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Away from Stuart and his interest in Ovis Aries, the news was of the new kid on the block, the RS 600. Whatever the attractions of this new boat, nothing could match the Contender scene as the fleet headed off to Austria and the spectacular location of Attersee. Against a fleet rich in past Champions, Graham Scott showed he was as good on the helm as he was on the harmonica as he too added a World Championship win to his record. One record that was not so well publicised was that of Jan von der Bank as he won the rapidly degenerating late night entertainment with a high speed striptease! One cannot be too careful with these things – with the fleet heading off to Roton Point in America, such behaviour might have been frowned upon. It didn’t stop Keith Paul’s boat appearing, full rigged, in the hotel lobby, nor John Browett's boat, minus its stern hatch, taking a dip in the pool. |
 Ian Renilson, flanked by Neil Wilson and Jason Bebee. Ian is about to ...in no particular order...lock his keys in his car, try and drive away without first hitching the boat on, and jam a contact lens in his eye (thus putting himself into the hands of Nigel Walbank, a scary thought!) |
 Like Stuart Jones, Ian Renilson is very much a ‘thinking’ sailor. With Neil Wilson and Jason Beebe, the three sailors from Scotland trained hard together, a factor that played strongly in Renilson’s superb form. |
Graham Scott avoided the worst of the on shore events to retain his title with the other two past Champions on display, Stuart Jones and Andrea Bonezzi, taking the other top place.
With Hayling Island being rebuilt, the next best thing (many would say better…full stop) was Weymouth. A big fleet and difficult conditions saw one of the class ‘thinkers’, Ian Renilson, take a well deserved win from Neil Wilson and Jason Beebe. |
