Elks Hangs Tough in Tricky Start to World Champs

WAIS sailor Caitlin Elks currently holds fifth place at the 49erFX World Championships in Florida after two weather affected days of competition.

 

Whilst Florida is known as the Sunshine State and holds a reputation for being the autumn-years capital of the USA, the on-water conditions have been anything but retiring for the competing sailors, with high winds and choppy waters dictating only one completed race for the 49erFX class after two days of sailing.

 

Making the best of difficult circumstances, Elks and her skipper Tess Lloyd recorded a third place finish in the one completed race, to hold a preliminary ranking of fifth overall.

 

As if the weather wasn’t challenging enough, selection for the Australian Olympic Team in the 49erFX sailing class remains open, with three crews chasing the single spot available.

 

Elks and Lloyd currently sit ahead of the fellow Australian pairings of; Olivia Price and Eliza Solly, who recorded a 15th place finish to sit 29th overall, whilst Haylee Outteridge and Nina Curtis were further behind in 33rd rank, following a 17th place finish.

 

Olivia Price summed the conditions up as neatly, saying, “I don’t think I’ve been out in conditions that bumpy before. It was a bit hairy at times and when the wind picked up it became pretty hard to really function and get upwind that much.”

 

Haylee Outteridge endured a scary moment, with her crew coming to her attention.

 

“When we finally got to race in the afternoon it started out ok, but then the tide started to change and the sea state got a lot worse and it was a big day,” Outteridge said.

 

“We didn’t really know where we were coming in the racing as everyone was upside down and all over the shop. We hung in there ok but on the last down wind we had a big capsize and I got stuck in the foot strap and I got swept away from the boat with Nina having to come to my rescue. We’ll check our rig after the capsizes, as the mast goes straight down to the bottom when that happens and hopefully we’ll be all good to go for tomorrow.

 

In the men’s 49er class, WAIS sailor David Gilmour and his crew Lewis Brake managed a fifth place finish to hold ninth position on the rankings after one completed race from two days of competition.