World Ice-Blokart Championships 2010

World Ice-Blokart Championships 2010
19th-21st February, Nida, Lithuania
Event organizers: Lithuanian Blokart Team and VsI Irklakojis
REPORT

World Ice-Blokart Championships was previewed at Rekyva lake which is one of the best ice-sailing spots in
Eastern Europe (Junior DN and Ice-Opti Worlds was organized here in 2007). Hovewer, due to heavy snows
at the end of the January it became clear that the ice won‘t be sailable at Rekyva lake. So commitee took a
decision to transfer the event to Curonian Spit (on UNESCO World Heritage list). Curonian lagoon ice at that
time was more than 50 cm thick and smooth surface. Unfortunately during first February days Lithuanian
seashore received 3 days of heavy snow and the ice was covered by 10-15 cm of it. Nonetheless Lithuanian
Blokart Team received help from Neringa municipality and was able to secure snow-ploughing service for a
purpose built track for the races. Race area was prepaired with 7 ton John Deer tractor. Snow-ploughing took
place on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning resulting in 200 m x 200 m race track which had 20 m –
40 m width clean ice lanes. As the senior jury, president of Lithuanian DN ice-boat association, Vadimas
Grigonis recalled it was the first purpose-made icesailing track for official championships in Baltic countries
and maybe even in the World.

Ice-Blokart pilots had more luck compared with DN ice-sailors as their Worlds 2010, previewed in Poland
due to snow was transfer to Hungary (+1100 km) and after opening ceremony there was the snow again
which forced everybody to drive another day to compete in Austria.
World Ice-Blokart Championships received registrations of 54 pilots from 10 countries: lithuanians
dominating with 29 pilots, 6 british, 4 estonians, 4 french, 3 dutch, 2 germans, 2 latvians, 2 spanish, 1 danish
and 1 russian pilot.
However only 31 pilot could make it to the Championships. The biggest losses where amongst lithuanians as
the lithuanian government played a cruel game with the laws and most of the country had an official working
day on Saturday as last weekend had got 4 days-off. Thus more than half – 15 lithuanian pilots where absent.
Some of Blokart Team France members where stuck in severe snow conditions at highway on the road to
their plane and were late to catch it. Germans and Spanish headed by Blokart World Champion Santi Oliver
arrived with Alexander Bruhn‘s Land Rover Defender via ferry Kiel-Klaipeda. The same jeep drove David
Ross with all his family making the longest trip to the Worlds.

The competition was held in four weight categories and only production class. The performance sailors did
not meet minimum quotas (5 participants) in each weight category as only 5 performance pilots were
registered.
Friday the training session day had moderate winds, and all pilots enjoyed sailing on the track. At the end of
the day Ice-Blokart clinics took place where pilots where sharing tips on tuning ice-blokarts, ice sailing,
speaking about the pros and cons of nowadays Blokart Intl. ice-blade design. New designs solving week
points of blades where presented and discussed.

Saturday was expectation for the wind day. After the greeting word from mayor of Neringa municipality all
pilots faced hanging flags. The wind was forecasted for the second half of the day, but it was waited to arrive
anytime. Fun-activities were present between briefings on the ice: guys played ice-hockey, the russian family
showed the traditional way of boiling water with antique russian “samovar” for tea, sledges where used to
heat-up and all kinds of fun wind calling rituals where tried out. After the midday lightweights started to
move around, but unfortunately the puff died and this was the end of the day on the ice. Blokart party
concluded the day with hot meals, local drinks and lots of warm chat and laugh.

Finally the long waited wind (4 m/s S) arrived on sunny Sunday morning and was increasing all the day
through. Jury made a decision to carry all the heats for lightweights, then for middleweights and so on. This
made the racing more intense and saved up the time for changing between the divisions. Lightweights had
intense battle for the trophies. Alexander Bruhn, Kestutis Berezinas, Dominykas Žickus and Gražvydas
Pupkus where taking leading positions and only after the last race Kestutis Berezinas (LTU) finished first and
took the final lead to become World lightweight champion equal on points with Alexander Bruhn (DE).

If lightweights were competing at 4-5 m/s winds, middleweights had their starts at 6-7 m/s S wind. Thus
exciting close action racing was guaranteed for the spectators. Lithuanians dominated first two races Edgaras
Ragauskas and Antanas Golubovskis who crossed finish lines first. However, at the third race Mihkel Tigas
from Estonia made his call for the medals as he finished first and his rival Edgaras Ragauskas was
disqualified for hitting the finish line marker. Fourth race was won by Jorge Martín Cervantes (ESP), but this
was too late to bring him on the podium. Mihkel Tigas (EST) became World middleweight champion with 5
point advantage over Arturas Bugailiškis (LTU). Antanas Golubovskis (LTU) took the third prize with 11
points.
The third starting group consisted of heavyweights and one tonners and comprised a fleet of 14 ice-blokarts.
The wind was still picking up and started to reach 8-9 m/s which gave a possibility for spectacular racing.
In Heavyweight category Aurimas Eidukas (LTU) dominated the fleet finishing all 5 races at the first place.
Eric Wulff (DK) and Marius Ambrulaitis (LTU) where constantly fighting for the second place. Only in the
final round having overtaken his main rival from Denmark Marius Ambrulaitis secured his 2nd place leaving
Erik Wulff with 1 point behind. Last races were sailed in 10 m/s winds and Marius Ambrulaitis scored 45,3
km/h top speed over the fastest 200 m lane.
A One ton category was dominated by norhtern-europeans: estonians Raul Nappa and Orm Valtson got silver
and bronze and Ilgaudas Šeputa (LTU), who was by the way the most senior participant, became the World
Champion. However, a debutant in Ice-Blokart sailing Dirk Garos (NED) almost got the prize, scoring the
same as Orm Valtson (11 points).