Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2025

World Cup Series Enoshima - Day 2

by Daniel Smith, World Sailing 12 Sep 2018 15:45 BST 9-16 September 2018
Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) in the 49er FX on Day 2 at World Cup Series Enoshima © Jesus Renedo / Sailing Energy / World Sailing

With 35 Olympic medallists and numerous World Champions racing at World Cup Series Enoshima, familiar rivalries have resumed in Japan on the waters of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Sailing Competition.

Conditions across the opening two days of competition have been ideal for the 466 sailors from 44 nations. A north easterly breeze ranging from 12-17 knots has been present across the six racing areas on Sagami Bay with a reasonably flat sea state.

Battles from previous World Cups and World Championships have already emerged – and a familiar duo are going head-to-head at the top of the 49erFX fleet.

Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) beat Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) to gold by two seconds at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and the duel emerging on Tokyo's Olympic waters is not too dissimilar.

The teams occupy first and second in the 49erFX, with Grael and Kunze reasserting themselves as one of the world's leading teams despite spending limited time in the boat. Grael took some time out of Olympic campaigning to sail in the Volvo Ocean Race and is in only her second 49erFX event in the space of 14 months.

Nonetheless, the Brazilians have climbed to the top of the 24-boat fleet, winning three of six races so far, and have a 12-point advantage over the Kiwis.

"It's good to have them [Grael and Kunze] back in the fleet and I think it just lifts the standard of racing," commented Maloney. "They're sailing well and it's just great to having them out on the race course again.

"It's so up and down in the fleet. No matter who you are out there with, you have to be pushing it and making the right decisions.

"It's been pretty cool being at the Olympic venue with interesting racing conditions, but so far we've raced well."

The Brazilians and Kiwis were training partners in the lead up to Rio 2016, so they remain friends ashore - but that changes on the water. Two more days of fleet racing remain ahead of Saturday's Medal Races and the fight will continue on Thursday.

Charlotte Dobson and Saskia Tidey (GBR) occupy the final podium spot at the mid-point of the 49erFX competition.

A British battle is ongoing in the 49er, as James Peters and Fynn Sterritt (GBR) trade blows with Dylan-Fletcher Scott and Stu Bithell (GBR).

Although Fletcher-Scott and Bithell have finished ahead of their compatriots in four of six races, it's Peters and Sterritt's consistency that gives them a two-point advantage after six races.

"It's a good rivalry between us, as always," commented Peters. "We've been pushing, and they have been too. It helps us focus more in the competition and it's good for the country."

Logan Dunning Beck and Oscar Gunn (NZL) sit in third.

Just three points separate Alison Young (GBR), Marit Bouwmeester (NED), Josefin Olsson (SWE) and Sarah Douglas (CAN) at the top in the Laser Radial.

To see Young, Bouwmeester and Olsson at the top of the pack in a World Cup event is not uncommon; however, Douglas has emerged over recent weeks as a top contender.

Prior to Enoshima, the Canadian's best World Cup result was a 36th in Hyéres in April, but at the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus 2018 she hit all the right notes, finishing sixth to qualify her country for Tokyo 2020. She's brought that form into Enoshima and is firmly in the hunt.

On her emergence, Douglas said, "I think I just checked off some boxes and everything has come together. In the last couple of months, I have just been disappointed with my results but in the last few regattas, everything is coming together and it's going smoothly now."

And as for her success so far in Enoshima, "The conditions today were very tricky, so I just brought it back to the basics of lifting shifts. All the girls are so fast, so you just have to keep your speed up and stay smart out there."

Great Britain continue to stay ahead in the Laser, but a new leader has emerged; Elliot Hanson (GBR) has pulled one point clear of Michael Beckett (GBR). Matt Wearn (AUS) is in third but, much like the day prior, the competitors struggled to find consistency. With a first and eighth today, Tonci Stipanovic is the only sailor to pick up less than ten points in a day.

Elsewhere, Jorge Zarif (BRA) struck back at Giles Scott (GBR) in the Finn to draw level at the top of the leaderboard. Zarif notched up a third and a race win to Scott's second and sixth, which positions them on nine points apiece.

Speaking after the opening day, Scott said, "It's great to be back. To get decent races in early on is really good. But the points are close and there's an awfully long way to go. Looking at the forecast, it looks like it's going to get trickier as the week progresses."

Josh Junior follows in third and the day's other race winner, Nicholas Heiner (NED), is fourth.

The Japanese Men's 470 teams continue to assert themselves on their home waters.

Keiju Okada and Jumpei Hokazono (JPN) had a superb day, securing a first and a second to solidify their overnight advantage over Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS). The Australians picked up the day's other race win.

Tetsuya Isozaki and Akira Takayanagi (JPN) had a mixed day but occupy third overall, with compatriots Daichi Takayama and Kimihiko Imamura two points behind.

Ai Kondo Yoshida and Miho Yoshioka, 2018 World Champions, are also in strong contention in the Women's 470.

A second and an 11th puts them in third, five points off new leaders Afrodite Zegers and Anneloes van Veen (NED). Agnieszka Skrzypulec and Jolanta Ogar (POL) are second overall following a race win and an eighth.

The 2017 RS:X World Championships were held out of Enoshima one year ago and the Women's RS:X podium was dominated by Chinese racers who had mastered the conditions.

That trend has crossed into the World Cup Series as the 2017 Worlds bronze medallist Yunxiu Lu grabbed pole position, with gold medallist Peina Chen (CHN) in second.

Lu and Chen stayed at the front of the fleet for most of the day, and have put some daylight between themselves and Emma Wilson (GBR) in third.

Mattia Camboni (ITA) had a bright start to the competition, winning two of three races on day one, but he could not replicate that form on day two. A 34th, which he discards, as well as a tenth and a 7th sees him slip to second overall.

Kiran Badloe (NED) advanced to first after a 2-4-(11) scoreline, while his compatriot Dorian van Rijsselberghe is four points off in third.

Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti (ITA) added a further two races wins to their three victories from Tuesday, but they dropped to 12th in the sixth race of the series. Nevertheless, they lead compatriots Vittorio Bissaro and Maelle Frascari (ITA) by 11 points.

Nathan Outteridge and Haylee Outteridge (AUS) took the final race win of the day and are fourth.

Racing continues at 12:00 local time on Thursday 13 September.

Related Articles

World Sailing announces split venues for LA28
The boards will be at Long Beach, with the dinghy events at the Port World Sailing has said it welcomes the confirmation of sailing venues for the Olympic Games LA28 the boards will be at Long Beach, with the dinghy events at the Port. Posted on 30 Jun
World Sailing launches the World Sailing Academy
A new online learning platform for the global sailing community World Sailing officially launched the World Sailing Academy, an innovative new online learning platform designed to provide comprehensive educational resources and training to sailors, coaches, officials, administrators, and the global sailing community. Posted on 17 Jun
Summer Youth Olympic Games equipment confirmed
Dakar 2026 will feature 2 sailing events in the Techno293 World Sailing is pleased to announce the selection of Techno293 as the equipment used in competition at the upcoming Summer Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, being held from 31 October to 13 November 2026. Posted on 29 May
Steering the Course kicks off to #AccelerateAction
World Sailing's global women's sailing festival gets under way soon The 2025 edition of Steering the Course, World Sailing's global women's sailing festival, gets under way on 23 May with a week-long focus on #AccelerateAction in support of this year's International Women's Day theme. Posted on 22 May
NYYC hosts 2025 World Sailing Mid-Year Meeting
Board conducted a series of productive strategic meetings The gathering brought the World Sailing Board and Council together in person at the Club's historic 44th Street Clubhouse in Manhattan—an iconic venue designed by Whitney Warren, renowned architect of Grand Central Station. Posted on 19 May
World Sailing Inclusion Championships preview
Event will bring together an expected 215 sailors from around the world, to Oman The Sultanate of Oman has been chosen to host the first edition of the new World Sailing Inclusion Championships. Posted on 14 May
World Sailing Annual Conference & Awards preview
This will be the second time the town has hosted a World Sailing Annual Conference. The coastal destination of Dún Laoghaire has been chosen to host the 2025 World Sailing Annual Conference and World Sailing Awards from 3-8 November 2025, bringing together over 400 international delegates. Posted on 9 May
Hannah Mills OBE to share carbon footprint success
At World Sailing Sustainability Session Great Britain's most successful female Olympic sailor and strategist for Emirates GBR SailGP Team, Hannah Mills OBE, will headline as guest speaker at World Sailing's upcoming Sustainability Session on renewable energy in the sport. Posted on 8 May
World Sailing welcomes LA28 athlete quota
The Int. Olympic Committee's has announced the of athlete Quotas, Sports and Events for LA28 World Sailing has welcomed the International Olympic Committee's announcement of athlete quotas, sports and events for the 2028 Olympics, due to be held in Los Angeles. Posted on 10 Apr
World Sailing Race Officials Training programme
Available to Member National Authorities to apply for on an annual basis World Sailing is proud to announce the launch of a new education programme for Race Officials. Posted on 1 Apr