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2014 Sunfish Worlds
Scenes From The Final Day Of Racing
October 21, 2014

I
n the Neuse River waters off of Camp Seagull, Francisco Renna of Argentina took the top honors at the 2014 Sunfish Senior Worlds. In 9 races between October 13 and 16, Renna placed first in four of them — all of them on Tuesday, when conditions were at their most blustery.

sunfish worlds final day
The start of the final race.

Racing was called on account of rain on Wednesday, then on Thursday, the 6 dozen sailors raced 3 times. After the last race was run, Jean Paul de Trazegnies of Peru was second overall, after taking first place in the last race. In third was Conner Blouin of the US.

sunfish worlds final day
Francisco Renna of Argentina, winner of the 2014 Sunfish Worlds, while waiting for Thursday’s competition to begin.

This competitino was the first time the Sunfish Worlds took place in the Oriental area. The 72 sailors competed came from ten countries. South and Central American nations fielded strong teams. Among the nations taking part were: Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Equador, Bermuda, Colombia, Canada, Bonaire, the US as well as, Puerto Rico. Several competitors came from NC and Oriental in particular.

sunfish worlds final day
Jesus Bailon of Equador winning the first of two races Thursday. He would finish 11th overall.

Photos from last day of the 2014 Sunfish Worlds.

sunfish worlds final day
There had been a delay Thursday in starting the race because the winds faded. That led a lot of sailors to stretch out as best they could in their Sunfish cockpits.
sunfish worlds final day
Jackson Morton on the course with the Minnesott-Cherry Branch ferry making its run in the background.
sunfish worlds final day
Kara Wheeler of Oriental after rounding the downwind mark at the Sunfish Worlds.
sunfish worlds final day
Spectators aboard the Camp Seagull vessel Joy Boy hone in on the Sunfish they were watching. Not always in the same part of the race.
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A downwind run on the Neuse on the last day of competition.

More photos ahead.

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sunfish worlds final day
Competitors head out on to the Neuse from the launch site at Camp Seagull.
sunfish worlds final day
The scene at the launch site Thursday morning.

The racing was scheduled to start at 10a on Thursday but when the appointed time arrived, the winds were subdued. So began a long wait of more than an hour.

sunfish worlds final day
A slow moment during the doldrums before Thursday’s first race. The sailor, David Mendelblatt of the US placed fourth overall in the competition.
sunfish worlds final day
Meanwhile, on the committee boat, Bill Jarvis, of Fairfield Harbor looks for wind.
sunfish worlds final day
Mott Parks Blair with protective coloring – blue sunscreen.
sunfish worlds final day
Kicking back while the race committee waited for the right wind. Some bared their feet…
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Some sported the black sock look.
sunfish worlds final day
More doldrums while waiting for the winds to pick up. Alexander Dean at left looks for a glimpse of wind. At right is Sonya Dean. The couple from NC placed 55th and 56th,respectively

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sunfish worlds final day
First place winner Francisco Renna on his coach’s boat waiting for the start of the race, as race organizers were sorting out the course with the best wind. Several of the Central and South American sailors had support vessels on the river.
sunfish worlds final day
Waiting for the race to start, a cluster of Sunfish sailors from Equador and Peru.
sunfish worlds final day
The pier at Camp Seagull where spectators boarded boats to watch the competition. Over the 3 days of racing, organizers moved the course to various spots on the river to catch the wind.
sunfish worlds final day
The last day of the 2014 Sunfish Worlds, as boats sailed out to the race course area.. sunfish worlds final day
Some in-water fine tuning before the racing began.
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Sunfish rubbernecking.
sunfish worlds final day
Sailor shadow before the races.
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Paul Welles, of Triton Yachts, at right, was ready on the scene.

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sunfish worlds final day
Some local sailors, no strangers to races, tended to the marks.
sunfish worlds final day
The start of the first of three races on Thursday.
sunfish worlds final day
Sailors on the second leg, a downward run.
sunfish worlds final day
In contrast to the doldrums earlier, the rounding of the downwind mark saw lots of churn.
sunfish worlds final day
Rob Findlay of Chicago, who won the Sunfish Masters in Oriental earlier this year.
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Rounding the mark.
sunfish worlds final day
Another racer past a mark.

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sunfish worlds final day

The blue and yellow and white of the Sunfish sails were everywhere, even on the surface of the water.

sunfish worlds final day
On the upper deck of Camp Seagull’s boat, Joy Boy.
sunfish worlds final day
Bill and Camilla Wheeler of Oriental watch the competition and their daughter, Kara.
sunfish worlds final day
In the last race, the mark at the end of the upwind run had a lot of close quarters….
sunfish worlds final day
…. which opened up after a few seconds.
sunfish worlds final day
But in at least one case, a boat became attached to the mark.
sunfish worlds final day
After rounding a mark, a downwind run.
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sunfish worlds final day
Alone on one side of the course, was George Midyette. The strategy seemed to pay off – in this last race of the competition, he had his best showing, coming in 22nd.
sunfish worlds final day
George Soliano of Bonaire after a race.
sunfish worlds final day
Two spectators from Colombia. Juan Sebastian Martinez, at right, had competed in the Youth Worlds a few days earlier and finished 8th, and was watching his father — on the Neuse — compete in the Worlds.
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Juan Carlos Martinez, of Colombia.
sunfish worlds final day
Turtle Midyette, of Oriental, one of several competitors with ties to the town.
sunfish worlds final day
On the spectator boat, a 4-year old from Boston excitedly called out to his stepfather, Eric Woodman, after the race was over.
sunfish worlds final day
Katherine and Jackie Dean watched through the day as their parents, Sonya and Alexander, competed. After the races ended, they greeted their mother from the deck of the spectator boat .
sunfish worlds final day
Sailors huddle around the kiosk where Bill Kirsch of Oriental Dinghy Club posted the results of Thursday’s competition, and, by then, the Sunfish Worlds tournament.

To download the 2014 Sunfish Senior Worlds Results, click here.

Posted Tuesday October 21, 2014 by Melinda Penkava


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