The International One Design sailboat class world championships started on the Mount Desert Island granite shores on Sunday 20th August in Northeast Harbor, Maine.
The teams consist of some of the best IOD sailors in the world came on the spot all the way from Norway, to the yacht clubs, Manhattan and practiced to get accustomed to the new environment of sailing.
The Northeast Harbor Fleet is host of the IOD Worlds this year, welcoming the teams coming from national and international yacht clubs, Bermuda, Norway; Nova Scotia, Island of Fisher, Marblehead, Long Island Sound, MA, San Francisco, Manhattan Yacht Club, Nantucket and the home team of this year Northeast Harbor. On the course, the rolling fog and changing winds of the Maine islands offered an exciting and often unpredictable racetrack for sailors every time. Navigating pots of lobster and choppy waters craggy shores while fighting for the victory will challenge every metal of captain during the World Series which is going to be a week long.
The 20 teams that have qualified for the 2017 World Series are well represented by the IOD masters and seasoned sailors. The teams include two teams from Bermuda with skippers Penny Simmons and Patrick Cooper. From Marblehead, Bill Widnall and Massachusetts Ian Morrison; Dan MacKeigan and Paul McCausland will be the skipper of Nantucket; skipper Elliott Wislar will represent the Long Island Sound; Yacht Club Manhattan has Eric Leitner as controller; Peter Wickwire and John Burnham of Fisher’s Island and Jonathan Farrar each will captain the Nova Scotia. Paul Zupan and Richard Pearce will see San Francisco at the respective helms. Bjorn Wahlstrom and Urban Ristorp will represent the Sweden, and the Norwegians are having the Tormod Lie and e Martin Rygh sailing. Northeast Harbor the home team will have John Henry the captains sailing.