Feature
g
the finish. Again those who found the puffs made the eighth to go into the lay day with a one point advantage.
biggest gains. Chris Cook (CAN) holds onto third place after placing
Other big movers on the final leg were Gasper Vincec 23rd and 5th today.
(SLO) moving from 12th to 5th and Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic With 14-15 knots of breeze early in the morning, the
DIARY
(CRO) jumping from 20th to 8th. In fact the finish was conditions looked good, but the forecast was for it to
really tight, so tight that the first 16 boats all finished with drop. When the fleet arrived on Course area E it was still
35 seconds of each other. at 12 knots, so most of the fleet hoisted their heavier
One of yesterday's most unexpected disappointments sails. Then once it was too late too change again, the
was Dan Slater (NZL) who placed 21 and 19. He was wind started to decrease.
ss at Qingdao for Sailing News
struggling again today in the first race with an 18th after Eduardo Couto (BRA) only started sailing Finns earlier
getting a yellow flag from the jury and having to take a this year when he won the Brazilian trials, but he is
720 penalty turn, but pulled out a fourth in the second to already making an impact on the race course in
move up to 16th overall. He said “The second race was Qingdao. For the second time this week he led around
much better with a good start and I rounded the first the top mark, this time from Zhang Peng (CHN) and
mark seventh or eighth and then on the run I was able to Nachhatar Johal (IND). All three had favoured the left
gain a few to go round the bottom mark in fourth. Up the hand side of the course, while most of the rest went to
second beat it looked like I was leading for a while till the the right, which looked better and was the forecasted
wind shifted back to the left a little and I rounded a close way to go. Overnight leader Zach Railey (USA) was one
third at the top mark. On the final run I lost one boat to of those having problems further back, rounding in 15th,
finish fourth and at least post a counter on the score- over two minutes behind the first boat.
board. So although there are plenty of points still to catch Ranked a lowly 80th in the world, Couto, who is one of
up it's been done before and I will just take one race at a the youngest and lightest sailors in Qingdao, maintained
time.” his lead on the first downwind, rounding just ahead of
Meanwhile one of the pre-regatta favourites for a Zhang, while Gasper Vincec (SLO) made the best gains
medal here, Papathanasiou received his third yellow flag to move from ninth up to third. On the final upwind,
- after picking up one in each race yesterday - and had Couto extended his lead to 26 seconds with Vincec mov-
to retire from his second race of the series and scored ing up to second, while coming up fast behind him was
DNE. Ben Ainslie (GBR) who improved from ninth to third.
Meanwhile, Nachhatar Johal (IND) couldn't match yes- Ainslie continued his charge on the final downwind to
terday's first race result again. Having been invited to the finish overhauling both Vincec and then Couto to
Beijing to take part in the opening ceremony on Friday take his third race win on the series so far and to move
evening he found he couldn't get back to Qingdao until into the overall lead for the first time. Almost a photo fin-
the following morning, so slept over in the capital and ish, the first three boats finished in the space of one sec-
arrived back in Qingdao at 11.00 on Saturday morning, ond. Guillaume Florent (FRA) finished fourth in the race
ready for the first start at 13.00. He went sailing and to move up to third overall, while Railey recovered well to
placed fourth in the first race, his best ever result in the finally finish seventh, but he had dropped to second
Finn class. Today he was struggling, placing 23rd and overall.
24th. Race six got underway in a reduced breeze of 7 knots
– after everyone had changed back to their lighter Mylar
E
IGHTH overall is Guillaume Florent. After two top sails – with several new faces at the front. The tough
tens yesterday he placed 20th in race three before conditions so far have taken their toll on a number of
a spectacular recovery to fourth in race four. Earlier sailors who were predicted to be doing better. At the
he said, “The sailing area is really weird, with lots of cur- 2007 Olympic Test Event here last year, Pieter-Jan
rent compared with the wind. With these conditions, I Postma (NED) and Peer Moberg (NOR) won the silver
will not take any risks at the start as I don’t want to be and bronze medals. This year they are struggling just to
pushed over the line by the current. I started on second get into the top 20, with Postma's high scores one of the
PICTURE: Richard Langdon/Skandia Team GBR row and anyway the beats are not that important. You biggest shocks of the event so far. He said, “A lot of
can round the top mark in 15th place and come back on things happened outside the boat with the wind and the
knots wasn't too far wrong, with a steady 9 knots of the run. We must concentrate until the very end, espe- current that I did not register on time. I did not get my
breeze at the start. cially downwind. I am happy with my downwind speed head out of the boat enough.” Meanwhile Moberg did
Building on his overnight celebrity status after being in where I can compete with the best. However, I am slow- himself no favours by failing to complete a full two turns
an unexpected second place, Zach Railey (USA) pulled er upwind, especially in winds around 6 to 8 knots. for a yellow flag penalty in race two and found himself
out all the stops to lead round the first mark in race three Unfortunately there is not much to do about it. Generally disqualified.
from Daniel Birgmark (SWE) and Eduardo Couto (BRA). my first day was good, with two races in the top ten. This
Like yesterday, many of the favourites were struggling at was a good start even if I thought I could win one. A puff
the tail end of the fleet with yesterday's first race winner of wind pushed some sailors who were trying a risky
Emilios Papathanasiou (GRE) rounding in 21st and world coup to come back and pass me.” H
OWEVER they both put this behind them in race
six with the two of them vying for the race win.
Postma led round the first mark just ahead of
number one Jonas Høgh-Christensen (DEN) in 22nd. But the overnight leader is the young American sailor, Tapio Nirkko (FIN) and Chris Cook (CAN). Moberg, who
Railey maintained his lead on the first downwind while Zach Railey. Many said he was going to be fast in light was the Laser bronze medalist in 1996, rounded in fourth
Rafael Trujillo (ESP) moved up to second and Birgmark winds, but not many expected him to be leading at this place. By the leeward gate, Moberg was up to second
dropped to fifth. Trujillo took the lead on the next down- stage. “I had another good day. It feels really good to be and stayed there until the final downwind when he
wind while Birgmark recovered back to second. On the leading the Olympics, however there are lot more races sneaked past Postma to take the race win by just four
final upwind leg, Birgmark made a small gain to cross to come and I am trying not to look at the results and seconds. Daniel Birgmark (SWE) took third place after
the finish line one second ahead of Railey, with Trujillo take one race at a time.” remaining in the top seven throughout the race.
four seconds back in third. Ben Ainslie (GBR) maintained On scoring top five in all the races so far he said, Nirkko was holding on to fourth place when he was
his fourth place throughout the entire race. “Some races, I got really lucky. It is a mixture of luck and yellow flagged coming in to the finish and made a mess
With the steadier wind there were not quite as many skills. I try to execute everything properly and avoid big of doing his penalty turns to finally finish a very unhappy
massive place changes as yesterday, but still mistakes. I try to get a good start and a good first beat. 22nd. Fourth place finally went to Jonas
Papathanasiou moved up to 5th by the finish, and the Ben sailed a really good final downwind. He was very Høgh–Christensen (DEN), which was only the world
overnight leader Rafal Szukiel (POL) who rounded the fast, so credit to him as he raced really well. Course E number one’s second appearance inside the top ten this
top mark in sixth dropped to 21st on the first downwind had much less current than A, especially during the first week.
and finally end up 19th. race. The wind was also stronger but very puffy and with Some small chink was found in Ben Ainslie’s armour
Race four got underway at 14.50 local time with Couto, different zones of pressure. The issue of the race came as he could only manage to finish tenth in the race, just
leading round the first mark and the first lap. Guillaume down on who got the last puff on the last run. The fleet is two places and two seconds behind his current main rival
Florent (FRA) rounded second with Haris Papadopolous very close so every puff sees place changes, especially Zach Railey. For him this will be a countable score as he
(CYP) in third. Ainslie was in fourth and Railey rounded downwind, where the major gains and losses are made.” also placed tenth in race one. Railey remains the only
eighth. sailor so far to score only single digit results.
Railey then sailed a perfect second upwind leg to The separation times between boats are a source of
move into the lead just ahead of Couto and Dan Slater DAY great interest. Sometimes this can increase to five min-three
(NZL) who had moved up from 10th at the first mark. utes during the space of one leg as boats drop into holes
Ainslie had dropped to seventh. Ainslie takes the lead or find extra puffs. Sometimes it can be mere seconds
The final downwind to the finish was dramatic. In a between a whole bunch of boats at the finish. In race six
reversal of fortunes from yesterday, Ainslie found the
best wind to take the lead in the final three-quarters of
the run to finish six seconds ahead of Railey while A
FTER winning race five today on the final down- today there were just eight seconds between a countable
wind to the finish, Ben Ainslie (GBR) took the eighth and a discardable 13th. Boat positioning coming
overall lead in the Finn class from Zach Railey
Florent moved up from 14th at the top mark to third at (USA). Ainslie then placed tenth in race six with Railey in pennantTURN TO NEXT PAGE
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15