Wind ready for 40th Contender World Championships

1:12 AM Thu 10 Dec 2009 GMT

'Mark rounding action at the 2009 Int Contender Worlds' Event Media

The Australian Contender Association and Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS) are ready for the Contender sailors from around the world who will descend on Manly, on Brisbane's Moreton Bay in Queensland, for the Australian and World Championships in a few weeks time.

The World Championships will run from 7 to 12 January 2010. Preceding the Worlds will be The Australian Championships from 3 to 6 January.

It is fitting that this 40th World Championship is returning to its spiritual home of Brisbane, as dinghy designer Bob Miller (later known as Ben Lexcen) designed the Contender in 1966 as a possible Olympic high performance single hander, to replace the Finn.

While the Finn survives, the Contender class has strong fleets in its country of birth Australia as well as in Italy, Germany, Denmark, UK, Canada and the USA.

European based World Championships have fleets of up to 150 boats but with the 'tyranny of distance', 60 is the target number for this 40th Championship 'down under.'

The first World Championship was held at Hayling Island, Great Britain in 1970. In 1974 and 1988 the World titles were sailed out of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS). Now in RQ's 125th year the Worlds return.

It will be all systems go for the summer sea breezes on the Morton Bay course as Suellen Hurling from RQYS reports, 'It's great Contender weather in January and this year the winds are really coming in hard. Come the Worlds it is pretty safe to say that we should get between 10 and 20 knots from the north-east and the breeze generally comes in at around 2.00pm or 2.30pm; racing is scheduled to start at two o'clock so it will hopefully fit in with Mother Nature.

'Fifteen Contenders have just competed at Sail Brisbane on the Championship racecourse and tested it out. The event showed that the Contenders can get seriously out of control; we had about 27- 28 knots and some wet and wild racing.'

While the on water battles will be fierce, onshore things will be very different, as Hurling explains. 'Most of the crews will be camping at RQ so it's going to be a really social regatta; the camping site is nearly booked out. There will be free beer every afternoon after racing. The serious stuff is only going to be on the water.'

For more information www.contenderworlds2010.com/news/

Here is the Championship list going back over the last 40 years.

. . 2009 World Championship at S?nderborg, Denmark. Won by Andrea Bonezzi, Italy.
2nd place: Jono Neate, Australia, 3rd place: Jacob Lunding, Denmark, first Veteran: Graham Scott, Great Britain
First Woman: Jacqueline R?fenacht, Australia

. 2008 World Championship at Kingston, Canada . Won by Marcus Hamilton, Australia.
2nd place: Marco Versari, Italia, Third place: S?ren Andreasen, Denmark. First Veteran - Chris Sutherland, AUS.
34 competitors from 8 countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands,
and USA.

. 2007 World Championship at Medemblik, Netherlands. Won by Marcus Hamilton, Australia.
2nd place: Andrea Bonezzi, Italia, Third place: Jan van der Bank, Germany. First Veteran - Stuart Jones, U.K.
144 competitors from 11 countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and USA.

. 2006 World Championship at Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia Won by Andrea Bonezzi, Italia.
First Veteran - John Cassidy, AUS. 61 entrants from 9 countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, USA

. 2005 World Championship at Travem?nde, Germany Won by Jan von der Bank, Germany.
First Veteran - Gary Landown, U.K. 111 Entrants from 11 countries: Austria, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, USA

. 2004 World Championship at Riva, Lake Garda, Italy Won by Andrea Bonezzi, Italia.
First Veteran - Steven Grimes, AUS. 148 Entrants from 8 countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, USA

. 2003 World Championship at Mayflower SC Plymouth, U.K Won by Andrea Bonezzi, Italia.
First Veteran - Tim Holden, U.K. 83 Entrants from 8 countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, USA

. 2002 World Championship at Black Rock Yacht Club Melbourne, Australia
Won by Arthur Brett of Melbourne, Australia. First Veteran (changed from 40 years to 45 years minimum) - Mark Phillips, AUS
65 Entrants from 8 countries: Austria, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, USA

. 2001 World Championship at Kingston, Ontario Won by Arthur Brett of Melbourne, Australia.
First Veteran - Arthur Brett, AUS!
31 Entrants from 7 countries: Canada, Australia, Denmark Germany, Great Britain, Italy, USA.
.
. 2000 World Championship at Medemblik Won by Gabriel Wicke of Germany. First Veteran - Ian Renilson, SCO
105 Entrants from 10 countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, France,
Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, USA.

. 1999 World Championship in Kiel, Germany Won by Andrea Bonezzi, ITA.
First Veteran - Suart Jones, U.K.

. 1998 World Championship in Sardinia, Italy Won by Stuart Jones, GBR
First Veteran - Stuart Jones, GBR!

. 1997 World Championship Sydney, Australia Won by Andrea Bonezzi, ITA.
First Veteran - Nigel Walbank, U.K.

. 1996 World Championship, Weymouth, Great Britain Won by Ian Renilson, GBR
First Veteran - Nigel Walbank, U.K.

. 1995 World Championship, Rowayton, Connecticut, USA Won by Graham Scott, GBR.
First Veteran - Nigel Walbank, U.K.

. 1994 World Championship, Union Yacht Club Attersee, Austria. Won by Graham Scott, GBR
First Veteran - Joachim Harpprecht, GER

. 1993 World Championship, Medemblik, Holland Won by Stuart Jones, GBR.
First Veteran - Keith Paul, U.K. 111 entrants from 10 Countries.

. 1992 World Championship, Melbourne, Australia. Won by Barry Watson, AUS.
First Veteran - Peter Randal, AUS

. 1991 World Championship, Marsala, Sicily, Italy Won by Andrea Bonezzi, ITA.
First Veteran - Keith Paul, U.K.

. 1990 World Championship, Hayling Island, England Won by John Hardman, GBR
First Veteran - Keith Paul, U.K.

. 1989 World Championship, Travemunde, Germany (West Germany then...) Won by Steve Daniel, GBR
First Veteran - Keith Paul, U.K.

. 1988 World Championship, Brisbane, Australia Won by Steve Daniel, GBR. First Veteran - Keith Paul, U.K.

. 1987 World Championship, Hamburgsund, Sweden Won by John Webb, GBR.
First Veteran - Keith Paul, U.K.

. 1986 World Championship, Santa Cruz, California, USA Won by Mark Starratt, USA.
First Veteran, Raul Guertin, USA

. 1985 World Championship, Struer, Denmark. Won by Barry Watson, Australia
First Veteran - Keith Paul, U.K.

. 1984 World Championship, Riva del Garda, Italy. Won by Barry Watson, Australia
First Veteran - Keith Paul, U.K. 114 competitors from 12 countries: Australia, Austria,
Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden,
Switzerland, USA

. 1983 World Championship, Lake Macquarie, Australia. Won by Tony Smith, NZL;
2nd Barry Watson, AUS; 3rd Mark Starratt, USA. First Veteran - Raoul Guertin, USA

. 1982 World Championship, Medemblik, Holland. Won by Tony Smith, NZL. First Veteran - Keith Paul, U.K.
.

. 1981 World Championship, Outer Harbour Centreboard Club, Toronto Won by Peter Newlands, NZL
First Veteran - Gil Woolley, USA

. 1980 World Championship, Hayling Island, Great Britain, Won by Peter Newlands, NZL tied with
Geoff Whitfield, GBR. First Veteran - Keith Paul, U.K.

. 1979 World Championship, Takapuna, New Zealand. Won by Peter Newlands, NZL

. 1977 World Championship, Kiel, Germany. Won by David Pitman, GBR.

. 1976 World Championship, Palo Alto, California, USA Won by David Pitman, GBR

. 1974/1975 World Championship, Manly, Brisbane, Australia Won by David Pitman, GBR

. 1973 World Championship, Imperia Italy Won by Peter Hollis, AUS

. 1972 World Championship, Medemblik, Holland Won by Peter Hollis, AUS

. 1970 World Championship, Hayling Island England Won by Dick Jobbins,

by Rob Kothe