ILCA Vilamoura European Continental Qualification - Day 5
by Jon Emmett 24 Apr 2021 06:56 BST
19-24 April 2021
Medium to strong winds and the largest waves yet greeted the Gold fleet on day 5. The difference today, a South Easterly breeze, rather than the South westerly we have had for the last four days.
The breeze gradually lightened but the wave state stayed and we are expecting stronger wind and even bigger waves for the final day of racing in Vilamoura.
ILCA 7 - Gold Fleet
Michael Beckett GBR maintained the lead with 54 points. Class legend Robert Scheidt BRA moves up to second with 68 and current World Champion Philip Buhl GER 73 moved Filip Jurisic CRO 74 out of podium by one point.
Fifth place overall and now so close to qualifying his country to the Olympics is Joel Rodriguez ESP with 76. One point behind him appears now the French Olympic representative Jean Baptiste Bernaz FRA with 77.
Charlie Buckingham USA 81, Tonci Stipanovic CRO 88, Elliot Hanson GBR 104 and Jesper Stalheim SWE 105 complete the provisional top ten.
Dutch sailor Duko Bos NED in 11th with 109, provisionally achieving the last pass to Tokyo but he is being pressed hard by Van Laer BEL and Alessio Spadoni ITA.
ILCA 6 - Gold Fleet
In the first race many of the sailors overstood the windward mark leading because they couldn't see the mark in the huge wave, leading to some high scores. Bright orange marks will be in place tomorrow!
Danish sailor Anne-Marie Rindom DEN increased her lead today by clawing back through the fleet and heads into tomorrow with nearly a 30 point lead. Second place is now for Josefin Olsson SWE with 64. Manami Doi JPN wraps the provisional podium with 73.
Maud Jayet SUI on fourth with 85. Great champ for the Finish squad, with Monika Mikkola FIN and Tuula Tenkanen FIN holding the places 5th and 7th with 86 and 92 points respectively.
Alison Young GBR had by far the best day with 2,1 moving her into the top 10 with one day of racing to go and even stronger winds forecast and more offshore in direction tomorrow... expect a very physical final day in Vilamoura.
Full results can be found here.