Beadsworth wins elimination one race finals

Beadsworth wins elimination one race finals

By Lukman Natanagara

LANGKAWI, Malaysia (JP): Skipper Andy Beadsworth of England
won the delayed elimination one finals by defeating Swedish
Magnus Holmberg in the Malaysia Challenge sailing championships
on Tuesday.

Beadsworth, world ranked 17, surprisingly beat world number
four Holmberg 2-1.

Holmberg had Beadsworth slightly ahead but upwind of him as
they both sailed toward the line. Holmberg could have forced
Beadsworth up and therefore wide of the line, but it looked as
though he left his tactic a fraction too late.

Beadsworth took advantage of his extra speed just five minutes
from the line mark to squeeze far ahead of Holmberg to tack to
the left, across Holmberg's bow and then over the line and ahead.

Holmberg was extremely unhappy and protested loudly saying: "I
hate it when people do that!"

Adrian Stead, tactician and one of three Beadsworth's crew
aboard the British boat, replied to Holmberg's anger that there
was a maximum of two feet between both boats.

The umpire following closely behind the two boats did not give
a penalty to Beadsworth, leaving Holmberg muttering Scandinavian
oaths as Beadsworth gained boatlengths on the upwind leg.

By the windmark mark Beadsworth and team were 45 seconds ahead
and there was no catching them in the remaining laps. Beadsworth
won the first final by 2-0 making him overall leader so far.

Third place in the same race went to Roy Heiner of the
Netherlands, world ranked 43, who defeated Australian Sebastien
Destrenau, world number 23, by 2-0.

The elimination one finals should have finished on Monday but
was delayed to Tuesday due to lack of light.

After the elimination one finals, the race on Tuesday
continued with the elimination two races. Again the finals of the
elimination two were delayed because of the dark also a lack of
wind.

Heiner and Beadsworth took another victory in Tuesday's races
with Heiner entering the finals as second finisher. He has to
wait for the winner between Tomislav Basic of Croatia, world
ranked 11, and Beadsworth who drew 1-1 and they both have to race
again on Wednesday.

Heiner surprisingly beat world number two Sten Mohr of Denmark
by 2-0. Although Mohr lost, he entered the finals in temporarily
placing fourth. Third and fourth places will be decided on
Wednesday when Mohr battles the loser of the race between Basic
and Beadsworth.

Apart from the delayed elimination two finals and third and
fourth placings, Wednesday's races will also see the elimination
three where 10 boats will compete to win the race.

The Malaysia Challenge ends on Friday with the finals,
following the semifinals on Thursday. The competition is
sponsored by state-owned oil company Petronas in cooperation with
the Business Focus Group and Malaysia's flag carrier Malaysia
Airlines.