Oceanic Windsurfing Championships
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About 40 Olympic windsurfing competitors participated in this event, which was good practice for them because the competition was held on the Olympic windsurfing course.
According to regatta director Greg Johns, there were 58 competitors in this event, 16 women and 42 men, from about 20 different countries. With the Olympic competitors involved, it was a very international competition.
Johns also said the five-day event had predominantly westerly winds that were hard to predict. The 4-20 knot wind would change from light to heavy to gusty. And the water was about 16 degrees Celsius.
Barbara Kendall, from New Zealand, took first overall in the competition for the women's division. She will also be competing in the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Kendall won a gold medal in the 1992 Olympics and a silver in the 1996 Olympics.
"I think the wind was typical for Sydney Harbour," she said. "It's unpredictable. But the water was freezing cold. This was a good warm-up regatta for the Olympics."
It seems that the most difficult challenge for this competition was that the windsurfers had to dodge ferries, sailboats and barges. But that shouldn't be as much of a problem once the Olympics are underway. Australian competitor Lars Kleppich, who won second place overall for the men's division, said, "The main problem with this event was the waterways. We're going fast, but those with less experience on the water here start to panic."
One of the women competitors reportedly got knocked off her board by a ferry. Apparently she was concentrating on trying not to get run over by a barge and didn't see the ferry coming her way. Luckily she was not injured, just frightened.
USA competitor Lanee Butler, who placed second overall for the women, said, "Due to the competition, the ferries had to alter their course more than once. So the ferries notified the race committee and the racing was cancelled on Sunday."
Overall, it was a successful event and a good trial run for those competing in the upcoming Olympics. Aaron McIntosh, from New Zealand, took first place overall for the men's division. He will also be competing in the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
He said, "This was a good dress rehearsal for the Olympics. I'll be sailing against a lot of the same guys during the Olympics."
The championships were organized by the NSW Boardsailing Association, the Local Organising Authority (LOA) with the assistance of the Sydney Flying Squadron, for and on behalf of and under specified conditions laid down by IMCO International and the ISAF.
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