Class acts

Dodé and Moreau are the undisputed Dart 18 World Championship despite 18th hour flutter

Today, Emmanuel Dodé and Fred Moreau won the 2009 Dart 18 World Title with one race to spare - true champions, their scoreline showing seven bullets and two seconds, despite a crack in the back beam of their boat, almost put an end to their attempt to defend their title. However, the strong French team spirit brought them quickly back to the Caribbean Sea to finish the job.

British duo David Lloyd and Joanna Jones-Pierce will bring a silver medal home, but the battle for bronze is still on.

"Nobody has ever won the Dart 18 World Title twice in a row, so that was my goal for this year", said Dodé on his return to the beach. "And it was the French team that made it happen, as everybody helped us solving the problem with the boat."

Just after lunch, the Atol Sailing Team discovered a crack in the back beam of their 29 year old Dart 18 - a serious threat to their championship with three races to go. Dodé:

Dodé continued: "The minute I saw it, I only thought 'action'. Thierry organised a spare beam from a local Dart 18 and others started dissembling the platform. It was like a Formula 1 pit stop! Thanks to everyone for their assistance, so we could finish the competition. We capsized on our way to the start, but we managed to be there 1.5 minute before the gun." And the champions went on to win that race as well as today's final race.

"The work is done, so we will party tonight and pack the boat away tomorrow", commented the delighted sailors.

"We are not happy with silver," was David Lloyd's opinion of their result. "We have had a fabulous season so far. We won the Dutch, Belgian and UK Inland Nationals with one race to spare and now we are second. It is my fifth podium finish in a row, but I still haven't won. Joanna also took two silvers before, so I really wanted to win here."

According to Lloyd, the incredible upwind speed of the French winners made the biggest difference: "Even if they went the wrong way, we struggled to hold them."

However, the breakage of the French cat's beam could have been an interesting turning-point. Jones-Pierce: "I thought, we will find out what kind of sailor Emmanuel is. Whether he would give in to the pressure or not, but he still won the race. His head is there, he is a true champion."

While the top two spots are taken, but the third podium position is still up for grabs by four teams. The second worst result may be discarded after ten races. The Germans Matthias Huber and Dominik Volke are still in third place overall, despite suffering a broken mainsheet block in the last race. Huber: "It is going to be exciting tomorrow. We would be very happy with a medal, as our position is a surprise to us. The weather forecast shows less breeze, so that will be interesting."

Dutch duo Nicolette van Gorp and Ruud van Gisbergen had a good day with a 3-2-6 in the Zwitserleven races. They are currently in fifth place, after their fellow countrymen Ruud Goudriaan and Bart Damen. Van Gorp: "I hoped that we would perform well, but this is above expectation. Bronze would be outstanding."

According to Van Gisbergen, it paid to go up the middle today: "The gusts were strong in the middle of the course and we put in a few tacks."

The fourth favorite for bronze is Thierry Wibaux from France, but he carries a big discard (22) from yesterday. Wibaux: "It is a tight competition, so tomorrow we have to start at full speed and sprint to the finish."

Meanwhile the Pols brothers have won the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta 2009.

"We had a race in a race today", said Xander Pols. He and his brother Marc Pols easily won the regatta this week, scoring bullets in every race with their Nacra Infusion F18.

Xander Pols explains: "We said to Klaus Rocholl and Christian Goecke: 'Forget about the rating and let's battle it out on the course." That is how the German Tornado duo got fired up and gave the Dutch sailors a good fight.

Marc Pols added: "We were board to board all the time and they passed us a few times. At the finish, they were only about twenty seconds behind us. That was great."

Despite the lack of competition, Pols enjoyed this week's sailing very much: "It was spectacular racing and our boat handling was fast. I think the strong breeze was an advantage for us, as we can manage these conditions pretty well."

Dutch F18 sailors John Moret and Paul Smissaert stayed upright today and climbed back to second position overall. Leo Ambtman and Maarten Kroon dropped to the third place.

Dart 18 Worlds 2009 - Top five after nine races and one discard:
1 FRA - Emmanuel Dodé & Fred Moreau, 9 points
2 GBR - David Lloyd & Joanna Jones-Pierce, 20 points
3 GER - Matthias Huber & Dominik Volke, 30 points
4 NED - Ruud Goudriaan & Bart Damen, 37 points
5 NED - Nicolette van Gorp & Ruud van Gisbergen, 45 points

Top three Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta - after nine races and one discard:
1. NED - F18 - Xander & Mark Pols, 7 points
2. NED - F18 - John Moret & Paul Smissaert, 18 points
3. NED - Tornado - Leo Ambtman & Maarten Kroon, 23,5 points

In addition to the title sponsors Aruba Tourism Authority and Heineken Aruba NV, this year's Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta and Dart18 World Championships are also supported by Martinair, GILS Worldwide, Setar, Holiday Inn, Does & Cadushi, Tropical Bottling Company, Coca Cola, AWA, Aruba Aloë, VR Shipping, Aruba Watersports Center, Palm Tours, Pelican Watersports, Seaworld Explorer, Moomba, Zwitserleven, TNG, Patria and AMI Kappers.