No more racing was possible, but the stories of our little trip out had already begun to be exaggerated beyond plausibility, so it was worth it for that.Ĭontender Worlds 2023 at Kerteminde, Denmark - photo © Kristian Joos / Day 2 After another 10 knot increase in wind strength, either Andreas' softer side came through or he began to fear for his own safety, and he abandoned the racing and we all surfed home smelling strongly of pee. As this was Andreas' third time overseeing the World Champion fleet, he obviously felt we were faking the fear and needed some tough love. Those were brave (or stupid) enough to venture out were still surprised when the PRO, Andreas Kuchler, put up his orange flag. It was the Manhattan Project on the Danish sea - with absolute nuclear conditions, 30 knots easy, making it hard to tack from reach to reach, and gybing wasn't on anyone's agenda. This meant the World Champ would have to be good in all types to be victorious. Instead, there would be screaming breeze inducing various fear levels for three days, and then a switch to almost nothing (inducing a different kind of fear). The forecast for the week was beautifully mixed, with strong conditions to start slowly lightening into a zephyr on the last day. Luckily, the organisation was good that the measurers were able to complete the task without incident, so we could all focus on the main event.Ĭontender Worlds 2023 at Kerteminde, Denmark - photo © Kristian Joos / The Main Act These three would be obvious bets for the big prize.īetween the Danish Nationals and the Worlds, the fleet indulged in its favourite pastime of scrutinising every piece of kit for legality, and to add to the fun, it chose to do so during a storm. In the end, GBR newcomer (but just to the Contender fleet, as he's been whipping other fleets for years), Graeme Wilcox showed his mastery of mixed and tricky conditions, and he was joined on the podium by Current World Champion Mark Bulka of Australia and returning hero Christoph Homeier of Germany. A 70-odd fleet got to know the conditions in the eight races held over two days, leaving them exhausted and wishing they hadn't gotten so familiar. First impressions were that it was flat and gusty but could also be breezy with chop. Contender Worlds 2023 at Kerteminde, Denmark - photo © Kristian Joos / The Foreplayįirst, the pre-event of the Danish Nationals was to be settled and it would provide a chance for all to inspect the racecourse.
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