Provezza claim consecutive Dragon World titles
Andy Beadsworth, Ali Tezdiker and Simon Fry crossed the finish line in first place to win the final race of the 2019 Dragon World Championship and seal their second consecutive world title in style.
The Turkish team were the first to arrive in Fremantle to spend nearly a month two-boat training with Peter Gilmour’s Yanmar Racing Team. Their professionalism and dedication is testament to their success on the water. They did however have to work hard to ground out the victory which was only decided by the very last race.
The final race was held in superb Fremantle conditions, picture postcard blue skies and a moderate 12 – 13 knot S/SW breeze. The start under U flag was clear with none of the leaders prepared to push the envelope.
By the final gate rounding as the late afternoon breeze began to fade, all Andy Beadsworth and his crew needed to do was to cover Pieter Heerema to the finish line to claim his fourth bullet of the championship and the world title.
Behind them the battle was still on for second and third overall. Dmitry Samokhin steered Rocknrolla to third in the final race. Grant Gordon crossed fourth one place ahead of Klaus Diederichs to claim second overall. Klaus and his crew finished fifth to claim the third step on the podium.
Peter Gimour and his team of Sam Gilmour and Yasuhiro Yaji sailing Yanmar Racing finished sixth to end the regatta in a well deserved fourth overall. Pieter Heerema finished fifth overall 3 points ahead of Anatoly Loginov in Annapurna. The effervescent Dutch girls with Pedro Andrade finished their regatta in a very impressive seventh place overall. The Olinghi team have lit up the regatta with their youth, enthusiasm and colour, and outperformed many of the high-calibre teams sailing at these Worlds.
In the battle for the Corinthian and Masters titles, Nick Rogers and his crew Leigh Behrens and Simon Burrows, have raced a very consistent regatta to finish in 10th overall and capture both titles. Close behind all week long has been local Royal Freshwater Bay YC sailors Andrew Foulkes, Andrew Bennett and Matthew Stafford.
Final top ten:
1. Provezza, Andy Beadsworth / Ali Tezdiker / Simon Fry, TUR, 23
2. Louise Racing, Grant Gordon / Ruairidh Scott / Sophia Weguelin / James Williamson, GBR, 29
3. Fever, Klaus Diederichs / Jamie Lea / Diego Negri, GBR, 31
4. YRed, Peter Gilmour / Yasuhiro Yaji / Sam Gilmour, JPN, 37
5. AAA, Pieter Heerema / Lars Hendriksen / George Leonchuck, NED, 43
6. Annapurna, Anatoly Loginov / Vadim Statsenko / Alexander Shalagin, RUS, 46
7. Olinghi, Charlotte Ten Wolde / Juliette Ten Wolde / Pedro Andrade / Janka Holan, NED, 54
8. Rocknrolla, Dmitry Samokhin / Andrey Kirilyuk / Jasper Harding, RUS, 56
9. Sabine IV, Kai Michael Schaper / Jochen Schuemann / Klaus Skripalle, GER, 88
10. Karabos IX, Nick Rogers / Leigh Behrens / Simon Burrows, AUS, 96
