Thirty young racers from nine nations are taking part in the second Youth World Cup of the season on Bonaire. Classic Caribbean conditions, with trade winds of 18 to 25 knots, provided ideal conditions – not to mention the stunning turquoise waters of Lac Bay. The organisers made the most of the first day, running eight elimination races across all age groups. At the end of the day, the Bonaire locals were leading the way in all categories.
Tycho Smits takes charge of the U21s
Tycho Smits competed in the U21 class for the first time and secured seven wins from eight heats. The Bonairean thus immediately established himself as the top favourite. The previous leader, Storm Nicolai, remains the only competitor to have taken a single victory from Smits. However, the races were much closer than the result suggests. Nicolai kept the pressure on Smits consistently high throughout the day. Diederik Leemans and the German Mario Boekstegers had a difficult start with inconsistent results; they sit in third and fourth place behind the leading duo.
Kit de Jong won the first elimination round in the U17 class against the entire field of boys and girls. The mixed classification allows for a direct comparison of performance between the sexes. Arxon Gomperts responded to falling behind with seven consecutive victories. The Bonairean leads the boys’ standings at the end of the first day, ahead of Trevor Antony and Cle Burgers. Kit de Jong, for her part, leads the girls’ standings ahead of her sister Lone de Jong. Both sisters regularly joined in the boys’ heats, demonstrating their level of performance.
A close contest in the U15s between Abrahamsz and Blom
Kenny Abrahamsz and Julien Blom were locked in intense battles in the U15 category. The rivalry between the two athletes developed into a central storyline as the day went on. They took turns winning the eight elimination rounds, whilst Adam Adriaans Tap from Curaçao secured third place with several strong finishes.
Once the races were over, the action moved into the town. Youp Schmit and Bjorn Saragoza put on a tow-in show against the backdrop of a spectacular sunset.
All results at sailscores.com
