Wednesday saw the halfway point of the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, with Skandia Team GBR’s sailors occupying podium spots across seven classes heading in to the business end of the event.
Defending Finn Champion Ed Wright, Lucy Macgregor’s match racing crew and two-time 470 World Champions Nic Asher and Elliot Willis lead their respective fleets, while development squad sailor Alison Young proved a solid performer, advancing to second in the Laser Radial fleet thanks to a race win and a fourth for her efforts today.
Conditions proved testing out in Biscayne Bay on Wednesday, with many positions changing in the shifty winds.
Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Ally Martin are now the only team to remain unbeaten in the Elliot 6m women’s match racing event. Having already booked their berth in the quarter-finals yesterday, the trio were looking to stay in control in the gold group round-robin in order to gain a favourable seeding for their quarter-final match.
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They continued their confident run on Wednesday, beating strong opposition in the form of Nicky Souter (AUS), Samantha Osborne (NZL) and Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) to remain in control, with world number one Claire Leroy (FRA) and Sally Barkow, whom Macgregor beat in the preliminary group stage, still to face before knowing their quarter-finals opponent.
Skandia Team GBR’s crews in the Paralympic Sonar and SKUD classes advanced up the standings, with John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas now in second overall in the Sonar event, and Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell occupying the same position in the SKUD class. World Cup series winner Megan Pascoe is the leading Skandia Team GBR sailor in the 2.4mR Paralympic event.
In the Laser class, development squad sailor Alison Young found favour in the shifty conditions to pick up a race win and a fourth, which boosts her into the silver medal spot at this halfway stage.
In the windsurfing events, Bryony Shaw is fifth, Sarah Ayton and Saskia Clark are 15th in the 470 Women’s event.
Racing at the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta will continue today in all 10 Olympic and three Paralympic classes.
For the latest news and information, visit www.skandiateamgbr.com or follow us on Twitter (@skandiateamgbr) for race updates during the regatta.
Clarissa Goodwin, Sportsister
The Women’s Sport Magazine
Photo credit: Alison Young (Laser Radial) - Richard Langdon/Skandia Team GBR.
