RO surveys the course

It’s more than 12 hours since our last report from the site of the 2016 Hobie® 16 World Championships in Dapeng China and encouragingly the wind is still blowing between 10 and 15kts, the sun’s still shining and the air is clear and clean. Sailing conditions have been perfect all day with sailboarders taking the opportunity and blasting across the bay throughout another great day in China.

The Race Officer John Hooper, from Australia, arrived today via Beijing after a long trip from Toronto in his country of birth Canada. Hooper, as he is familiarly known, wasted no time in checking out the boat building at the event site and renewing old acquaintances with factory team members. Accompanied by event organiser, Steve Fields from Hobie Cat® Australasia, Hooper checked out the race rescue and mark boats moored to the floating dock that was specifically constructed for the event. They boarded the 52’ catamaran, which will be the start boat, they surveyed the course area, looked at depths and tested wind conditions across the designated course area for strength and variations.

While they were organising the boats and the course the event site was a hive of activity as the World’s Hobie Cat 16s were lined up and filled the build area. While the Hobie Factory Team attended to cats, local workers tilled the soil and laid squares of grass and others continued to build two large marquees. One marquee will be for shelter, and a relaxation and refreshment space for competitors, the second will be for the jury and other official purposes, change rooms and first aid. Large flagpoles were delivered and were being prepared to fly the national flags of the 16 competing countries.

While there have been no competitors present local people have come down to view the site and their excitement is apparent as they photograph the scene and request to have photos taken with factory team members who are gradually becoming local celebrities.