Top 3 Men
1 - Max Wojik  (POL-7)
2 - Piotr Nowacki (POL-17)
3 - Daniel Blinnikka (FIN-5)

Top 3 Women
1 - Ilona Grinberga (LAT-18)
2 - Aleksandra Blinnikka (FIN-56)
3 - Krystyna Soltyka (POL-665)

Youth - Markus Bouhier (GER-3004)
Master - Pedro Moura (POR-73)
Grandmaster - Juha Blinnikka (FIN-6)
Veteran - Kai Mannisto (FIN-50)
Light - Max Wojcik (POL-7)
Heavy - Petr Kucera (CZE-15)

Youth - Meike Wallochny (GER-3084)
Master - Ilona Grinberga (LAT-18)

2015 Ergo Hestia Raceboard World Champions Crowned

Only two races were  possible today - but it was two more than expected with the forecast given.  However it was a long wait ashore before the Race Officer, Eva Jodkowska, felt conditions had improved sufficiently to bring the sailors out on the race course.  AP came down on the shore with 7-10 knots blowing on the course, ready for the final races of the 2015 "Ergo Hestia" Raceboard World Championships in Sopot.

2 races for each fleet followed in marginal conditions. There were 4 OCS's for the men's second start which turned out to be the final race of the Championship as there was no more time to start a third. 2 bullets apiece for the overnight leaders confirming Max Wojcik, Poland, and Ilona Grinberga, Latvia, as the 2015 "Ergo Hestia" Raceboard World Champions.  Piotr Nowacki consolidated his second place on the podium with two seconds over the line but the real battle for the podium lay between Daniel Blinnikka (FIN-5) and Louis Morris (GBR-730) for the third spot.  As others crossed the finish line ahead of them Daniel finished just ahead of Louis in race 13 but then Louis crossed just ahead of Daniel in the final race.  Daniel Blinnikka held on to the third podium position by just a single point!

And just a single point gave Pedro Corte Moura (POR-73) the honour of being First Master as he fared better today than Patrick Pollak and finished 5th overall.  In 10th overall, Juha Blinnikka (FIN-6) was First Grandmaster, Markus Bouhier (GER-3004) was First Youth and Kai Mannisto (FIN-50) was first Veteran.

No surprises in the women's fleet as Aleksandra Blinnika (FIN-56) took 2 second places behind Ilona Grinberga (LAT-18), taking the silver spot on the podium, ahead of Krystyna Soltyka (POL-665) who finished the championship in 3rd place.  The Blinnikka family will be very pleased with their performance, especially Aleksandra for standing on the championship podium between two ladies both over twice her age!

70 men and 10 women from 13 countries over three continents have enjoyed some fantastic racing on the home waters of the Sopocki Klub Zeglarski (SKZ), Sopot, Poland.  The warm welcome and hospitality has been second to none and huge thanks to everyone involved both on shore and on the water for staging yet another really great event.

Sopot Continues to Deliver

Against the predicted forecast 3 races in good winds were achieved today and it was a mixed bag of results at the end of racing.  The day started off with 10 knots, it was sunny and a balmy 20 degrees Celsius.  The wind built to 12-13 knots on the course for the first race but then dropped back to 10 knots for the remainder.

As the gun went for the start of the men's first race, competitors spread across the bay looking for the advantage but the fleet was tightly packed as competitors converged around the first mark.  It was a great race made all the more notable because Max didn't win this one!  Piotr Nowacki POL-17 was first over the line, followed by Daniel Blinnikka (FIN-5) and Fabian Grundman (GER-933), relegating our champion to fourth place.

In the next men's race it was Juha Blinnika (FIN-6), top grandmaster, who gave Max a hard time and he was going for the win until Max managed to overtake him over the last five meters - a very close finish! Piotr Nowacki (POL-17) came third.

The final race of the day for the men saw Fabian Grundman (GER-933) on the attack with Petr Kucera (CZE-15) close behind in third, but Max was well clear of his rivals at the finish line.

So at the end of the day the top 2, Max Wojcik (POL-7) and Piotr Nowacki (POL-17) hold their gold and silver positions but Daniel Blinnikka (FIN-5) has moved up into 3rd despite two of today's races ending up as his discards.  However, he cannot afford to be complacent going into the final day with 2 or 3 experienced racers right on his tail - Louis Morris (GBR), Patrik Pollack (Slovakia), currently 1st Master, and Pedro Moura (Portugal).  Louis Morris (GBR-730), very often out at the front of the racing pack, is very much in contention for that third spot on the podium being just one point behind.

Jan Maszkiewicz (POL-108) will be most disappointed with his results today - dropping 7 places off the podium to 10th in the overall ranking. 

Marcus Bouhier (GER-3004) is first youth.

No change in the top 3 of women's overall ranking where consistency is clearly paying dividends.  Ilona Grinberga (LAT-18) is at the top of the leaderboard with 12 points, Aleksandra Blinnikka (FIN-56), 2nd in all three races today, is six points behind with Krystyna Soltyka (POL-665) in third place with 33 points.  Fourth placed Manuela Buch (GER-2211) will be very pleased with her first bullet of the championship in the last race of the day.

Most sailors were relieved when the typically unstable winds returned, leaving the race committee no alternative but to call it a day at 1500.  With one day left to complete a 15 race series we are on schedule.  Sopot has certainly delivered!

What a day in Sopot!

What a day in Sopot! 12 knots greeted competitors, it was warm and sunny and another brilliant race day with three bullets for Max!  2 back to back course races followed, after a break ashore, by one marathon race was scheduled and the plan worked perfectly.

Fabian Grundman (GER-933) gave Max a good run for his money in the first race of the day, staying pretty close to the Champion until Max streaked away to finish in customary first position over the line.  However, second is Fabian's best result of the championship so far.  Pedro Corte Moura (POR-73) also put in his best performance finishing in third place.

In race 8 it was Patrick Pollak's turn to challenge Max in a tightly packed race but his rounding of the last mark was not up to the standard of our champion who once again cleared the finish line in fine form, leaving Patrick to take second place with Jan Maszkiewicz POL-108 in third.

It was a very close finish for the Long Distance race with any of the top five in contention but, yet again, Max nailed it ahead of Piotr Nowacki who pulled out all the stops to finish second and Jan Maszkiewicz was third.

So the men's leaderboard shows an unstoppable Maksymilian Wojcik (POL-7) in first place with 8 points.   Second placed Piotr Nowacki lost ground after the two course races - but regained form in the marathon and has 30 points. Consistent races have brought another Pole, Jan Maszkiewicz, up into 3rd overall.  However only 1 point separates the 3rd, 4th and 5th placed men, all fighting for the 3rd podium spot.

Leading in the age divisions: youth, Markus Bouhier (Germany); master, Patrik Pollak (Slovakia); grandmaster, Juha Blinnikka (Finland) and veteran, Kai Mannisto (Finland)

Over in the women's division 3 different sailors took a race win.  Maria Jopyk-Misiak (POL-48) took her first championship win in race 7.  Aleksandra Blinnikka discarded that race but was back on fine form to take the bullet in race 8.  Still leading the fleet is Ilona Grinberga (Latvia), winner of the ladies marathon race.

Another Three Good Races on Day Two of Raceboard Worlds

Competitors were greeted with 6-8 knots of wind over quite strong waves but both the men's and women's fleets got away with clear starts.  As the wind steadily built to 10 knots over the course area, Latvian Ilona Grinberga was determined to maintain her clean record  but Aleksandra Blinnikka from Finland was victorious in the last race of the day beating Ilona over the finish line. 

No change in the ladies podium positions but Aleksandra is just four points behind Ilona and six points ahead of Pole Krystyna Soltyka who was third in all three races.

Maksymilian Wojcik (POL-7) had every reason to smile as he comfortably scored bullets in every race.  He was on fire, way ahead of his nearest rivals. Piotr Nowacki (POL-17) chose the wrong line at the start of the first race of the day and only managed 7th.  However, he managed to regain some form with a 2nd and 3rd in the following races and kept his second place on the podium.  Daniel Blinnikka (FIN-5) flew up the leaderboard and now occupies the third spot, occupied yesterday by heavyweight Grandmaster Juha Blinnikka.  He struggled in the light conditions and now finds himself down in ninth.

Just one point off the podium, Brit Louis Morris (GBR-730) took a second place in the last race of the day and just one point behind him is Jan Maszkiewicz who took a couple of third places over the line. 

First master Patrick Pollak has gained a couple of places on the leaderboard moving up to 6th.

Let's see what the wind gods deliver tomorrow.  Competition continues until Saturday 13th June and it's heating up - stay tuned!

Great Start for Raceboard Worlds

3 back to back races completed on day one, sunny with north-easterly wind around 9/10 knots for race 1, building to 14/15 knots during the afternoon, great racing and no protests!  It doesn't get better than that!

Exactly as in 2014, the leading racers in both the men's and women's fleets had a perfect day - four times Raceboard World Champion Maksymilian Wojcik (POL-7) and Ilona Grinberga (LAT-18) scooped 3 bullets apiece.  No doubt however, they will be aiming for the top podium places this year and not second!  2014 World Champions, Ivan Pastor and Vita Matise, are not here to defend their titles but there are some hot contenders keen to take their places.

In the Men's Fleet, Piotr Nowacki (POL-17) settled for three second places. Juha Blinnikka (FIN-6), first grandmaster, is in third place overall. First Master and 2011 World Champion, Patrick Pollak (SVK-1) is 8th, first youth is Markus Bouhier (GER-3004) 17th, first Veteran is Bernd Neumann (GER-9) 22nd overall.

In the Women's Fleet, 22 year old Aleksandra Blinnikka from Finland took second in every race and Krystyna Soltyka POL-665 is in third overall.

The day finished with a short opening ceremony and a BBQ for all with music and a chance to socialise with old friends.

Windguru predicts rising temperatures during the week with similar wind strengths but variable direction.  It should make for interesting racing, especially as competitors have tracking devices so that races can be followed live on-line. 

Competition continues until Saturday 13th June - stay tuned - all to play for!