The penultimate day of the French Olympic Sailing Week saw a shake up amongst the top places as the eagerly anticipated strong easterly breeze hit Hyeres on Thursday (26 April).
A total of 12 British boats will feature in tomorrow s finals, with Skandia Team GBR making the most of the windier conditions to make some last minute gains, both into the medal races and, in other cases, into the medal positions ready for the last day of racing.
Windsurfer Bryony Shaw put in a consistent set of results from the three RS:X women s races today to see her back at the top of the results table heading into tomorrow s double-points scoring non-discardable final race. Shaw, the European silver medallist in the class, posted a 5,6,4 today to see her back into the top spot on the leaderboard, with Spaniard Blanca Manchon her nearest rival, six points behind.
The 49er class saw the third British crew in a week take the lead World Champions Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks scored two ninth places and a fourth from their three races today to boost them up into the top spot.
We had a good day today, said Draper. We took a pretty conservative approach out there as there was lot to be lost if a risky move were to not pay off.
European Champions Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes are now in fourth, while overnight leaders John Pink and Simon Wheeler dropped to sixth. The young 49er pairing of Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign had been enjoying an impressive regatta series and were pushing for a spot in the final ten for the medal race when they were hit by Pink and Wheeler when rounding the windward mark in the first race today. A resultant back injury to Fletcher left them unable to continue racing and although they were given redress for the incident, it was not enough for them to stay within the top ten.
After a slow start to the regatta, Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson have now broken into the podium positions for the first time this week with a 10,2 from their two races today but as Ayton explained, today wasn t all plain sailing.
It was a strange start to the day we were out there and all prepared for racing in 20 knots plus, and then at the start of the first race the wind suddenly died to 5 knots!
That first race today proved really how hard this regatta has been. Getting on the wrong side of the shifts lost us eight places you can never really relax in those sorts of conditions as you re frightened of making mistakes and losing more ground.
Shirley Robertson, Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor saw a disappointing end to their regatta today. After pulling themselves into the medal race positions with the best results of the week of 2,4 coming from their two races today, they subsequently faced a jury protest which saw them disqualified from the last race and knocked out of the top ten.
Although frustrated at missing out on the final day s racing, Robertson is upbeat about the week s experience. It s been a really challenging week, but we ve learned a lot and really feel that we ve moved forward, she said.
It s a shame it had to end this way, but c est la vie onwards and upwards. In many ways it s a good thing that it s been such a difficult week as I think it highlights our weaknesses far better than if it had just blown 12-15 knots all week.
Robertson s misfortune is good news for Victoria Rawlinson, Emma Rawlinson and Sue Monson, however finishing just outside of the medal race positions in 11th place, Robertson s disqualification means they are elevated to tenth place and so will race in the final tomorrow after all.
Skandia Team GBR s Paralympic crews are still in medal contention Sonar World Champions John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Stephen Thomas scored a race win so head in to the final day in second place, two points adrift from their Greek rivals in first. Helena Lucas is currently in bronze medal position in the 2.4mR class, one point off of the second place.
Skandia Team GBR will have two sailors in contention in the Finn class defending champion Ed Wright is in fourth place with the chance of gaining bronze in tomorrow s final, while development squad sailor Giles Scott has made the top ten of his first ever Grade 1 event in the Finn class since switching from the Laser to the heavyweight dinghy at the end of 2006.
World number one Paul Goodison heads in to the Laser medal race in sixth position, but with the points table tight he s in with a chance of a podium spot. Windsurfer Nick Dempsey pulled himself into the top ten for the first time this week and the medal race positions in the men s RS:X class with the help of a race win today.