TITANIC TACTICAL BATTLE FOR LASER CLASS LEAD.

by Ian Grant on 24 Sep 2000 England’s Ben Ainslie, Robert Scheidt of Brazil and Australia’s Michael Blackburn are engaged in a titanic battle for the 2000 Olympic Games Laser class Gold Medal on a relatively calm Sydney Harbour.

This trio recognised as the smartest Laser class helmsmen in the World have proved their exceptional talent in the six races of the series decided so far.

Ainslie the Atlanta Silver Medallist and Scheidt the current World Champion and 1996 Gold Medallist are split by four points while Blackburn the World title Silver Medallist holds third place another 12 points behind.

Scheidt has won three races finished second in another but a 12th in race five earlier today temporarily placed his score in damage control.

But like a true champion he has fought back to retain the pressure on the equally talented Ainslie who has clearly demonstrated he will not willingly relent after starting the series with a below par 23rd place then steering his dinghy to a consistent score of 1-1-3-4-4 compared with Schiedt’s 2-23-1-12-1.

These two skippers have had the edge on the Australian Blackburn who despite having spent endless hours in intensive practice on the Olympic course has failed to break through for a heat win in his score of
8-8-2-18-6-5.

RESULTS: PROGRESSIVE POINTS after race 6 (Provisional) One Discard: GBR (13) 1, BRA (17) 2, AUS (29) 3, POR (33) 4, NED (36) 5, AUT (40) 6, NOR (44) 7, POL (51) 8, RSA (53) 9, SWE (55) 10.