Sailing: Sailors make best of tough conditions at Weymouth

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The opening day of the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta took place at Weymouth and Portland on Monday. This year’s regatta has attracted a record number of entries of almost 1,000 sailors from 57 nations looking to compete and get practice on the same waters that will host the Olympica regatta in 2012.

On day one, Sarah Ayton and Saskia Clark finished second in their opening race, but a black flag penalty for a premature start in their second showing puts them in twenty-fifth. In the 470, Hannah Mills and Claire Cumming led the British women and finished sixth overall for the day. Also in the top twenty are Penny Clark and Katrina Hughes in sixteenth place.

Andrea Brewster has proved to be the leading British Laser Radial sailor, currently in eighteenth. In the Paralympic Classes, after two races, World Champions Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell are leading the SKUD fleet with Sonar world silver medallists John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas are in third. More British top performances came from Megan Pascoe and Helena Lucas who are in seventh and ninth places respectively in the 2.4mR events.

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Day two proved to be much more of a challenge for sailors, with wind speeds in Weymouth and Portland of up to 30 knots. Penny Clark and Katrina Hughes managed the conditions well, moving into sixth overall in the 470 women’s event after a 10,4 for their efforts. Picking up from day one, Sarah Ayton and Saskia Clark’s hopes for a top ten finish dwindled away. They capsized in the first race of the day and finished forty-third following a black flag penalty on Monday.

The regatta concludes for the Paralympic classes on Friday 13 August. The final 10-boat medal races for the Olympic classes are scheduled for Saturday 14 August.

Caitlin Ritchie, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

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