While Wilson ran through the line pumping up the crowd the Olympians were puffing from controversially pumping the mainsail and paddling, trying to catch the whipper-snappers as credentialed World Cup race officials and umpires looked on shaking their heads in disbelief.
Beijing 2008 gold medallist in the 470 class, Nathan Wilmot, was the first of the big kids to run up the beach through the finish flags, followed by his 2008 skipper Malcolm Page, who became a dual gold medallist at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
There was a wrestle at the finish between the former teammates then came Mark Turnbull, World Cup event director and gold medallist from the Sydney Games in the 470 class. It was alleged post-challenge that when an Opti sailor called for buoy room at a turning mark, Nice Guy Turnbull replied with "rent-a-boat-rights" and charged ahead with no regard for the racing rules of sailing.
Olympic gold medallists Elise Rechichi, 470 at the 2008 Games, Belinda Stowell (2000, 470 class), and event ambassadors dual Olympian Krystal Weir, current 49erFX sailor Tess Lloyd and local sailor and junior World Cup ambassador Linus Talacko followed. Lastly big Oli Tweddell, Rio hopeful in the Finn class weighing in at a solid 108 kilos of pure Aussie beef rounded out the Olympians' results. Tweddell's weight and height proved a huge handicap as he snapped his centerboard but in a class designed for children up to 15 years of age, hardly surprising considering he's used to a 116kg Finn.
Wilmot nabbed the prize of a Styrofoam pool noodle and first, second and third Opti sailors got to water pistol their idols. As Tweddell came ashore with his snapped centerboard held aloft, a perpetual trophy was created and an annual Opti Olympic Challenge born at Sailing World Cup Melbourne.
Today the invited classes, including the international Optimist class, join the Olympic classes out on Port Phillip in a building forecast sea'breeze, potentially up to the high teens out of the south-west.
With the full complement of more than 900 Olympic, Paralympic, invited and youth class sailors racing, every available race official is on water setting up for the two sessions across eight course areas, the first due to commence at midday in the current 9kt SSW and the second schedule to begin at 14:30hrs local time.
There's a strong wind warning for Friday December 13 for Port Phillip, south to south-westerly 10-15 knots becoming westerly and increasing to 20-25 knots in the morning the winds tending west to southwest at 20-30 knots around midday.
Day one individual and series results at http://www.sailing.org/worldcup/regattas/melbourne_2015.php
RESULTS / ENTRIES
Results will be available throughout when racing commences on 9 December here - http://www.sailing.org/worldcup/results/index.php
LIVE TRACKING
The racing will be available to watch in 2D and 3D via the live tracking. Live tracking will be available when racing commences via - http://www.sailing.org/worldcup/multimedia/tracking.php
Live Tracking via the Sailviewer-3D Tablet App will be available for devices with 7" or greater screens.
Click here to download the iOS Application - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sailviewer-3d/id912801278
Click here to download the Android Application - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stsportservice.sailviewer
COMPETITION STATUS
The Competition Status Screen feeds in straight from the Race Committee boats with the teams inputting data such as race times, course type, the status of each race and the plan moving forward. The competition status screen will be available when racing commences via - http://www.sailing.org/worldcup/multimedia/tracking.php
SOCIAL MEDIA
The hashtag of Sailing World Cup Melbourne is #SWCMelb
Follow the event on World Sailing's social networks:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ISAFWorldSailing
Instagram - https://instagram.com/isafworldsailing/
Twitter - @ISAFupdates
Follow the event on World Cup Melbourne's social networks
Facebook - www.facebook.com/ISAFSWCMelbourne
Twitter - www.twitter.com/SWCMelbourne
Instagram - www.instagram.com/isafsailingworldcupmelbourne
Sailing World Cup
The Sailing World Cup is a world-class annual series for Olympic sailing. It is open to the sailing events chosen for the 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition. Its centre piece is the Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The 2016 Sailing World Cup will consist of five regattas for all ten Olympic events and where possible, Formula Kite Racing. Qualification places for the Sailing World Cup final are up for grabs at each event. The final will bring together the top 20 boats in each Olympic event and an Open Kiteboarding event where the World Cup champions will be crowned
2016 Sailing World Cup
Melbourne - 7-13 December 2015
Miami - 23-30 January 2016
Hyères - 25 April - 1 May 2016
Weymouth and Portland - 6-12 June 2016
Qingdao - 12-18 September 2016
2015 Final Abu Dhabi - 24-28 October 2016
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