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.