Movistar is the New IMS 600 World Champion
Al Cap One III second / Harm Müller-Spreer superior at Dragon Worlds
The Rolex Baltic Week cheered the new IMS 600 World Champion 2005 on Thursday (25 August). The title was won by the Grand Soleil 42 Movistar with her Spanish-Italian crew and owner Lorenzo Bressani from Trieste and helmsman Pedro Campos (Madrid). Because of a port/starboard violation against Movistar, the Norwegian Al Cap One III of Einar Sissener (Oslo) had been disqualified in the last race and thus lost the title. The same happened to Thetje Ancker from Kappeln, Germany: His Luffe 43 Transit Express was on her way to a podium place when they, too, were disqualified. Closely followed by the next five boats, Hanseatic Lloyd of Christian Plump from Bremen, Germany came third. Harm Müller-Spreer from Hamburg, Germany with his crew Markus Wieser and Thomas Auracher are leading in a superior way at the Dragon Worlds.
Shuffling in front of the race office at the ancora Marina in Neustadt, the IMS 600 sailors could hardly await the official results. At 20.55 h local time, they were at last delivered - including two bitter pills for Al Cap One III and Transit Express. The Spaniards had produced a number of witnesses who had seen the critical incident on the second beat of the last race. Sailing legend Campos explained the situation: “We had the right of way with wind from starboard when the Norwegians approached us and were about to collide. If we hadn’t given way, there would have been a crash.” The international jury shared their point of view and turned Al Cap One III’s win into a “DSQ”. And so the precious Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date timepiece went to the Mediterranean.
The decision for rank three was extremely close. It was merely a quarter point that kept the surprising up-start crew of Transit Express from Hanseatic Lloyd, that won the podium place in the last second and was more than happy. “We were disqualified the day before. Now it was someone else’s turn,” said helmsman Albert Schweitzer, “decisions out on the water are always extremely close.” The final racing day with wind up to 25 knots definitely suited a world championship. Schweitzer: “But we had already lost the title in the long-distance race.”
The same happened to Horst Mann’s L+M Hispaniola (Kiel). Her crew had been very convincing in the ten up and down races, but in the end, she came only fifth, half a point ahead of the Ocean Warrior (Sverre Valeur, Norway) and Moonshine of Matthias Müller von Blumencron (Hamburg, Germany), who had been in second place after the long-distance race. “We haven’t managed to improve our Rodman 42 any further”, explained helmsman Nils Heyde from L+M Hispaniola, “but the outcome really goes back to a tactical mistake in the long-distance race.”
At the Hanseatic Lloyd Dragon World Championship, the triumvirate of Harm Müller-Spreer/Markus Wieser/Thomas Auracher kept their overall lead by achieving two fourth ranks on Thursday. After three races, the Hamburg-based helmsman is the only one with three top-ten ranks. Hard on his heels is the current champion Vincent Hoesch from Rimsting with his crew Harro Kniffka and Max Scheibmaier and 17 points back. “Compared to coming 15th on the first day, we were on target today,” said Hoesch.
He benefited from a 20-per cent penalty (ZFP) for the winner of race three, Thomas Andersen from Denmark, who had had a premature start under flag Z in a general recalled race start before. Two-times German Olympic medallist Ulli Libor from Frei-Laubersheim and his crew Gunnar Bahr (Berlin) and Jan Schoepe (Cuxhaven) pushed ahead to rank five. “Unfortunately, we were passed down from second to sixth place in the end,” reported Libor after a wet and cold, but thrilling race day.
Results of the Rolex Baltic Week on Thursday, 24 August 2005
IMS 600 World Championship
Final results (after twelve races):
1. Movistar, Pedro Campos (Madrid, Spain) 41,5 points; 2. Al Cap One III, Einar Sissener (Oslo, Norway) 49; 2.; 3. Hanseatic Lloyd, Christian Plump (Bremen, Bremen) 74,25; 4. Transit Express, Thetje Ancker (Kappeln, Germany) 74,5; 5. L+M Hispaniola, Horst Mann (Kiel, Germany) 74,75; 6. Ocean Warrior, Sverre Valeur (Bergen, Norway) 75,25; 7. Moonshine, Matthias Müller von Blumencron (Hamburg, Germany) 76,1875; 8. Hagstroemer, Gutta Johannsen (Saltsjöbaden, Sweden) 77,5; 9. Abraxas, Eivind Haugan (Nesbru, Norway) 80,25; 10. Chemate_, Peter de Ridder (Grinchem, Netherlands) 82,5.
Hanseatic Lloyd Dragon World Championship
Overall results (after three races):
1. Müller-Spreer/Wieser/Auracher (Hamburg, Germany) 9 points, 2. Hoesch/Kniffka/Scheibmaier (Rimsting, Germany) 26, 3. Hendriksen/Johannsen/Leifel (Rungsted Kyst, Denmark) 27, 4. Schönherr/Kaempe/Waldersdorph (Ströby, Denmark) 28, 5. Libor/Bahr/Schoepe (Frei-Laubersheim, Germany) 40, 6. Andersen/Feddersen/Seier (Fredericia, Denmark) 41.
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