Yachting championship in Bulgaria

SofiaEcho, Svetoslav Vasilev

The World Youth Championship in class 470 was opened on the premises of Port Bourgas yacht club on July 22.
Competitors earned points for the forthcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.
A total of 164 competitors, divided into 82 teams from 21 countries, took part in the championship.
They were accommodated in the new building of the club, which was opened especially for the occasion.
The event was carried out in two stages – qualifications and finals. The first two boats from each qualification group took part in the finals. The leading team received the title “World Champion”.
The racing distance was in the form of a trapezoid (an inner and an outer one for each group).
This reflects the most recent trend in yachting – to substitute the traditional so-called Olympic triangle form for less regular shapes which are more attractive both for spectators and competitors.
There were four races in the first two days of the competition. The favourites lived up to their fans’ expectations but there were some surprises as well. The wind varied from moderate to strong, captivating spectators and complicating the performance of the less-prepared teams who experienced problems with their equipment.
Some data concerning the first days of the competition:

- water temperature – 27’C
- wind velocity – 8-12 sq m
- wind’s direction – North/North-East
- headwind force – 3-4 knots on the Beaufort scale.