worlds 2008, please contact the following persons:
Diana Bogaards, press contact
Mobile: +31 (0)6 51383762
E-mail: Diana@diabo.nlOur photographer Pierrick Contin from France captures the action and beach life. A selection of his work will be offered for free publication. The included pictures may be published, only by mentioning the photographer.
Rat Race Media is filming the Hobie Worlds. In case you are interested in footage, please contact Liesel Kok directly at number +27 82 8876449 or liesel@ratracemedia.com.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
 |
