2002 SOLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
-by Gustavo Warburg for the UK Sailmaker Team.

Twenty-six soling from eight nations arrived to Marblehead, MA - USA, to take part of the 2002 World Championship from the 22nd to 28th of September. The event was hosted by the Eastern Yacht Club. Everybody was there: Bill Abbott, Dave Curtis, Gustavo Warburg (2001 World Champion), Stu Walker, Don Cohan and many others.

Six races were sailed over five days under low winds and big waves. Only the last day we had 12 - 16 knots.

The championship started the Sunday with a practice race with a 6 knots sea breeze. The race was won by Steve Dolan, Griffin Freysinger and Tim Roy. On Monday, we had no wind so all races were postponed for the next day.

Tuesday, we had12-15 knots from the northeast. Big waves and minimal oscillating shifts between 25 and 35 degrees for the first race. Abbott extended his lead all around the course and won by 200 yards with Gochberg second (but OCS and out), Curtis third, Walker fourth, and Dave Franzel, coming up the last beat very fast, fifth.

The wind died at the end of the first race and shifted to 45 degrees. The wind varied thereafter over about 20' and between 10 and 5 knots with major changes in position occurring on every leg. World Champion Gustavo Warburg (ARG 32) played it correctly, taking an immediate port tack and crossed the fleet with ease. But Curtis was close astern and these two battled for the lead thereafter Abbott managed to recover to fourth after rounding the first mark in the mid-teens. Don Cohan, who had been sixth in the first race was sixth again, and moved into fourth place with 12 points, one ahead of George Wossala (HUN 77), and two ahead of Walker. But the three leaders (Curtis 2-1), Abbott (1-4), and Warburg (7-2) were setting a standard that would be difficult to match.

The next day, at the dock we were greeted by a light northeasterly breeze and sunshine - for the first time in several days - but the clouds soon returned and the wind picked up to 8-10. After a general recall and an aborted race in which a 35' veer occurred, the wind steadied - momentarily - at 85' and six knots. Another easy victory for Bill Abbott and his crew.

On Thursday, we have a championship! - Five races - and a champion - Bill Abbot (who has four 1st and one 3rd). The wind it stayed reasonably strong and reasonably steady only varying over about 20' from 65'-85', and from 6-14 knots. Bill Abbot won again the race. The World Champion Gustav Warburg had a 4th, which took him to the 5th place in the general positions.

The final race - Friday - was conducted in the week's best conditions - 12-16 knots with big waves and an underlying swell. Gustavo Warburg was first at the weather mark but Bill was not far behind. Bill took over the lead and Dave Curtis passed Gustavo on the third beat to take second and John Gochberg (USA 839), who loves the heavy air, was fourth.