Monday 11 August 2008

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.

No comments: