Holland Regatta Wrap Up
WAIS sailing athletes had their first taste of racing in the 2008 European season, with the Holland Regatta taking place over the last week.
The Regatta was competed with a high quality field, with many competitors in preparation for the Olympic Games in two months time.
Ryan Hannan competing in his first European Regatta finished 99th with a best finish of 15th coming in his last race.
Stacey Omay and Chelsea Hall had a similar path to Hannan, improving each day and becoming more consistent as they settled in to the European racing again. The last 4 races showed that they can play in amongst the top 20. This was due to a combination of understanding the wind conditions and their downwind strategy. Their goal was to finish in the top 20 and their last race helped them to make it.
Mat Higgins and Tim Lynch will be aiming to step up when they race in Lake Garda. They too improved throughout the Holland regatta but are still struggling to work their way through the pack and find clear air, and to be able to execute their race plan. It should improve as they race more, and develop their racing rhythm in big fleets
In the 470 class, Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson made the top 10 for the final medal race, finishing 3rd and 9th overall.