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After two racing days, the top five of the Hobie Tiger Worlds 2006 in Cangas (ESP) allows only one non-French team: Thomas/Bernier (USA). Mourniac and Citeau are in the lead, leaving Vaireaux and Romain at 17 points distance. Although many expected the Hobie Dragoon Worlds to be a battle between the Brits and the Ozzies, the Spanish boys Perico Velon and Bernal Figueiras obtained the top position. The sailing conditions on Tuesday July 25th 2006 were quite favourable. Starting with a light breeze in the morning, growing to 15 knots and a sunny sky, the Hobie Tigers managed to sail four races and the Hobie Dragoons did six.
Hobie Tiger: Mourniac/Citeau
Mourniac/Citeau has been sailing quite steady the last two days, except for today’s third race. Mourniac says they owe it to their great starts: “As long as we have good starts, we know how to stay ahead.” He doesn’t reveal his ambitions for the rest of this event: “It’s a psychological game. Maybe we’ll take fewer risks tomorrow, because we want to defend our position. At the fourth start, for example, we were very close to the line when we heard the signal. If we had sailed a bit faster we would have been too early. Another day we might not take that risk, but now it resulted in a perfect start.”
Young talent: Phipps/Cook
Two 17-year-olds did get the start right in the third race. When all boats were pushing and drifting at the starting line, Phipps and Cook waited, twenty meters away. The signal sounded, and a few seconds later they crossed the line at full speed and tacked immediately. Phipps: “We knew the wind was on the right. Besides, all boats were going to the left, so we chose to hold back and go to the right, for free wind.” Phipps and Cook were the first team to round the top mark, and ended fourth that race. Phipps and Cook have been sailing together for six or seven years now, but it’s their first event in the Hobie Tiger. They have gained a lot of experience in the Hobie 16; Phipps won the Hobie 16 ISAF youth worlds last week. Apart from talented, they are also ambitious. Cook: “We would like to sail the Olympics in 2012.”
Ladies Only: Pfeiffer/Dettling
This Hobie Tiger Worlds, there is only one ladies’ team. The French women, Frédérique Pfeiffer and Françoise Dettling did very well the first race. Pfeiffer: “We had a good start and made the right decisions.” They finished in fifth position. The fourth race was a little too much for them. Pfeiffer: “Our watch had broken, so we had a bad start. And our muscles were just too tired to make up for that.” Nevertheless, it was a wonderful day. Dettling: “It was sunny and windy, great Hobie fun.”
Hobie Dragoon: Greber/Boniface
During the first race, Sébastien Greber and Nicky Boniface had the guts to choose the other side of the field. They were the second team to reach the upwind mark. Then they finished their job and ended first. The former Topper sailors were well-prepared at start of the event. Boniface: “We’ve been sailing Dragoon together for two years now, racing as much as possible in Britain. This is our first time sailing abroad. Quite exciting, because you don’t know how good the other teams are. Besides, we don’t speak their language!” Helmsman Greber is very enthusiastic about Cangas: “It’s very nice! Great weather, sandy beach, only the waves coming from the shipping lane are annoying.” After today’s performance, their expectations have risen. Greber: “We’re aiming for a top three position now.”
European Hobie president in Dragoon
One of the five parent-child teams consists of Geert Schouten, and his son Thomas (9). Schouten has been the president of the European Hobie Association for more than five years, and this will be one of his last events as a president. “I have done it for five years now”, he explains, “and it’s time for some new blood. For me it’s important to look for a good successor. But I’m very confident I will find one. Euro Hobie 2006, in Quiberon, is probably my last event as a president.” This doesn’t mean he will step out of the Hobie world: “I’ll be around, sail some races and give my advice. The hobie World is too much fun to leave.” Before he became the president of the European Hobie Association, Schouten had sailed Hobie 16 for seven years and Hobie Tiger for three years. Schouten: “Those were golden years, but when our family grew, it became more difficult to keep racing. I wanted to do something in return for the great years I had already experienced in the Hobie Class. I didn’t want to leave the Hobie scene. When someone asked me to become the new president of the European Hobie Association, I didn´t need time to think it over.”
Youth sailing
The last five years, the focus of the European Hobie Association was on stimulating youth sailing. Schouten: “We saw that the kids were attracted by monohulls with spinnakers. So the first step was to organise a Hobie 16 Youth Worlds with spinnaker. When we proposed this to the International Hobie Association (IHA), we met a lot of resistance. The Americans thought it was too dangerous.” Nevertheless, the first Hobie 16 Spinnaker Youth Worlds was a fact in 2004, in Belgium. Also the first Dragoon Worlds took place during this event. “Ideas rise as you go along”, Schouten explains, “After the Worlds in Duinbergen, we thought it would be better to combine the Hobie Dragoon Worlds with the Hobie Tiger Worlds, to make it a family event.” Later on, the European board decided young children should be allowed to sail with their parents. That way, they can safely take their first steps in the Hobie Worlds. Schouten: “It’s great to race with my son. For him it’s the first time on a Dragoon. Our goal this week is to have fun. Every mistake on board is my mistake. So far, I’ve been steering, but if Thomas gains some confidence as the competition goes along, he might take the helm.”
Dragoon top 5 after 9 races:
1. Perico Velon and Bernal Figueiras (ESP), 4 points
2. Adam Butler and Gilly Sutcliffe (GBR), 5 points
3. Vincent Domand and Eric Chaussat (FRA), 7 points
4. Jason Waterhouse and Chase Lurati (AUS), 8 points
5. Agnus Furnaque and Ellie Furnaque (GBR), 8 points
Tiger top 5 after 7 races:
1. Mourniac/Citeau (FRA), 26 points
2. Vaireaux/Romain (FRA), 43 points
3. Thomas/Bernier (USA), 43 points
4. Renaud de Malet/Rossollin (FRA), 52 points
5. Le Gal/Siret (FRA), 81 points
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