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International 10 sq.m. Canoe International 10 sq.m. Canoe

Image: "Gareth Caldwell at the 2024 Worlds: © Ulrike Verrkamp"

International 10 sq.m. Canoe International 10 sq.m. Canoe

Image: SWE101 at the 2011 Worlds © Robert Muller ex German web site

International 10 sq.m. Canoe International 10 sq.m. Canoe

Image: "Dan Skinner at the 2024 Worlds: © Ulrike Verrkamp"

International 10 sq.m. Canoe International 10 sq.m. Canoe

Image: David Gilliland (USA 209) - Texas rodeo. 2014 Worlds, San Francisco. Photo © Robert Muller

International 10 sq.m. Canoe International 10 sq.m. Canoe

Image: USA 250 at the 2011 Worlds © Robert Muller ex German web site

International 10 sq.m. Canoe International 10 sq.m. Canoe

Image: David Clark at the 2014 Worlds, San Francisco. Photo © Robert Muller

International Canoe Worlds 1990

West Germany

The International Canoe world championship was held at the DKV club at Mardorf on Steinhudermeer in West Germany from July 21st to 28th. During the week the 62 competitors sailed in a variety of conditions which ranged from Force 4-6 at the beginning of the week to very light and shifty airs for the later races. The majority of the fleet had to count at least one poor result and in the most competitive fleet ever assembled any mistakes were severely punished.

The practice race was won by Lars Guck (USA) from the defending champion Robin Wood with Steve Clark (USA) third and Rob Michael fourth.

Wood sailed an excellent first race to win by about two minutes ahead of past champion Steve Clark. Mark Goodchild (GB) finished third in front of Jens Reichart (WG) with Guck (USA) fifth. British hopes were high with another four helmsmen in the top ten positions.

After the first recall of the week Guck won the second race from Ola Barthelsson (Sweden), Clark and Reichart.

He then consolidated his position with a win in the third race.

The race on Wednesday was abandoned when the race leaders were beaten by the time limit on the final leg. Wood had led for much or this race and many competitors were surprised that the race had not been finished at the end of the previous beat. With a forecast of light wind it also looked as if the week's program might not be completed.

After a long series of postponements, petanque games and the odd 'nogge-choc', enough wind filled in by the end of the day on Thursday to sail a shortened fourth race. Erich Chase (USA) won a race dominated by Americans from Paul Miller, Bill Beaver and Guck. Chris (GB) Eyre fell foul of the two minute rule and was understandably upset to be told that he was a non starter when he was rounding the windward mark in the lead! A protest against the committee was not upheld.

Two races were sailed on the Friday.

Goodchild won the first ahead of Wood, Mike Fenwick (GB) and Guck.

In the final race Wood led up the final beat only to get on the wrong side of a powerful shift and he had to watch 15 boats sail over to finish ahead. Chris Eyre was very indignant when no boats were disqualified after multiple violations of the two minute rule which lead to a series of general recalls. A protest to have the race thrown out, however, failed. Guck won to clinch the world championship with an astonishingly consistent performance. Clark finished second overall with Reichart third.

The championship was memorable not only for the difficult conditions but also for the warmth of the hospitality and the excellent social program, official and unofficial! It was good to meet friends old and new and to meet such dedicated travellers and dog-walkers as Tim Wilson (KA) and Hilary and even Seth Dunbar (KA)! The B-team made quite a splash on the opening night and recruited a few new members from the A-team on the water during the week. Despite his diplomatic and sensitive nature, Rob Michael only mentioned "it" once when his boat was vandalized by some teenies looking for pretty rope, but I think he got away with it! [Editor - reference I think to the TV programme "Fawlty Towers"]

Great interest was shown in the new British boats developed by Rob Michael and Chris Powles. These are very stiff, light high-tech shells engineered to the highest specification yet. Robin Wood sailed a new canoe decked by John Claridge and sported a deck stepped mast. Chris Powles' beautifully fitted version clearly has potential and Rob's Razorback Ring Burner is a force to be reckoned with, especially in a breeze. Colin Brown sailed his home-built canoe with his debut suite of home made sails to an excellent sixth overall which must give great heart to all ardent DIY canoeists.

Some of the Swedish canoes sported sleeved luff sails which aroused a good deal of debate but which did not appear to confer any advantage in the conditions sailed. Some of their rigs were very extreme with the jib tack a full metre back from the bow. Their daggerboards are getting narrower with a root chord of 200 mm and below! The sculpted Swedish seats are very comfortable to hike from and give a great feeling of security.

Ted Van Dusen (US) has developed a very neat arrangement which allows free fore and aft travel for the seat with tension on the sheets, while retaining the jib sheet cleats on the carriage.

With San Francisco in 1993, it looks as if there is some serious forward planning to do for the British fleet.

Overall Results (top 30 only)

Place Sail No Helm R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Points
1 US171 Lars Guck 5 1 1 4 4 1 10.25
2 US187 Steve Clark 2 3 2 20 15 3 25
3 G50 Jens Reichart 4 4 3 17 6 11 27
4 K221 Robin Wood 1 21 6 5 2 16 29.75
5 S94 Ola Barthelsoh 6 2 9 10 20 15 42
6 K214 Colin Brown 9 8 33 14 19 2 52
7 S96 J. Oesterlund 12 15 12 9 6 20 54
8 K219 Mark Goodchild 3 14 27 40 1 10 54.75
9 S93 K. Pettersson 7 10 10 30 22 6 55
10 K211 Simon Allen 8 12 14 DSQ 9 19 62
11 US170 Bill Beaver 13 18 8 3 37 26 68
12 K186 R. Nelson 16 24 19 7 30 4 70
13 K188 Mike Fenwick 34 25 5 27 3 12 72
14 K223 Rob Michael 14 11 23 18 50 7 73
15 K187 George Gyngell 20 27 21 8 14 14 77
16 K184 P. Marshall 10 23 17 46 21 8 79
17 G47 F. Beers 23 37 22 6 24 13 88
18 K167 Simon Hotchin 21 29 32 13 17 9 89
19 G58 D. Hullin 24 16 11 21 41 24 96
20 S90 M. Tollqvist DNF 6 4 29 39 21 99
21 US186 Erich Chase 29 22 37 1 23 28 102.75
22 G56 P. Ullmann 28 31 25 33 8 17 109
23 G52 P. Hellwig 30 17 15 15 32 32 109
24 S95 S. Ahlenius 11 13 7 50 58 36 117
25 G60 R. Casey 17 7 36 16 42 47 118
26 KC20 R. Lewis DNF 47 26 34 7 5 119
27 K200 Andrew Eastwood 35 30 16 11 34 45 126
28 US194 P. Miller DNF 43 31 2 25 27 128
29 S92 L. Andersson 25 DNF 13 39 12 39 128
30 K224 C. Powles 26 20 24 53 13 48 131
31 S82 A. Samlin 19 9 20 52 45 51 144
32 K196 I. McPherson 32 32 28 12 52 49 153
33 S78 N. Westllng 15 5 29 49 56 DNF 154
34 K210 R. Austin 39 33 30 26 28 40 156
35 US176 E. Van Dusen 22 36 42 42 16 43 158
36 G37 A. Gillen DNF 34 34 43 27 23 161
37 K208 P. McLaren 38 41 47 23 26 42 170
38 G53 J. Beers 18 26 18 57 53 DNS I72
39 K179 J. Robertshaw Z7 38 DNF 41 38 41 175
40 G59 A. Bierwagen 37 39 35 54 29 37 177
41 G45 F. Adler 33 45 43 32 49 25 178
42 K222 C. Eyre DNF 19 39 DNS 11 50 180
43 G57 H. Henn 53 28 45 48 33 29 183
44 US162 D. Miller 47 53 53 45 18 22 185
45 K204 C. Jex 44 DNF 41 55 10 41 191
46 G54 C. Junge 41 35 38 28 51 55 193
47 G51 G. Rieher D50 48 DNS 19 48 18 194
48 KC28 N. Rinne 40 44 46 58 36 33 199
49 KA10 T. Wilson 45 46 48 38 43 34 206
50 K198 S. Austin 36 42 44 47 DNS 38 207
51 K203 A. Powell 31 DNF 54 44 35 44 208
52 G61 E. Pagel 42 52 49 24 44 58 211
53 KA44 S. Dunbar 46 40 50 51 40 35 211
54 US159 C. Woodrum 48 51 31 31 54 30 214
55 US133 F. DeFamoreau 51 49 57 25 46 53 224
56 G39 L. Steimann 49 DNF 51 22 47 56 225
57 K205 P. Milston 52 DNF 40 DNF 31 46 230
58 G41 H. Endrulat 50 54 56 35 55 54 248
59 G55 J. Junge 43 50 52 56 59 52 253
60 US196 D. Pettengill DNF DNS DNS 37 57 57 273
61 K220 P. Herbert DNF DNF DNS 36 DNS DNS 280

[Editor's note: This report predates 3 letter national codes for sail numbers. G is a West German boat, S Swedish, US is obvious, KA Australian, KC Canadian and K an UK boat.]

Alan Powell

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