The leaderboard was filled with teams from Great Britain on day 1 of the 2010 Fireball World Championships. Chips Howarth and Vyv Townend continued their strong performance with another first in Race 1, while their compatriots Matt Findlay and Richard Anderton won Race 2. In fact, British teams held down the top 7 spots in Race 1.
As of Race 2, Chips Howarth and Vyv Townend (GBR) sit in 1st, Matt Burge and Richard Wagstaff (GBR) are 2nd, and Matt Findlay and Richard Anderton are in 3rd.
Complete results are available here.
Even with a deep field of accomplished entries from 15 countries including a number of past world champions, Matt Findlay was not surprised at the strength of the British entries.
“We have a lot of very good teams from the UK. We love to sail in the breeze. If it’s sunny and not much wind, we don’t go out. If it’s windy, we love to go out and sail.”
Evidently, the training in breezy conditions pays off. Competitors enjoyed another picture perfect day in Barbados to kick off the 2010 championship regatta. Winds peaked at 22 knots during the end of Race 1 and the start of Race 2, with sunny skies and warm temperatures both in and out of the water.
Racing continues in Barbados tomorrow, Monday, May 3, at 12:30 with two races scheduled.