Day Eight in Qingdao: Solid Results for Kiwi Sailors in Very Light Airs

Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams, New Zealand's Star representatives in Qingdao. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

SailRaceWin is grateful to Juerg Kaufmann and Go4Image for exclusive provision of images of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta.
by Jodie Bakewell-White

New Zealand sailors in four classes were on the water off Qingdao today returning some solid results despite the extremely light air conditions.

Just one race was sailed in the Laser Radials, Jo Aleh continuing with her great form from yesterday returning another 2nd place in today’s race. Now at the halfway point, the Laser Radial sailors discard their worst score, working in favour of Aleh who moves up into the lead spot.

Star class sailors Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams sailed two races today adding a 9th and a 2nd to their scorecard which improves their overall standing. The pair lie 2nd overall in the fleet of 16 boats, now three races into their ten race opening series.

It was young 470 skipper, Carl Evans', birthday today and the day produced a mixed bag for the boys who got a win on the water in race nine, only to later miss out on the top ten medal race cut. At the conclusion of race ten the boys finished an agonizingly narrow two points off the crew ahead of them who scraped into the medal race.

Wind was light and shifty across all five courses today and racing was long and slow. On course A the Finn class sailed into the last leg of their medal race only to see the race abandoned as the wind dropped away to nothing and the tidal current of Qingdao meant sailors were all but going backwards.

Tom Ashley and Barbara Kendall didn’t sail today.

New Zealand’s Standings Summary

1st - Jo Aleh, Laser Radial (after 5 races)
2nd - Hamish Pepper & Carl Williams, Star (after 3 races)
4th - Tom Ashley, Men’s RS:X (after 5 races)
6th - Barbara Kendall, Women’s RS:X (after 5 races)
13th - Andrew Murdoch, Laser (after 5 races)

11th - Carl Evans & Peter Burling, Men’s 470 (Final result - after 10 races)
12th Dan Slater, Finn (Final result)

STAR

It was day two for the Star class who endured two long races today both around 80 minutes in length the wind strength marginal in both.

In race two of the series the kiwi sailors, Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams were 9th to finish, bouncing back with a 2nd place in the second race of the day. Now three races into the ten race series, Pepper and Williams lie in 2nd place.

John Dane of the USA moved into the lead today just two points clear of the New Zealand crew just behind. Overnight leader Fredrik Loof (SWE) didn’t fare so well on the water today and has slipped to 7th overall after a 4th and a 15th.

See Carl Williams' blog for his report of the day's racing.

Star top five (provisional) after 3 races

1st USA John Dane & Austin Sperry - 14 points
2nd NZL Hamish Pepper & Carl Williams - 15 points
3rd POR Afonso Domingos & Bernardo Santos - 16 points
4th GER Marc Pickel & Ingo Borkowski - 17 points
5th FRA Xavier Rohart & Pascal Rambeau - 18 points

LASER RADIAL

Jo Aleh racked up another top result in Laser Radial race five. In the very light wind conditions in Qingdao just one race was completed despite best efforts to get race six underway and concluded it never eventuated.

In a race that played out for the Kiwi in similar fashion to yesterday’s race four, Aleh was 7th around mark one, but gained ground as the race progressed to finish 2nd. After this race the discard came into play for the Radial sailors, and Aleh, now able to drop the 22nd from race one, climbs up to lead the Laser Radials at the halfway point in their opening series.

Aleh has 10 points with Lithuanian sailor, Volungeviciute, who won today’s race, close behind in the overall standings on 13 points. Overnight leader Anna Tunnicliffe of the USA remains consistent returning a 6th place in today’s race, but has slipped to third place overall with the introduction of the discard lifting Aleh and Volungeviciute.

Click here for Jo Aleh's own view of the racing.

Laser Radial top five (provisional) after 5 races

1st NZL Jo Aleh - 10 points
2nd LTU Gintare Volungeviciute - 13 points
3rd USA Anna Tunnicliffe - 20 points
4th CHN Lijia Xu - 24 points
5th CRO Mateja Petronijevic - 26 points

LASER

Following on the same course area as the Radial’s Andrew Murdoch wasn’t able to emulate his team-mate Aleh’s performance. A 24th place in race five for the Lasers puts Murdoch in 13th place overall with some work to do in the remaining half of the opening series to climb the standings.

Laser top five (provisional) after races

1st ITA Diego Romero - 24 points
2nd SWE Rasmus Myrgren - 25 points
3rd SLO Vasilij Zbogar - 26 points
4th GBR Paul Goodison - 27 points
5th FRA Jean Baptiste Bernaz - 28 points

13th NZL Andrew Murdoch - 51 points

MEN’S 470

Carl Evans and Peter Burling have narrowly missed out on the Men’s 470 medal race finishing in 11th overall just two points behind the Japanese crew in 10th place. In an action packed day for New Zealand’s youngest ever Olympic sailors, the boys sailed three races even winning one of them.

The race win for the Kiwi boys came in race nine of the series for the men’s 470 and will serve as somewhat of a consolation birthday present for skipper Evans, who turns 18 today, despite missing out on the top ten medal race cut.

In their other two races sailed today the boys were 12th and 7th – their final result for the Games will be 11th place – impressive for their age and the experience and talent of the 28 boat fleet they compete in.

The top ten placed sailors will sail their medal race on Monday 18th. Australians Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page appear to have an unassailable leading margin on their nearest competitors – with a 22 point buffer the gold medal is almost assured.

Men’s 470 (provisional) top five after 10 races

1st AUS Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page - 42 points
2nd NED Sven Coster & Kalle Coster - 64 points
3rd FRA Nicolas Charbonnier & Olivier Bausset - 66 points
4th GBR Nick Rogers & Joe Glanfield - 69 points
5th ESP Onan Barreiros & Aaron Sarmiento - 79 points

11th NZL Carl Evans & Peter Burling - 95 points

MEN’S RS:X

No races were sailed today in the Men’s RS:X. Sharing course area B with the 49er class the windsurfers were scheduled to start at 2pm, however the 49er races dragged on and the boards didn’t get started.

Tomorrow’s schedule has three races planned for the Men’s RS:X with a midday start to competition.

Men’s RS:X (provisional) top five results after five races

1st ISR Shahar Zubari - 8 points
2nd HKG King Yin Chan - 14 points
3rd GBR Nick Dempsey - 15 points
4th NZL Tom Ashley - 17 points
5th FRA Julien Bontemps - 20 points

WOMEN’S RS:X

No races were sailed today in the Women’s RS:X. Sharing course area B with the 49er class the windsurfers were scheduled to start at 2pm, however the 49er races dragged on and the boards didn’t get started.

Tomorrow’s schedule has three races planned for the Women’s RS:X with a midday start to competition.

Women’s RS:X top six results after five races

1st CHN Jian Yin - 6 points
2nd AUS Jessica Crisp - 10 points
3rd ESP Marina Alabau - 15 points
4th ITA Alessandra Sensini - 16 points
5th GBR Bryony Shaw - 24 points
6th NZL Barbara Kendall - 25 points

ISAF Olympic website results Clicking on a race gives more information on weather, course and mark rounding positions.

Sunday racing for the Kiwi team

Hamish Pepper & Carl Williams – Star
Current position: 3rd (after three races)
3 races – Races 4, 5 & 6
Start time: 1200
Course area E

Andrew Murdoch – Laser
Current position: 13th (after five races)
3 races – Races 6, 7 & 8
Start time: 1200 hours
Course area C

Jo Aleh – Laser Radial
Current position: 1st (after five races)
3 races – Races 6, 7 & 8
Start time: 1200 hours
Course area C

Tom Ashley – Men’s RS:X
Current position: 4th (after five races)
3 races – Races 6, 7 & 8
Start time: 1200 hours
Course area B

Barbara Kendall – Women’s RS:X
Current position: 6th (after five races)
3 races – Races 6, 7 & 8
Start time: 1200 hours
Course area B

Yachting New Zealand

Aussie Results After Seven Race Days in Qingdao

The Australian Women's 470 Team: Leaders in Qingdao. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

SailRaceWin is grateful to Juerg Kaufmann and Go4Image for exclusive provision of images of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta.
Report from Laura Baldwin

15th August AUS Team Results:
49er – 1st
470 Men – 1st
470 women – 1st
RS:X Women – 2nd
Radial – 8th
Yngling – 8th
Finn – 16th
Laser – 22nd
Star - 11th
Tornado - 5th
Weather info

Wind: 0-15 knots. Very shifty with the land breeze fighting the sea breeze. There was a period of no breeze when all racing was postponed ashore. Later in the day as the temperature cooled the land breeze kicked back in.
Humidity: High, 85%
Temp: 28C

The long wait for wind in Qingdao today was worth it for the Australian Sailing Team who are within the top ten in six classes, with two teams only beginning their competition today.

Winds were initially forecast at 7-9 knots NE today but once they swung to SE, the breeze dropped to 2 knots and heavy clouds moved overhead. Competitors bobbed around waiting for improvement but all were sent back to shore, except for the 470s who had an eight hour day on the water It was late afternoon before the race flags were hoisted again and everyone rushed to get out of the harbour and onto their offshore courses, keen to get in a race while conditions allowed.

The 470 Men, Laser, Laser Radial, RS:X, Yngling, Finn and Tornado classes all completed one race, while the 470 Women managed to get two races in. The 49ers were the only class not to race today.

Australian Team Director Michael Jones said it was a hard day at the office.

“There are no easy days at the Olympics , but this was one of the toughest you can get,” said Jones. “The quality and strength of our team showed in the positions we have at the end of today.

“We’re still on track for our goal.”

49er Class After 8 Races – AUS 1st
Nathan Outteridge & Ben Austin had to wait ashore all day today without a race. Racing should continue tomorrow with races 10, 11 & 12.

49er Top 3
1 - AUS - 29 points
2 - DEN - 30 points
3 - ITA - 40 points

Laser Radial Class After 4 Races – AUS 8th
Melbourne’s Sarah Blanck crossed the line in 19th position in the only Laser Radial race of the day and is now equal seventh with China on 43 points. The USA are in first place with 20 points, Lithuania has moved up to second (25 points) and Croatia is third (26 points).

Laser Radial Top 3
1 - USA - 20 points
2 - LTU - 25 points
3 - CRO - 26 points
AUS - 8th - 45 points

Laser Class After 4 Races – AUS 22nd
In the light and very shifty race Tom Slingsby scored a 22nd and sits in 22nd overall.

Laser Top 3
1 - GBR - 33 points
2 - SWE - 33 points
3 - RUS - 37 points
AUS - 22nd - 86 points

Yngling Class After 9 Races – AUS 8th
Krystal Weir, Karyn Gojnich and Angela Farrell scored an 8th today and sit in 8th overall, just 7 points off 3rd place going into the final Medal Race tomorrow.

Yngling Top 3
1 – GBR – 22 points
2 – NED – 23 points
3 – GRE – 42 points
AUS - 8th - 49 points

RS:X Class After 5 Races – AUS 2nd
Windsurfer Jessica Crisp won her first ever Olympic race and is closing the gap on China’s Jian Yin. Crisp is now second overall on 10pts, chasing Yin who is leading with six points. “It feels great to have a win,” said 38 year old Crisp.

RS:X Women Top 3
1 - CHN - 6
2 - AUS - 10
3 - ESP - 15

Star Class After 1 Race – AUS 11th
Iain Murray and Andrew Palfrey made their Olympic debut in the Star class, who are ranked 10th in the world. They were significantly disadvantaged today by a massive wind shift which would cause racing to be abandoned in any competition outside the Olympic Games and finished 11th. Sweden lead (1 point), followed by Germany (2 points) and Portugal (3 points).

Star Class Top 3
1 - SWE - 1
2 - GER - 2
3 - POR - 3
AUS – 11th - 11 points

Tornado Class After 1 Races – AUS 5th
The Tornados had their first taste of competition today . Australia’s Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby recovered from a mid fleet start to get their boat moving quickly and finished fifth. The pair are happy with their result and equipment set up and are now looking forward to the regatta ahead. Spain is first (1 point), Greece second (2 points) and The Netherlands third (3 points).

Tornado Class Top 3
1 - ESP - 1
2 - GRE - 2
3 - NED - 3
AUS - 5th - 5 points

470 Women’s Class After 8 Races – AUS 1st
The Women’s 470 class completed two races today, returning to the harbour in darkness. The youngest crew in the Australian team, Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson fought back through the field again today, continuing to show their dominance in boat speed and tactics. Trainee commercial pilot Elise Rechichi’s technical mind and compulsive study of the wind and tide each night is proving a force to be reckoned with. The girls have a nine point lead over The Netherlands (29 points) and Israel are third (40 points).

470 Women Top 3
1 - AUS - 20
2 - NED - 29
3 - ISR - 36

470 Men’s Class After 7 Races – AUS 1st
In the Men’s 470, Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page got to the first mark in 16th and began chasing the leading three boats, who never changed position. The Aussies moved up through the fleet at every marker turn to cross the line fifth. The result keeps them in first place on 22 points, followed by France (27 points) and Portugal (43 points).

470 Men Top 3
1 - AUS - 22
2 - FRA - 27
3 - POR - 43

Finn Class After 9 Races – AUS 16th
Anthony Nossiter finishes the 2008 Olympic Games in 16th place.

Finn Top 3
1 – GBR – 21 points
2 – USA – 33 points
3 – SWE – 44 points
AUS -16th - 101 points

AUSTRALIAN TEAM INSIGHTS
In the early to mid 1990s, Jessica Crisp was one of the most famous women in the world of windsurfing. In both 1993 and 1994, she won the Professional Windsurfing Association's world title. On one occasion she achieved this feat despite the pain of a broken ankle. At the time, she was acknowledged as the best all round female windsurfer in the world. But after breaking fibula and tibia, doing a forward loop at the indoor event in Paris, her professional career was cut short. Unable to jump and therefore compete in wave sailing competitions, Jessica decided to try the less impactful side of the sport - Olympic sailing.

Before competition I always:
"I always eat gummy bears just before the start of each race. I can't live without lollies!" - Jessica Crisp, RS:X

Australian Sailing Team Newsletter

ISAF Olympic website results Clicking on a race gives more information on weather, course and mark rounding positions.

Qingdao 2008 Compared to the 2012 Weymouth and Portland Sailing Venue

Aerial image of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, August 2008. Image copyright protected ODA 2008.

from Cailah Leask, FastTrack Sailing

With the 2008 Olympics well under way and GB sailors already on course to win medals in Qingdao, this autumn will see the world reflecting on the racing in Qingdao and looking forward to the 2012 Games on home waters. The big question is will the Weymouth and Portland location be more suited to hosting sailing than Qingdao?

As covered extensively in the media there are a number of drawbacks to the Chinese venue including poor visibility, a lack of wind which means that the qualifying races have had to be reduced in number, strong tides and a carpet of green weed that seems to engulf all course areas if left to mother nature.


Aerial image of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, July 2008. Image copyright protected WPNSA 2008.

The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) has very different natural assets for the International sailing and windsurfing world to enjoy in 2012. The venue was originally selected to be the heart of UK sailing due to the excellent prevailing winds and ample unobstructed course area with room for development of a dinghy park.

The 2012 Olympic sailing course area boasts a sheltered flat water area in Portland Harbour with more challenging conditions out in Weymouth Bay, all with the back drop of the stunning Jurassic coastline. WPNSA also has a strong commitment to maintaining the local natural environment demonstrated by winning a 2008 Sport Industry Award for Environmental Concern in Sport.


Aerial image of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, June 2008. Image copyright protected ODA 2008.

With final construction work due for completion in November 2008, WPNSA will be to date the first 2012 site completed, 3 years ahead of schedule, an incredible success for the Olympic Development Authority.

Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA)

BlackMatch at the Baltic Match Cup 2008, Helsinki, Finland

from Adam Minoprio

BlackMatch is currently competing in the Baltic Match Cup in Finland. It is a grade 2 event held in Helsinki on the Baltic Sea and unlike Qingdao, racing got underway today in a fantastic 15 knot breeze and near perfect match racing conditions. There are 12 teams racing here and with a line up that includes world #4 Bjorn Hansen, it is definitely going to be a tough regatta.

BlackMatch finished today with a record of 4 wins and 1 loss. The loss today came in a hard fought race against Australian and 2008 Hardy Cup Champion, Evan Walker. Evan and his team got a slight advantage off the start line and kept the slimmest of leads throughout the race to take the victory. BlackMatch lost to Evan in the Hardy Cup final earlier this year and today he again proved that he is a very talented sailor.

The regatta is being sailed in four man J-80 class boats. They are the same boats used for the Internationaux de France (won by Australian Torvar Mirsky) in France a fortnight ago but the BlackMatch team is now gaining confidence in how to handle the boats and looking forward to finishing the round robin off positively on 16th August.

BlackMatch would like to extend a special thank you to our sponsors FedEx Express and Ross Munro from Line 7, also to our yacht club the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. To our friends and family back home we also thank you for all of your support.

BlackMatch Racing

Medal Races: Puff Needed in Qingdao! Medals in Rowing for the Black Boats

The waiting game in Qingdao: easier for the German Team mascot than human sailors! Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

SailRaceWin is grateful to Juerg Kaufmann and Go4Image for exclusive provision of images of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta.
by SailRaceWin

Day Eight saw the Finn and Yngling medal races in Qingdao abandoned as the breeze died out.

In the Finn race, Britain's Ben Ainslie took second placed American Zach Railey out to one side of the race course. Had the placings at the last windward mark counted, Railey would have dropped from his silver medal position to out of any medal at the end of the double-point scoring medal race, with Ainslie taking Gold.

It was noticeable from the TV footage that Ainslie sailed over a raft of weed as he rounded the top mark in the, subsequently abandoned, race today.

The Finn and Yngling medal races are now scheduled for Sunday, 17th August 2008.

A full report of the day's sailing, from Jodie Bakewell-White, will follow in a posting above.

MEDALS FOR THE BLACK BOATS IN ROWING

Meanwhile, over at the Shunyi rowing park, New Zealand's rowers have been doing the country proud. Twins Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell won Gold in the double sculls. There were also two bronze medals: Mahe Drysdale in the single sculls, and Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater in the men's pair.

There was disappointment for ace rower cum Team New Zealand grinder, and 2000 Olympic Gold medallist, Rob Waddell. Waddell, with Nathan Cohen, just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in the men's double sculls.

2008 Olympic Results from Beijing

Day Seven in Qingdao: Late Start and Just One Race for Kiwi Sailors

Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams at the Olympics. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

SailRaceWin is grateful to Juerg Kaufmann and Go4Image for exclusive provision of images of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta.
by Jodie Bakewell-White

Today all New Zealand’s yachties sailed just one race in Qingdao, China, late in the day after waiting for wind until around 4pm.

Our two women impressed - both Barbara Kendall and Jo Aleh returning a 2nd place in their respective races. Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams returned a 4th place in the opening race of the Star class and Tom Ashley made a huge comeback in his race five, after sitting deep in the Men’s RS:X fleet, he climbed through to finish 5th.

Things didn’t go the way of Dan Slater, finishing 6th in his race but it seems, failing to make the cut for the medal race tomorrow. At the close of racing Slater was lying provisionally in 12th place overall, though at the time of writing protests were pending which may affect the Kiwi’s result. It’s doubtful however that it would put him in the top ten, which means it’s all but certain that his Olympic Games has come to a close.

New Zealand’s Standings Summary

4th – Hamish Pepper & Carl Williams, Star (after 1 race)
4th - Tom Ashley, Men’s RS:X (after 5 races)
4th – Jo Aleh, Laser Radial (after 4 races)
6th – Barbara Kendall, Women’s RS:X (after 5 races)
12th – Dan Slater, Finn (after eight races)
13th – Carl Evans & Peter Burling, Men’s 470 (after 7 races)
15th – Andrew Murdoch, Laser (after 4 races)

With an early start to racing planned for some classes, extra races in the schedule and a forecast which talked of northerly winds it was all action at the Qingdao sailing venue this morning. Sailors left the boat park and hit the race track suitably amped to get on with racing after yesterday’s delays and cancellations. However the midday and one o’clock scheduled start times came and went and the wind, once again, failed to show.

During the day the weather watchers observed as much wind as 15 -18 knots on the islands in the outer Fushan Bay, and sloppy sea conditions on the course areas spoke of breeze somewhere nearby. However close to shore in Qingdao was a different story with a light offshore breeze seemingly keeping the wind hitting the outer islands at bay, and most sailors were sent ashore to wait.

Once racing got underway the breeze maxed at around 10-12 knots at times, but sailors reported that the two conflicting breezes were fighting each other and there were big shifts on most courses resulting in some big position changes during racing.

STAR


Start of the Star fleet race one in Qingdao. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

Star sailors Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams are now underway with the first race of the 2008 Olympic Games for them kicking off at 4:20pm on course A with a reported 8-9 knots of wind.

In the small but star-studded sixteen boat fleet, the kiwis got away to a good start and remained in touch with the leading group for the entire race. They finished 4th, Fredrik Loof of Sweden taking the win in the first race of the series.

Speaking ahead of today’s race Williams said, “I am starting to see what really makes this the Olympic Games. This is competition at its ruthless best. Goals are destroyed, ambitions are pressured and resolve is tested.”

See Carl Williams' blog for his view of race day one.

They race again tomorrow starting at midday.

Star top five (provisional after one race)

1st SWE Fredrik Loof & Anders Ekstrom (1)
2nd GER Marc Pickel & Ingo Borkowski (2)
3rd POR Afonso Domingos & Bernardo Santos (3)
4th NZL Hamish Pepper & Carl Williams (4)
5th POL Mateusz Kusznierewicz & Dominik Zycki (5)


Upwind in the New Zealand Star boat in Qingdao. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

LASER RADIAL

Jo Aleh was a standout amongst the Kiwis today in race four for the Laser Radials. Rounding mark one in 7th place she continued to climb through those in front of her and take 2nd place behind Gintare Volungeviciute of Lithuania.

Today’s performance sees Aleh move up the leader board to now sit in 4th place overall despite still carrying a 22 from her first race. Anna Tunnicliffe of the USA retains the lead.

An early start at midday is on the schedule for the Laser Radials tomorrow, organizers looking to make up lost races will run three races for the Radials if possible.

Click here for Jo Aleh's own view of the racing.

Laser Radial top five (provisional) results after four races

1st USA Anna Tunnicliffe - 20 points
2nd LTU Gintare Volungeviciute - 25 points
3rd CRO Mateja Petronijevic - 26 points
4th NZL Jo Aleh - 30 points
5th FRA Sarah Steyaert - 36 points

LASER

In the largest fleet of the Olympic sailing events, Andrew Murdoch came home mid fleet in their fourth race of the series. A 20th today puts Murdoch in 15th overall.

As with the Radials, an early start at midday is on the schedule for the Lasers tomorrow. The organizers, looking to make up lost races, will run three races if possible.

Laser top five (provisional) results after four races

1st GBR Paul Goodison - 33 points
2nd SWE Rasmus Myrgren - 33 points
3rd RUS Igor Lisovenko - 37 points
4th FRA Jean Baptiste Bernaz - 41 points
5th POR Gustavo Lima - 43 points

15th NZL Andrew Murdoch - 67 points

FINN

Just prior to 4pm the Finn fleet waiting patiently on course area E got started in race eight – an opportunity for those hovering around 10th place to move up and make the cut to sail in tomorrow’s Finn medal race. For New Zealand’s Dan Slater lying 12th overall, this was a last chance race to close the gap and preclude his regatta coming to an end today.

Unfortunately a 6th place finish in today’s race for Slater failed to improve his overall standing, undone by his results from earlier races and the performance of some others close to him on the leader board in today’s race. He provisionally retains 12th place.

Ben Ainslie was once again in fine form, and now has an eleven point leading margin over Zach Railey of the USA putting him in a good position to collect the Finn Gold medal expected of him from the outset.

Finn (provisional) top five results after eight races

1st GBR Ben Ainslie - 21 points
2nd USA Zach Railey - 33 points
3rd SWE Daniel Birgmark - 44 points
4th FRA Guillaume Florent - 50 points
5th CAN Christopher Cook - 51 points

12th NZL Dan Slater - 76 points

MEN’S RS:X

Underway at 5:30pm local time the Men’s RS:X race five was sailed in winds of around 10 knots on course area B. It was a “topsy turvy” race, Kiwi Tom Ashley rounding the first mark in 14th place, dropping as deep as 27th at the third mark only to stage an impressive comeback and finish the race in 5th place.

Points are relatively close around Ashley on 17 points, he’s only two points behind third place and three points off second. Shahar Zubari of Israel retains the lead after race five for the fleet.

Back on the water tomorrow the men’s RS:X are scheduled to start at 2pm on course area B with three races planned if time and conditions allow.

Men’s RS:X (provisional) top five results after five races

1st ISR Shahar Zubari - 8 points
2nd HKG King Yin Chan - 14 points
3rd GBR Nick Dempsey - 15 points
4th NZL Tom Ashley - 17 points
5th FRA Julien Bontemps - 20 points

WOMEN’S RS:X

With her best race yet at this Olympic Games, Barbara Kendall still sits in 6th overall but has closed the gap up on those ahead of her. Thailand’s Napalai Tansai struck out an early lead, but couldn’t hold on, Jessica Crisp (AUS) and Kendall passing her to take the top two spots in race five for the Women’s RS:X. At the finish Kendall was just 14 second behind the Australian.

With 25 points total, just one behind Bryony Shaw (GBR) Kendall will be back on the water tomorrow aiming to continue her form from today. Racing doesn’t start until 2pm for the windsurfers, who have to wait for the 49er class to sail on course area B before them, but if possible they will have three races.

Women’s RS:X (provisional) top six results after four races

1st CHN Jian Yin - 6 points
2nd AUS Jessica Crisp - 10 points
3rd ESP Marina Alabau - 15 points
4th ITA Alessandra Sensini - 16 points
5th GBR Bryony Shaw - 24 points
6th NZL Barbara Kendall - 25 points

MEN’S 470

Carl Evans and Peter Burling were back in action in the Men’s 470 class after a rest day yesterday, for them today’s race was race seven in their opening series. Unfortunately for the young up and comers, both just 17 years old, they finished 22nd today which saw them slip three places down the leader board.

They now lie 13th overall in the fleet of 27 boats. Racing continues for them tomorrow where they will be aiming to regain their standing in the top ten ahead of the Men’s 470 medal race which is scheduled to take place on Monday 18th.

Men’s 470 (provisional) top five results after seven races

1st AUS Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page - 22 points
2nd FRA Nicolas Charbonnier & Olivier Bausset - 27 points
3rd POR Ãlvaro Marinho & Miguel Nunes - 43 points
4th GBR Nick Rogers & Joe Glanfield - 44 points
5th ITA Gabrio Zandona & Andrea Trani - 49 points

13th NZL Carl Evans & Peter Burling - 75 points

Yachting New Zealand

ISAF Olympic website results Clicking on a race gives more information on weather, course and mark rounding positions.

Update: Day Seven in Qingdao sees NZ Star, RS:X Men and Laser Radial in 4th overall

by SailRaceWin

After the first race in the Star class today, Hamish Pepper (aka Pepsi) and Carl Williams (aka Tiny) were in fourth, behind class masters Loof and Ekstrom (Sweden), Pickel and Borkowski (Germany) and Domingos and Santos (Portugal), and just ahead of 2008 Star World Champions, Kusznierewicz and Zycki (Poland). Pepper and Williams improved from 7th at the first mark to finish 4th in the one race that was held, whereas the 2008 World Champions went from 2nd to 5th during the race.

Jo Aleh (Laser Radial) finished second in the one race for the class today. If she is able to maintain the top placing (fourth or better) consistency that she has shown after the first race, when the discard kicks in after another race, Aleh may find herself leading the fleet in gold medal position.

In the RS:X Men, Tom Ashley currently lies 4th overall, while Britain's Athens bronze medallist, Nick Dempsey, made a charge to take today's race and move into 3rd slot overall, after five races with one discard now in effect. Zubari (Israel) and Chan (Hong Kong) are in first and second places overall in class.

In the Women's RS:X, Barbara Kendall finished today's race in second place, giving her sixth overall after five races and one discard. China's Jian Yin continues to lead the fleet, having placed no lower than third in any race to date; a remarkable achievement at this level of sailing!

In the Laser class, Andrew Murdoch is in 15th overall, after placing 20th in today's race. Meanwhile, Carl Evans and Peter Burling finished 22nd today and are currently 13th overall in the Men's 470.

Light breezes meant that the organisers were not able to get in make-up races in classes that were down on the number of races held. The Finns and Ynglings had their last race before the medal race on Saturday, missing two races from the total. Britain's Athens Gold medallists in both classes have done enough to ensure that they take home at least silver (Ainslie) and at least bronze (Ayton, Webb and Wilson) in both classes.

Unfortunately the curtailing of racing means that Dan Slater's improvement in form throughout the regatta (he finished 6th today) leaves him in 12th place overall in the Finns - outside the top ten needed to compete in the double point-scoring medal race tomorrow.

There will be a full report on the day's racing from Jodie Bakewell-White in the next posting (to come, above).

ISAF Olympic website results Clicking on a race gives more information on weather, course and mark rounding positions.

Amendment to Scheduled Sailing on Race Day Seven in Qingdao

from Jodie Bakewell-White

There has been an amendment to tomorrow’s schedule of racing at the Olympic Sailing Regatta. The entire New Zealand team will be on the water for competition, as outlined below.

Some classes including the Finn, Lasers, Radials, RS:X men’s and women’s will start at an earlier time of 1200 hours, while the 470 men’s and Star will start at 1300 hours.

Dan Slater – Finn
Current position: 12th (after seven races)
3 races – Races 8, 9 & 10
Start time: 1200 hours
Course area E
Comment: Tomorrow is Slater’s last chance to make the cut for the top ten medal race. The Finns will start early at 1200 hours with an attempt to sail three races.

Carl Evans & Peter Burling – Men’s 470
Current position: 10th (after six races)
2 races – Races 7 & 8
Start time: 1300 hours
Course area D
Comment: Coming off a rest day Evans and Burling race Friday and Saturday to round out the first ten races – following that if they’re in the top ten they’ll sail again on Monday 18th in the double-points medal race.

Hamish Pepper & Carl Williams – Star
Opening day
2 races – Races 1 & 2
Start time: 1300
Course area A
Comment: Pepper and Williams kick off their Olympic regatta with a full week ahead. The Star medal race is scheduled for Thursday 21st.

Andrew Murdoch – Laser
Current position: 13th (after three races)
3 races – Races 4 , 5 & 6
Start time: 1200 hours
Course area C
Comment: The Lasers will use the reserve day to make up for lost races today. Murdoch will be hunting the consistency he achieved on day one.

Jo Aleh – Laser Radial
Current position: 7th (after three races)
3 races – Races 4, 5 & 6
Start time: 1200 hours
Course area C
Comment: The Laser Radials will use the reserve day to make up for lost races today. Aleh has had two excellent races out of three, and will be aiming to repeat her form from yesterday.

Tom Ashley – Men’s RS:X
Current position: 3rd (after four races)
2 races – Races 5 & 6
Start time: 1200 hours
Course area B
Comment: The RS:X’s will use Friday to catch up for the two races missed on Thursday.

Barbara Kendall – Women’s RS:X
Current position: 6th (after four races)
2 races – Races 5 & 6
Start time: 1200 hours
Course area B
Comment: The RS:X’s will use Friday to catch up for the two races missed on Thursday.

Yachting New Zealand

ISAF Olympic website results Clicking on a race gives more information on weather, course and mark rounding positions.

Olympic Sailing Day Six: No Wind in Qingdao

by Jodie Bakewell-White

No sailing took place at the Olympic Sailing venue today - wind was the missing ingredient. A sea fog hung over the race course for the entire day and competitors were kept ashore with the postponement flag flying.

Of the Kiwi team Dan Slater, Tom Ashley, Barbara Kendall, Jo Aleh and Andrew Murdoch had scheduled racing, today’s cancelations now putting them behind schedule. Organizers have announced that they will use tomorrow’s reserve day as an opportunity for the Finns, Lasers and Radials to catch up.

The Finns, who have sailed seven races so far, will sail their penultimate day of the regatta. For those not in the top ten at the conclusion of racing tomorrow, their Olympic Games comes to a close, while the top ten will go on to fight it out for the podium spots in the Finn medal race on Saturday.

New Zealander Dan Slater has some work ahead of him to make the cut for the medal race currently lying 12th overall in the fleet of 26. The Kiwi has a point score of 70, with an eight point margin to 10th place.

Forecasters predict that Qingdao will produce wind tomorrow, and potentially more than has been seen on any race day so far. Talk of around 15 knots lasting as long as three to four days will please some camps, but as always it’ll be a matter of wait and see what the day brings.

The only Kiwis yet to start racing are Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams in the Star class – their opening day is planned for tomorrow.

Here’s a look at the current standings...

Olympic Sailing Daily Wrap: 14th August 2008

Laser Radial
Top seven (provisional) results after three races

1st USA Anna Tunnicliffe - 15 points (4, 5, 6)
2nd CRO Mateja Petronijevic - 22 points (8, 9, 5)
3rd LTU Gintare Volungeviciute - 24 points (3, 13, 8)
4th AUS Sarah Blanck - 24 points (6, 11, 7)
5th GBR Penny Clark - 25 points (2, 22, 1)
6th BEL Evi Van Acker - 27 points (1, 10, 16)
7th NZL Jo Aleh - 28 points (22, 4, 2)

Laser
Top five (provisional) results after three races

1st ITA Diego Romero - 14 points (6, 3, 5)
2nd POR Gustavo Lima - 16 points (5, 8, 3)
3rd ARG Julio Alsogaray - 23 points (1, 12, 10)
4th RUS Igor Lisovenko - 29 points (11, 14, 4)
5th SWE Rasmus Myrgren - 31 points (7, 16, 8)

13th NZL Andrew Murdoch - 47 points (2, 5, 40)

Men’s 470
Provisional top five results after six races

1st AUS Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page 17 points (4, (7), 3, 3, 3, 4)
2nd FRA Nicolas Charbonnier & Olivier Bausset - 24 points (6, 3, 8, 1, 6, (18))
3rd GBR Nick Rogers & Joe Glanfield - 25 points ((19), 5, 1, 4, 9, 6)
4th ITA Gabrio Zandona & Andrea Trani - 30 points (10, 4, 7, 7, 2, (21))
5th POR Ãlvaro Marinho & Miguel Nunes - 34 points (2, 8, (15), 6, 11, 7)

10th NZL Carl Evans & Peter Burling - 53 points (7, 10, 14, 12, (30), 10)

Finn
Provisional top five results after seven races

1st GBR Ben Ainslie - 19 points ((10), 1, 4, 1, 1, 10, 2)
2nd USA Zach Railey - 25 points (2, 5, 2, 2, 7, (8), 7)
3rd FRA Guillaume Florent - 30 points (5, 8, (20), 3, 4, 6, 4)
4th SWE Daniel Birgmark - 39 points (14, (17), 1, 6, 12, 3, 3)
5th SLO Gasper Vincec - 42 points (9, 11, 6, 5, 3, (13), 8)

12th NZL Dan Slater - 70 points ((21), 19, 18, 4, 9, 7, 13)

Men’s RS:X
Provisional top five results after four races

1st ISR Shahar Zubari - 8 points (1, 3, 1, 3)
2nd HKG King Yin Chan - 16 points (5, 4, 2, 5)
3rd NZL Tom Ashley - 19 points (4, 7, 7, 1)
4th FRA Julien Bontemps - 23 points (13, 1, 5, 4)
5th GBR Nick Dempsey - 25 points (11, 9, 3, 2)

Women’s RS:X
Provisional top eight results after four races

1st CHN Jian Yin - 6 points (1, 1, 1, 3)
2nd ESP Marina Alabau - 15 points (3, 5, 5, 2)
3rd AUS Jessica Crisp - 17 points (2, 4, 3, 8)
4th ITA Alessandra Sensini - 18 points (6, 2, 9, 1)
5th GBR Bryony Shaw - 24 points (4, 3, 11, 6)
6th NZL Barbara Kendall - 35 points (12, 7, 12, 4)

ISAF Olympic website results Clicking on a race gives more information on weather, course and mark rounding positions.

What’s on tomorrow...

Dan Slater – Finn
Current position: 12th (after seven races)
2 races (possibly 3) – Races 8 & 9
Start time: 1300 hours
Comment: Tomorrow is Slater’s last chance to make the cut for the top ten medal race

Carl Evans & Peter Burling – Men’s 470
Current position: 10th (after six races)
2 races – Races 7 & 8
Comment: Coming off a rest day Evans and Burling race Friday and Saturday to round out the first ten races – following that if they’re in the top ten they’ll sail again on Monday 18th in the double-points medal race.

Hamish Pepper & Carl Williams – Star
Opening day
2 races – Races 1 & 2
Comment: Pepper and Williams kick off their Olympic regatta with a full week ahead. The Star medal race is scheduled for Thursday 21st.

Andrew Murdoch – Laser
Current position: 13th (after three races)
2 races (possibly 3) – Races 4 & 5
Comment: The Lasers will use the reserve day to make up for lost races today. Murdoch will be hunting the consistency he achieved on day one.

Jo Aleh – Laser Radial
Current position: 7th (after three races)
2 races (possibly 3) – Races 4 & 5 (& 6)
Comment: The Laser Radials will use the reserve day to make up for lost races today. Aleh has had two excellent races out of three, and will be aiming to repeat her form from yesterday.

Not racing tomorrow...

Tom Ashley – Men’s RS:X
Current position: 3rd (after four races)

Barbara Kendall – Women’s RS:X
Current position: 6th (after four races)

Yachting New Zealand

Discards and Disqualifications at the Olympics

by Anne Hinton

It is interesting to note that, given the variable results of most competitors with the conditions in Qingdao, if a discard were to be applied in the Laser fleet after three races, New Zealand's Andrew Murdoch would be leading the class, instead of lying 13th. Similarly, in the Laser Radial, Jo Aleh (NZL) would be second to Penny Clark (GBR), whereas they are currently 7th and 5th, respectively.

No doubt the organisers in Qingdao are relying on the old adage that 'the winds are tides are always on the side of the ablest navigator'. This is certainly proving true in the case of Ben Ainslie (GBR), the British Yngling girls (Sarah Ayton, Pippa Wilson and Sarah Webb) and Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page (470 Men - Australia), who are leading on both total and nett points in their respective classes.

The Dutch and Australian 470 Women teams are currently tied on points at the top of their class (both total and nett), with the Dutch having the advantage only by virtue of finishing ahead of their opponents in the last race sailed.

In the 49er, Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin (AUS) were able to discard their disqualification from the first race, so actually have a 9 points higher total score than their second placed Danish rivals (Warrer and Ibsen) but lead by one point over the Danes in the nett scoreline. In this case, the Australian DSQ was due to tacking in the Swedish team's water.

It is interesting to note that in classes were there have been a number of on-the-water penalties (Finn, Laser, Laser Radial), there have been no protest hearings to date. However, on-the-water jury action over pumping infringements has seen sailors sent home.

Disqualifications are hard penalties to take, especially at the Olympic Games. Clearly rule infractions need to be discouraged, however, there are many who believe that results would not differ if pumping were to be permitted. This is a different issue from non-compliance with right-of-way rules, or setting up the boat/sails outside class rules.

It would be interesting to hear views on the pumping rule from top finishers in the sailing classes at the Olympics in Qingdao.

Note: Scores are taken from provisional results at the end of racing on 13th August 2008.

ISAF Olympic website results

Olympics: Day Five of Racing

Carl Evans and Peter Burling in the Men's 470 Class. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

SailRaceWin is grateful to Juerg Kaufmann and Go4Image for exclusive provision of images of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta.
by Jodie Bakewell-White

Light winds meant delays, some cancelled racing and tough conditions for the Kiwis in action at the Olympic sailing regatta today. The Men’s 470 sailed two races, while the lack of breeze dictated that the Finns, Radials and Lasers only managed one race apiece.

In the overall placings Tom Ashley stands as the best placed Kiwi lying third overall in the Men’s Windsurfer. Both Ashley and Kendall enjoyed a rest day today and were probably pleased to sit out what appears to be one of the more challenging days, conditions wise, of the regatta so far.

A highlight today was a second place for Jo Aleh in the Laser Radial which saw her climb up the standings from 11th place to 7th. However, with only three races in, there’s a long way to go for both Aleh and Murdoch, who lost his lead in the Lasers after a disappointing race today.

The Laser sailor is philosophical at the end of the day well aware that some other top contenders also came up against the roll of the dice that Qingdao’s light winds present. He now lies 13th overall, and along with Aleh in the Radials, will be back on the water tomorrow.

Evans and Burling sailed two races today, and now sit in 10th place in the Men’s 470, while Dan Slater is in 13th on the leader board after one race today for the Finns.

LASER RADIAL


Aleh at the Olympics. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

The sea breeze took longer to satisfy officials on course area C where the Lasers were racing today on day two of their regatta. They only managed one race and have now completed three.

Jo Aleh was the best performer of the Kiwi team today trailing Great Britain’s Penny Clark around the course just a few second behind the Brit who had the lead for the entire race. Aleh came home in 2nd place which sees her take a climb up the leader board from 11th overall into 7th overall.

Click here for Jo Aleh's own view of the second day of Laser Radial racing at the 2008 Olympics in Qingdao.

Anna Tunnicliffe of the USA continues to lead the standings in the 28 strong Radial fleet showing consistency pays off. She was 6th in today’s race and leads with 15 points in total from Petronijevic in second seven points adrift.

The Radial fleet will be back on the water for more racing tomorrow.

Laser Radial
Top seven (provisional) results after three races

1st USA Anna Tunnicliffe - 15 points (4, 5, 6)
2nd CRO Mateja Petronijevic - 22 points (8, 9, 5)
3rd LTU Gintare Volungeviciute - 24 points (3, 13, 8)
4th AUS Sarah Blanck - 24 points (6, 11, 7)
5th GBR Penny Clark - 25 points (2, 22, 1)
6th BEL Evi Van Acker - 27 points (1, 10, 16)
7th NZL Jo Aleh - 28 points (22, 4, 2)

LASER


Lasers in light winds at Qingdao. Andrew Murdoch is on the right in the picture. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

Andrew Murdoch wasn’t able to repeat the form of his opening day yesterday and has slipped from the leading spot after a finishing towards the back of the fleet in race three sailed today. He now lies 13th overall in the standings - Diego Romero of Italy taking over the lead.

With just three races now on the board the Laser fleet has a long way to go. They’re back on the water tomorrow for another two races.

Laser
Top five (provisional) results after three races

1st ITA Diego Romero - 14 points (6, 3, 5)
2nd POR Gustavo Lima - 16 points (5, 8, 3)
3rd ARG Julio Alsogaray - 23 points (1, 12, 10)
4th RUS Igor Lisovenko - 29 points (11, 14, 4)
5th SWE Rasmus Myrgren - 31 points (7, 16, 8)

13th NZL Andrew Murdoch - 47 points (2, 5, 40)

MEN'S 470


Carl Evans and Peter Burling are the youngest New Zealand sailors in Qingdao. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

Race officials made one general recall in getting the Men’s 470 fleet underway in the first race of the day, and unfortunately the Kiwis found themselves one of four boats black flagged in the race start proper. This effectively put them out of the running in this race, the fifth in their series, an incident which the young pair will clock up to experience.

They proved their fighting spirit in their second race of the day - the 17 year olds were deep in the fleet up the first leg rounding mark one in 24th place. They went one to recover from there climbing up to a 10th place finish in the race which was sailed in a very light five to six knots of wind.

The fleet has now completed six races in their ten races series to decide who proceed s into the medal race. After today’s performance Evans and Burling are now lying in 10th place overall, but will be aiming to maintain consistent results after their hiccup in race five early this afternoon.

Reigning world champs and hot favourites in the class Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page of Australia retain their lead placing 3rd and 4th in today’s racing.

Men’s 470
Provisional top five results after six races

1st AUS Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page 17 points (4, (7), 3, 3, 3, 4)
2nd FRA Nicolas Charbonnier & Olivier Bausset - 24 points (6, 3, 8, 1, 6, (18))
3rd GBR Nick Rogers & Joe Glanfield - 25 points ((19), 5, 1, 4, 9, 6)
4th ITA Gabrio Zandona & Andrea Trani - 30 points (10, 4, 7, 7, 2, (21))
5th POR Ãlvaro Marinho & Miguel Nunes - 34 points (2, 8, (15), 6, 11, 7)

10th NZL Carl Evans & Peter Burling - 53 points (7, 10, 14, 12, (30), 10)

FINN

Just one race was possible on the Finn course today due to the marginal wind conditions. Dan Slater finished 13th and now lies 12th overall in the standings.

Ben Ainslie (GBR) has consolidated his lead over Zach Railey (USA) by finishing 2nd in today’s race. He extended his leading margin over Railey and is now six points clear.

If conditions allow the Finn fleet will be back on the water again tomorrow.

Finn
Provisional top five results after seven races

1st GBR Ben Ainslie - 19 points ((10), 1, 4, 1, 1, 10, 2)
2nd USA Zach Railey - 25 points (2, 5, 2, 2, 7, (8), 7)
3rd FRA Guillaume Florent - 30 points (5, 8, (20), 3, 4, 6, 4)
4th SWE Daniel Birgmark - 39 points (14, (17), 1, 6, 12, 3, 3)
5th SLO Gasper Vincec - 42 points (9, 11, 6, 5, 3, (13), 8)

12th NZL Dan Slater - 70 points ((21), 19, 18, 4, 9, 7, 13)


In other standings:

Men’s RS:X
Provisional top five results after four races

1st ISR Shahar Zubari - 8 points (1, 3, 1, 3)
2nd HKG King Yin Chan - 16 points (5, 4, 2, 5)
3rd NZL Tom Ashley - 19 points (4, 7, 7, 1)
4th FRA Julien Bontemps - 23 points (13, 1, 5, 4)
5th GBR Nick Dempsey - 25 points (11, 9, 3, 2)

Women’s RS:X
Provisional top eight results after four races

1st CHN Jian Yin - 6 points (1, 1, 1, 3)
2nd ESP Marina Alabau - 15 points (3, 5, 5, 2)
3rd AUS Jessica Crisp - 17 points (2, 4, 3, 8)
4th ITA Alessandra Sensini - 18 points (6, 2, 9, 1)
5th GBR Bryony Shaw - 24 points (4, 3, 11, 6)
6th NZL Barbara Kendall - 35 points (12, 7, 12, 4)

Yachting New Zealand

ISAF Olympic website results Clicking on a race gives more information on weather, course and mark rounding positions.

Olympics News from Across the Ditch: How the Aussies are Fairing in Qingdao

by Laura Baldwin

Current AUS Team Results:
1st - 49er
1st - 470 women
1st - 470 men
3rd - RS:X Women
3rd - Yngling
5th - Radial
17th - Finn
23rd - Laser

The Weather 12th August:
Wind: 4 to 9 knots
Temp: Min 24, Max 28C

470 Women’s Class Day Two – AUS 1st

The young Western Australian Team, Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson burst out of the blocks and into the lead today scoring a 4th and 1st today. The 2007 Olympic Test Event winners are looking just as comfortable in these conditions one year on. Now posting nine points, they have an eight point lead on their closest rivals Spain (17 points), while The Netherlands are third (18 points). Racing continues tomorrow.

“Our aim is to be consistent - we sailed conservatively, did nothing extreme and got ourselves into a good position,” said Rechichi.

“We had good boat speed and we just, from now on, want to maintain our rhythm and enjoy sailing in these conditions.

“It’s still early but it is nice to get an early win.”

470 Women Top 3
1 - AUS - 9 points
2 - ESP - 17 points
3 - NED - 18 points

470 Men’s Class Day Two – AUS 1st

Three times 470 Class World Champions, Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page took the lead today after finishing 3rd in both races. This was especially impressive as they had a bad start in the second race and rounded mid fleet but sail with great speed and determination back into 3rd place. They now have 17 points and the French are just one point behind them and in third are the Spannish with 25 points. Racing continues tomorrow.

470 Men Top 3
1 - AUS - 17 points
2 - FRA - 18 points
3 - ESP - 25 points

RS:X Women’s Class Day Two – AUS 3rd

Jessica Crisp is in the best shape of her life at this, her third Olympic Games. Last year winning the Bronze at the Olympic Test Event and the World Championship making her a hot medal contender going into this event. After recording a 2nd and 8th today Jessica is sitting in 3rd place overall just two points off second. The Chinese windsurfer, Jian Yin is looking strong with a 9 point Cushion. The RS:X sailors get a rest day tomorrow.

RS:X Women Top 3
1 - CHN - 6 points
2 - ESP - 15 points
3 - AUS - 17 points

Laser Radial Day One – AUS 5th

The highest placed Australian sailor finishing 4th in Athens 2004 in the Europe Class, Sarah Blanck showed she has the speed to win by fighting back from deep first mark rounding positions to finish 6th and 11th to give her 17 points which places her 5th overnight. Leading the Laser Radial fleet is the 2007 Olympic Test Event Gold Medallist, Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) with 9 points with Beligum in second on 11 points and the current World Champion, France in third on 12 points. Racing continues tomorrow.

Laser Radial Top 3
1 - USA - 9 points
2 - BEL - 11 points
3 - FRA - 12 points
AUS - 5th - 17 points

Laser Day One – AUS 23rd

World Laser Number One Tom Slingsby has work to do tomorrow after finishes of 21st and 22nd (in a fleet of 43) put him 23rd overall on 43 points. However, Slingsby regularly fights back after setbacks and the regatta is far from over with eight races to go until the Laser medal race. New Zealand is leading on seven points, Italy is second (nine points) and Argentina is third (13 points). Racing continues tomorrow.

Laser Top 3
1 - NZL - 7 points
2 - ITA - 9 points
3 - ARG - 13 points
AUS - 23rd - 43 points

13th August Racing Schedule: Races start at 1pm (China time)
• Finn – Races 7 & 8
• Yngling - Races 7 & 8
• 49er - Races 7, 8 & 9
• 470 Women - Races 5 & 6
• 470 Men - Races 5 & 6
• Laser - Races 3 & 4
• Radial - Races 3 & 4

The Men's and Women's RS:X fleet have a rest day. The Tornado and Star fleets still have two more days until they kick off their competition on the 15th. In the mean time they are training and measuring their equipment.

Australian Sailing Team Newsletter

Olympic Sailing Day 4: Andrew Murdoch Leads the Lasers

by Jodie Bakewell-White

Day four of the Olympic Sailing Regatta saw Kiwis compete in the Laser, Laser Radial, RS:X Men and Women, and the Men’s 470 classes. While light winds saw delays to the start of racing all fleets were able to complete two races as planned.

There were some highlights for the Kiwis on the water today including a strong opening day for Andrew Murdoch in the Lasers who has the lead spot. This was the first day of competition for the 26 year old Olympic debutant from Kerikeri, Northland, and the series has a long way to go yet with another eight races planned over the coming week before the Laser medal race on Tuesday.

Another highlight was a bullet for Tom Ashley in his fourth race of the series placing him provisionally in 3rd overall.

LASER

First time Olympian Andrew Murdoch has opened his Olympic regatta with two solid races enough to give him the lead on a day where some top contenders suffered.

The Laser’s were the first to start racing today, race one kicking off on course area A at around 1:30pm in 6 knots of wind from 130 degrees. Argentinean representative Julio Alsogaray broke away to lead the pack with Murdoch in hot pursuit behind him. By the top mark Alsogaray had just under half a minute over the kiwi with a similar margin back to the chasing pack behind.

Both the Argentine and Murdoch extended away from the fleet as the race unfolded and the Kiwi crossed in second place in his first Olympic race.

In race two Murdoch came home in fifth place giving him a points total of seven at the end of the day and a two point leading margin over Diana Daniela Raponi of Italy on nine points.

The Lasers are back on the water tomorrow for another two races.

Laser
Top five (provisional) results after two races

1st NZL Andrew Murdoch - 7 points (2, 5)
2nd ITA Diana Daniela Raponi - 9 points (6, 3)
3rd ARG Julio Alsogaray - 13 points (1, 12)
4th POR Gustavo Lima - 13 points (5, 8)
5th CYP Pavlos Kontides - 15 points (8, 7)

LASER RADIAL

Jo Aleh’s day was mixed, as it was for many sailors in the light conditions. In her first race of the series she came home in 22nd place in the fleet of 28 Laser Radials, but came back fighting in race two to record a 4th place on the water.

Overall at the end of day one the 22 years old Aucklander sits in 11th place, while Anna Tunnicliffe of the USA has the lead ahead of Evi Van Acker (BEL) and reigning world champ Sarah Stayaert of France.

Click here for Jo Aleh's own verdict of day one of Laser Radial racing at the 2008 Olympics in Qingdao.

Laser Radial
Top five (provisional) results after two races

1st USA Anna Tunnicliffe - 9 points (4, 5)
2nd BEL Evi Van Acker - 11 points (1, 10)
3rd FRA Sarah Steyaert - 12 points (11, 1)
4th LTU Gintare Volungeviciute - 16 points (3, 13)
5th AUS Sarah Blanck - 17 points (6, 11)

11th NZL Jo Aleh - 26 points (22, 4)

MEN's RS:X Windsurfer

Tom Ashley put in another solid day on the water, consistent in the challenging light airs of the 2008 Olympic sailing venue. In race three for the Men’s RS:X he was 7th and then followed that up with his best race yet – a win.

From the outset of race four Ashley was in the hunt for the gun at the finish line, rounding mark one 12 seconds behind the leader, and then have the lead by mark three going on to secure the race win by a 22 second margin.

Today’s performance on what was day two for the Men’s RS:X has put Ashley in third overall. Shahar Zubari of Israel, who won bronze at the World Championships earlier this year has the lead with a scorecard to date that reads, 1st, 3rd, 1st, 3rd.

Zubari has 8 points, Kin Yin Chan of Hong Kong lies second on 16 points, with Ashley not far behind on 19 points.

Men’s RS:X
Provisional top five results after four races

1st ISR Shahar Zubari - 8 points (1, 3, 1, 3)
2nd HKG King Yin Chan - 16 points (5, 4, 2, 5)
3rd NZL Tom Ashley - 19 points (4, 7, 7, 1)
4th FRA Julien Bontemps - 23 points (13, 1, 5, 4)
5th GBR Nick Dempsey - 25 points (11, 9, 3, 2)

WOMEN's RS:X Windsurfer

Barbara Kendall has also improved her overall standing in the Women’s RS:X fleet who were subject to start delays on course area B due to light winds.

Kendall was 12th in race three and then 4th in race four which saw her gain two places to now lie 6th overall after four races. Local sailor Jian Yin was in hot form once again with a win and a 3rd in today’s racing consolidating her lead on the women’s RS:X fleet.

Women’s RS:X
Provisional top eight results after four races

1st CHN Jian Yin - 6 points (1, 1, 1, 3)
2nd ESP Marina Alabau - 15 points (3, 5, 5, 2)
3rd AUS Jessica Crisp - 17 points (2, 4, 3, 8)
4th ITA Alessandra Sensini - 18 points (6, 2, 9, 1)
5th GBR Bryony Shaw - 24 points (4, 3, 11, 6)
6th NZL Barbara Kendall - 35 points (12, 7, 12, 4)

MEN's 470

Over on the Men’s 470 course Carl Evans and Peter Burling slipped from 7th place back to 11th after what was day two of the regatta for them. 14th in race three and then 12th in race four the young kiwis find themselves in 11th on a tight knit leaderboard with only three points between them and 7th place.

Aussies Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page who took the gold in the 2007 Olympic Test event have the lead in the fleet of 29 boats after posting two 3rds in racing today.

Men’s 470
Provisional top seven results after four races

1st AUS Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page - 17 points (4, 7, 3, 3)
2nd FRA Nicolas Charbonnier & Olivier Bausset - 18 points (6, 3, 8, 1)
3rd ESP Barreiros Onan & Aaron Sarmiento - 25 points (8, 2, 6, 9)
4th ITA Gabrio Zandona & Andrea Trani - 28 points (10, 4, 7, 7)
5th GBR Nick Rogers & Joe Glanfield - 29 points (19, 5, 1, 4)

11th NZL Carl Evans & Peter Burling - 43 points (7, 10, 14, 12)

FINN

The Finn class wasn’t on the water today, enjoying a rest day. They resume racing tomorrow.

Finn
Provisional top five results after day three

1st GBR Ben Ainslie 17 points ((10), 1, 4, 1, 1, 10)
2nd USA Zach Railey 18 points (2, 5, 2, 2, 7, (8))
3rd FRA Guillaume Florent - 26 points (5, 8, (20), 3, 4, 6)
4th CAN Christopher Cook - 33 points (8, 3, 7, 10, (23), 5)
5th SLO Gasper Vincec - 34 points (9, 11, 6, 5, 3 (13))

13th NZL Dan Slater - 57 points ((21), 19, 18, 4, 9, 7)

Yachting New Zealand

ISAF Olympic website results Clicking on a race gives more information on weather, course and mark rounding positions.

Olympic Sailing: Day Three

New Zealand's Tom Ashley fights through the competition to a fourth place overall after the first day of racing in the Men's RS:X competition. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

SailRaceWin is grateful to Juerg Kaufmann and Go4Image for exclusive provision of images of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta.
by Jodie Bakewell-White

Day three of the Olympic Sailing Regatta is now complete with another full day of racing being run off the coast of Qingdao, China.

Windsurfers Tom Ashley and Barbara Kendall sailed two races apiece to open their series, as did Carl Evans and Peter Burling in the Men’s 470. Finn sailor Dan Slater completed races five and six and now has a rest day tomorrow.

Men’s RS:X Windsurfing

It was a solid start for Tom Ashley who opened with a 4th and a 7th on day one of competition sailed on course area A just off the spectator lined main break wall at the sailing venue. His results put him provisionally in 4th place overall in the fleet of 35 windsurfers.

In race one Ashley rounded mark one in 11th place and went on to make up ground as the race unfolded and cross in fourth place behind Zubari (ISR), Wang (CHN) and Oberemko (UKR).

The eight knot breeze shifted direction slightly and the sailors waited out a short delay while officials reset the course for race two. It was another solid race for Ashley who finished 7th to round out day one of the men’s RS:X racing. The Kiwi is just one point adrift of third place.

Bronze medallist at this year’s World Championships in Auckland, Shahar Zubari of Israel leads the fleet with a win and a 3rd in today’s racing giving him a total of four points. Hong Kong sailor King Yin Chan also opened well holding second overall on nine points, while local boy Aichen Wang (CHN) has third place on ten points.

Men’s RS:X
Provisional top five results after day one

1st ISR Shahar Zubari - 4 points (1, 3)
2nd HKG King Yin Chan - 9 points (5, 4)
3rd CHN Aichen Wang - 10 points (2, 8)
4th NZL Tom Ashley - 11 points (4, 7)
5th GRE Nikolas Kaklamanakis - 12 points (10, 2)

Women’s RS:X Windsurfing

Over in the Women’s fleet the local spectators watched as the Chinese sailor Jian Yin took two bullets on day one of competition, to hold the overall lead at this early stage in the event. Behind her the usual suspects line up in the top ten Barbara Kendall in the mix in eighth place overall at the end of day one.

The light and sometimes fluky wind off Qingdao makes for physically demanding sailing from the windsurfers and today exemplified that. In race one decisions early on in the race made all the difference with the first three around the top mark China, Australia and Spain holding their positions to the finish. Kendall finished 12th in that race.

In race two Kendall came home in 8th place giving her a points total of 20, and eighth place overall.

Both Kendall and Ashley are back on the water tomorrow with another two races on the schedule. Medal races for the RS:X are scheduled for Wednesday 20th.

Women’s RS:X
Provisional top eight results after day one

1st CHN Jian Yin - 2 points (1, 1)
2nd AUS Jessica Crisp - 6 points (2, 4)
3rd GBR Bryony Shaw - 7 points (4, 3)
4th ITA Alessandra Sensini - 8 points (6, 2)
5th ESP Marina Alabau - 8 points (3, 5)
6th UKR Olga Maslivets - 11 points (5, 6)
7th FRA Faustine Merret - 15 points (8, 7)
8th NZL Barbara Kendall - 20 points (12, 8)

Finn

Dan Slater continued to claw his way back up the Finn placings starting the day in 16th place the kiwi has lifted to 13th overall with a 9th in race five and a 7th in race six. He now discards his worst result of the series, his opening race and has a points total of 50.

Ben Ainslie of Great Britain has climbed into the lead overtaking Zach Railey of USA who has slipped to second place. The Finn fleet will enjoy a rest day tomorrow following which two races are planned for both Wednesday and Thursday. The Finn medal race for the top ten placed sailors will take place on Saturday.

Finn
Provisional top five results after day three

1st GBR Ben Ainslie 17 points ((10), 1, 4, 1, 1, 10)
2nd USA Zach Railey 18 points (2, 5, 2, 2, 7, (8))
3rd FRA Guillaume Florent - 26 points (5, 8, (20), 3, 4, 6)
4th CAN Christopher Cook - 33 points (8, 3, 7, 10, (23), 5)
5th SLO Gasper Vincec - 34 points (9, 11, 6, 5, 3 (13))

13th NZL Dan slater - 57 points ((21), 19, 18, 4, 9, 7)

Men’s 470

The first of the Olympic debutants amongst the Kiwi team, Carl Evans and Peter Burling sailed well on day one of competition in the men’s 470 class. It was a tricky day out on the 470 course which made for mixed results all round, with no one crew dominant on day one.

Evans and Burling were 7th in race one demonstrating that they know how to make the most of opportunities as they’re presented. 19th at mark one the young 17 year olds fought their way back up through the fleet and finished in 7th place.

In race two sailed in six knots of wind, they climbed through to lie fourth rounding the final mark only to slip back and record a 10th place finish. In the overall standings they lie in 7th place in the 29 boat fleet at this early stage in their regatta.

French pair Charbonnier and Bausset have the early lead with reigning world champs, Wilmot and Page of Australia lying 4th.

Men’s 470
Provisional top seven results after day one

1st FRA Nicolas Charbonnier & Olivier Bausset - 9 points (6, 3)
2nd ESP Barreiros Onan & Aaron Sarmiento - 10 points (8, 2)
3rd POR Álvaro Marinho & Miguel Nunes - 10 points (2, 8)
4th AUS Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page - 11 points (4, 7)
5th SLO Karlo Hmeljak & Mitja Nevecny - 14 points (3, 11)
6th ITA Gabrio Zandona & Andrea Trani - 14 points (10, 4)
7th NZL Carl Evans & Peter Burling - 17 points (7, 10)

from SailRaceWin

It is noticeable that many top sailors, including world ranked number one, Jonas Hoegh-Christensen from Denmark, and 2004 Olympic Gold medallist, Ben Ainslie, have had results in double figures in the Finns, due to the conditions in Qingdao. That infamous green algal weed is beginning to make a reappearance too... and the fishing fleet has been dispatched to tackle it once more.

Yachting New Zealand

ISAF Olympic website results Clicking on a race gives more information on weather, course and mark rounding positions.

Photo Collage of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta from Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

All images below are copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

SailRaceWin is grateful to Juerg Kaufmann and Go4Image for exclusive provision of images of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta.
The Opening Ceremony at the Sailing Centre in Qingdao, China. All images copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image





The Olympic Flame. All images copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image




The Racing. All images copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

Britain's Ben Ainslie sets out to win a third Finn Olympic Gold Medal

He has some competition, especially from American Zach Railey, along the way


A determined Ainslie keeps a good look out and makes it to the top of the Finn rankings at the end of Day Three. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image


There are some waves around for the RS:X Men... Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image



Switzerland's Windsurfer, Richard Stauffacher, gives a thumb's up after the first day of racing. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

Olympic Sailing: Day Two for Finns

Britain's Ben Ainslie is not having it quite all his own way (yet) in the Finn class in Qingdao. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann, Go4Image

SailRaceWin is grateful to Juerg Kaufmann and Go4Image for exclusive provision of images of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta.
by Jodie Bakewell-White

The Finn class completed a further two races today at the 2008 Olympic Games off Qingdao, China, and have now sailed four races in the eleven race series. Kiwi, Dan Slater returned his best result in race four crossing the line in 4th place and improving his overall standing.

Lying 22nd overall at the start of day two Slater has climbed up the leader board and is now provisionally sitting in 16th place overall.

Racing started on schedule today, the Finn fleet sharing course area E with the Yngling fleet, and enjoying a south easterly breeze which stayed in at around eight knots for the afternoon.

Race four got underway at 2:50pm local time and Dan Slater rounded the first mark in 10th place 42 seconds behind the leader. By the bottom mark he managed to overtake six sailors and rounded the mark in fourth place, going on to cross the finish in fourth.

Young American sailor Zach Railey has climbed up to lead the Finn standings after a solid day on the water returning two second places. Three time Olympic medallist Ben Ainslie moved up into second place behind Railey – his results from racing today including a 4th and a win.

Slater and the Finn fleet are back on the water again tomorrow and predictions are that conditions will allow for racing as scheduled. The Finns will sail a further two races following which there is a reserve day planned.

FINN RESULTS
Provisional Top Five Overall Standings after day two

1st USA Zach Railey (2, 5, 2, 2) - 11 points
2nd GBR Ben Ainslie (10, 1, 4, 1) - 16 points
3rd CAN Christopher Cook (8, 3, 7, 10) - 28 points
4th SLO Gasper Vincec (9, 11, 6, 5) - 31 points
5th ESP Rafa Trujillo Villar (12, 4, 3, 14) - 33 points

16th NZL Dan Slater (21, 19, 18, 4) - 62 points

Yachting New Zealand

ISAF Olympic website Day Two results Clicking on a race gives more information on weather, course and mark rounding positions.