#PERTH2011–A revision of the official scoreboard at the ISAF World Sailing Championships in Perth to include the scores of top Belgian girl Evi Van Acker now places Dun Laoghaire's Annalise Murphy in second place overall with eight points. Earlier scores showed Murphy leading the women's Laser Radial class but she now trails the Belgian by two points. The string of superb results for the Irish contender keeps her in contention for tomorrows final series race before the medal race scheduled for Sunday.
 

 

#PERTH2011–Counting individual scores of a 1, 2,1,1,4 Dun Laoghaire's Annalise Murphy surged to the top of the Laser Radial fleet today at the 2011 Sailing World Championships in Perth.

The official scoreboard (below) is a pretty picture for Ireland even though it looks like some top scores (such as the results of the Belgian girl) are missing for an as of yet unexplained reason. UPDATE HERE

Racing today in the blue flight the Dun Laoghaire 21-year old added a 2,1,4 to her scorecard (below). Racing was held in choppy seas and winds building from 11 to 19 knots, Murphy's favourite conditions. Overall six races have been sailed and Murphy looks set to hit her Olympic qualification target but the prospect of an overall podium placing is now a real possibility. Racing continures tomorrow.

Murphy now appears to be on the same eight points as Holland's Marit Bouwmeester (NED) with Czech girl Veronika Fenclova nince points further adrift in third.

Tight Laser Radial racing in Perth. Ireland's Annalise Murphy tops the leaderboard after six races. Photo: Richard Langdon

#PERTH–A race win by Dun Laoghaire's Olympic sailor Annalise Murphy confirms Ireland's pre event billing as a favourite in the Laser Radial class in the opening rounds of the Perth 2012 World Sailing Championships today.

The first day of fleet racing in Perth was held in light, fluctuating breezes as four classes took to the water on Day three of the ISAF Sailing World Championships. With only the lightest of sea breezes reaching just over ten knots, the temperature in Perth soared to 34 degrees.

On the 470 course a top 10 score was posted by fellow Dun Laoghaire sailors Ger Owens and Scott Flanigan.

Other Irish sailors competing today included Ross Hamilton in the Finn who scored a 28th.

Laser Radial

Belgium's Evi van Acker dominated racing in the Yellow Laser Radial Fleet, with the world number two winning both her races.

Meanwhile world fifth ranked sailboarder , Paige Railey (USA) had a mixed day finishing her first race in eighth, before claiming a second place in race two.

In the Blue Fleet, Veronika Fenclova (CZE) and Marit Bouwmeester (NED) were the stand out performers.

Fenclova, the world number three, finished first and third while current World No. 1 Marit Bouwmeester was consistent with a second and a third.

The Laser Radial competition is scheduled to continue on the Parmelia course at 1200 Perth time.

Finns

Five-time Finn world champion Ben Ainslie took an early lead on the first day of his event at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, winning both his races with ease in the Yellow Fleet.

Ainslie won from the front in the first race but had to come from fifth place to take another win over compatriot and current world champion Ed Wright to put himself firmly at the top of the fleet.

"I didn't have a particularly good start (in the second race) but I was good on the downwind reach and was in front at the second mark," he said.

On why he was so good at downwind sailing, he said: "It has to do with the conditions and technique. After all I have been sailing a lot. You just get into a groove and go with it."

In the Blue Fleet, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist Rafa Trujillo (ESP) led the first race from start to finish while Pieter-Jan Postma (NED), put a poor race behind him to lead all the way and take the second race. Trujillo rounded off a great day with a third place, to end the day in second overall behind Ainslie. A second and a fifth for the 2008 Silver medalist Zach Railey (USA) leaves him in third overall.

The Finn event is scheduled to continue on Tuesday at 1300 Perth time on the Leighton course.

Women's Match Racing

Silke Hahlbrock (GER) put an end to Anna Tunnicliffe's undefeated run in the final flight of Women's Match Racing on Monday, with the German managing to come from behind to get over the line in front as the World No. 1 lagged with sea weed caught on her keel.

In the previous flight, Hahlbrock (GER) had managed to edge out Australia's Nicky Souter, also previously undefeated, in another tight match.

It was also a great day for Finland's Silija Lehtinen, who is yet to lose a match, despite stiff competition throughout the day.

At the conclusion of day three, Finland remained the only undefeated team with USA-1, AUS-1, GER, and NZL also finishing strongly.

Women's Match Racing is scheduled to start on Tuesday at 1000 Perth time on the Inner Harbour course.

Men's 470

Finnish brothers Joonas and Niklas Lindgren were successful on the Success course, winning both Yellow Fleet races on the opening day of the Men's 470 competition on Monday.

A stunning start in race one by Ridgely Balladares and Chavez Rommel (PHI) was overcome by the Finnish sailors, who took and extended their lead to win 34 seconds ahead of runners-up, Kliger Gideon and Eran Sela (ISR).

Phil Sparks and David Kohler (GBR) took an early lead in race two for the Yellow Fleet but the race was won by Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page with the Lindgren brothers settling for second.

In the Blue Fleet, New Zealand sailors Paul Snow-Hansen and Jason Saunders maintained a strong lead throughout race one, with the real competition occurring for the minor places.

Swedish pair Anton Dahlberg and Sebastian Ostling, Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis (GRE) and France's Pierre Leboucher and Vincent Garos battled throughout the race before finishing second, third and fourth respectively.

While several boats had to be towed out because of light winds ahead of race one, the second round of racing saw an increase in breeze and a light chop.

The last race of the day for Men's 470 Blue Fleet was won by Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell (GBR).

Gabrio Zandona and Pietro Zucchetti (ITA) improved on their previous eighth place to finish second, followed by Sime Fantella and Igor Marenic (CRO).

Women's RS:X

Despite light winds delaying the start of the Women's RS:X competition, the breeze blew in unexpected results for the yellow fleet with World No. 1 Blanca Manchon (ESP) finishing 46th overall with lower than expected finishes in both her races.

Manchon's compatriot Marina Alabau (ESP) fared better, with a third and an 11th place finish putting her in sixth place for the day.

The Chinese Women's RS:X team thrived in the afternoon's light winds, with all four of the country's athletes placing in the top 10 in the Yellow Fleet.

In the Blue Fleet, wins for Lee Korzits (ISR) and Laura Linares (ITA), and solid results in their other race, had the two sailors high in the progressive results.

But Bryony Shaw (GBR) recorded a second and a third to share the overall lead with Korzits.

The Women's RS:X event is scheduled to continue on Tuesday on Centre course at 1230 local time.

#OLYMPIC–Ireland takes its place among the world's sailing nations in Perth, Western Australia this weekend for the start of a two-week long sailing championships that is a do or die regatta for Ireland's Olympic squad intent on competing at the London Olympic regatta next July.

There are high hopes that at least two crews will qualify at the ISAF world championships where over 75% of qualification slots are available. Irish officials say Peter O'Leary and David Burrows in the Star keelboat along with Annalise Murphy in the Laser Radial are not only front runners for qualification next week but also Olympic medal prospects.

There is no question both are consistent top 10 performers at world level. There is no question either of their heavy weather performances and as Perth is famous for its strong winds team insiders say a world class result for Ireland is possible.

Murphy won bronze at the Sail for Gold (a dry run of the Olympic regatta) in August and O'Leary won gold (albeit with a different crew) at the same event in 2010.

In the 49er dinghy Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern are also aiming for the London Games and qualification here is by no means ruled out for the Belfast Lough pair.

Other Irish boats competing in Perth for the London ticket are two times Olympian Ger Owens from Dun Laoghaire now sailing with Howth's Scott Flanigan in the 470 dinghy James Espey will compete in the Laser, while Ross Hamilton will sail in the Finn

First into action on Monday morning will be Hamilton in the Finn. Murphy also has her first race in a 100-strong Laser Radial fleet.

Top international sailors put on a show of strength in Perth's Forrest Place on Friday to help launch the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships.

Several thousand people in the CBD watched as the athletes paraded from Barrack Street jetty to the heart of Perth, where they were warmly welcomed by a team of hosts, including Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett.

The athletes had sailed upriver on Rottnest Island ferries from Fremantle, passing under bridges lined with well-wishers, and paraded through the city past a crowd of cheering locals, all braving the 33C heat.

While the Japanese and Korean teams posed for a combined photograph, the New Zealand men squeezed in some rugby practice in the backdrop.

Onlookers lined the streets as the athletes walked behind their national flags, occasionally cheering and posing for photographs.

They were led by a Royal Australian Navy band — described by the Chief Petty Officer Gabe Kicsak as a "rock band on steroids".

Irish flag bearer Scott Flanagan twisted the flag in his hands as he joked that the Perth heat was nothing compared to Ireland's "tropical climate".

Also in the procession was Hungarian windsurfer Aron Gadorvalvi, who could be seen getting a workout with his toddler daughter's pushchair.

Drifting in and out of the procession during the march were Denmark's athletes stocking up on ice-cream.

Among those in the crowd were Trinity Sale (9) and brother Mitchell (6) cheering on their dad, Australian 49er crewman Marty Sale, who will compete with his skipper Duncan Head.

Trinity, who attends Perth's Rawlinson Primary School, said: "I liked it a lot, especially as my dad was marching."

Forrest Place was awash with colour, flags and cameras small and large as the athletes made their entry.

"The Fremantle Doctor is calling — may you all achieve your dreams," ISAF President Goran Petersson said, referring to the world championships and Olympic selection at stake.

The ceremonial part of the event was opened by three Aboriginal dancers, with Dr Richard Walley on the didgeridoo and performing the traditional Welcome to Country.

The Australian anthem was sung by talented Perth busker, Fiona Mariah, a former contestant on a national television talent show.

Marching for the first time were six nations — Kyrgyzstan, St Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, Cook Islands, Kazakhstan and Montenegro.

The athletes' oath was taken by three-time world champion Marcelien Bos-de-Koning (NED) and the officials' oath by jury chairman Bernard Bonneau.

Perth 2011 chairman Ian Campbell quoted Ernest Hemmingway in his welcome address — from a 1936 magazine article on why people go to sea. "The sea was the last wild place left."

He also quoted at length from a speech made by former USA President John F Kennedy after Australia's challenger Gretel took one race off the American defender Weatherley in the 1962 America's Cup at Newport, Rhode Island.

"It is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean and therefore we have salt in our blood, in our sweat and in our tears.

"We are tied to the ocean and when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came."

Mr Campbell said: "I wish all the athletes lots of sweat, as little blood as possible, and tears of joy as you enjoy the magnificent conditions off Fremantle in the coming weeks."

India's coach Mohit Nautiyal said he was confident in his country's team.

"The Finn is definitely our strongest event," Nautiyal said.

"We are very hopeful for gold but [winning] is not very important. We are here because we enjoy sailing," China's team manager Ye Xiao said.

It was clear that most athletes admired the Perth surroundings.

Michael Hestbaek (DEN), a Star class competitor, said: "I originally came (to the opening ceremony) with the idea to have a sail up the river and see the beautiful and spectacular scenery."

"I'm sure there will be more to come," said the three-time world champion in Laser (2) and 49ers (1).

And on his hopes at Perth 2011: "I expect at least three teams to make the top 10 and hope some will medal. I'm hoping to be one of them."

Athletes then flooded the numerous Perth eateries for lunch before catching a train back to Fremantle.

Ireland's aim of a medal at the Olympic test event got off to a shaky start in Weymouth yesterday when the first of Ireland's six teams took to the water. Annalise Murphy posted a 22 and a 15 to place 18th overall in her 49-boat Laser radial fleet.

After a season of success for Murphy, Peter O'Leary and David Burrows in the Star keelboat and Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern in the 49er dinghy, the hope is that these medal results can be repeated in the smaller fleets of the Olympic test event itself, where only one boat per country is competing.

Ireland is also represented in Weymouth this morning by double Olympian Ger Owens and Scott Flannigan in the 470 dinghy, Ross Hamilton in the Finn and James Espey in the Laser.

Evi Van Acker (BEL) leads the Laser Radial fleet on seven points after recording a card of 3-4. The World #1 Belgian leads Marit Bouwmeester (NED) by five points after the Dutch girl came ninth in Race 1 and third in Race 2. Throughout the ISAF Sailing World Cup there was little separating Van Acker and Bouwmeester as the Dutch girl pipped the Belgian to the Laser Radial title by one point. With plenty of racing remaining the battle between the two is sure to continue.

Tatiana Drozdovskaya (BLR) won the first race of the day in a tight battle with Charlotte Dobson (GBR) and Van Acker (BEL) which saw just five seconds separate the top three. The Belarusian is ninth on 24 points. The second race win went to Finland's Sari Multala who is seventh on 20 points.

Today sees the start of fleet racing for the 49er, Star and Finn fleets as well as the continuation of the Men's and Women's RS:X, Men's and Women's 470, Laser and Laser Radial.

They say timing is everything and Dublin sailor Annalise Murphy admits a place on the podium at last week's Skandia Sail for Gold regatta couldn't have been better scheduled with London 2012 around the corner.

Unlike the majority of her competitors in the Olympic waters in Weymouth last week, Murphy – as the only Irish representative in the Laser Radial class – has her London Olympic berth all-but secured.

But despite that constant comfort Murphy refused to take her foot off the gas at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy last week – ending third overall for her debut ISAF World Cup podium.
And after making personal history Murphy admits her Olympic aspirations are growing by the week.
"I am so happy with that, it is my first time medalling at a World Cup event so it is a pretty big deal," said Murphy.
"And it is really important that this win has come here at the Olympic venue because it means I can perform at this venue and it gives me confidence going forward.
"It gives me a big confidence boost that I really like this venue. I was tenth last year and generally I have done well here and it gives me confidence that I generally do well here heading into the Olympics."
Murphy will have little time to bask in her recent glories with more crucial London 2012 preparation just around the corner with the Olympic test event, also at Weymouth.
And after her success last week the 21-year-old Dubliner has set her sights on repeating the trick when the test event kicks off in August.
"I am back here in a few weeks for the test event," added Murphy. "So hopefully I can have another good performance then and get another good result and get some more momentum.
"Being the only Irish sailor does take a lot of pressure of because, for most countries the national trials mean they are worrying about where the other people they are sailing against are in races.
"But it's really important to get used to the venue and being in Weymouth gives you an idea of what it is going to be like next year.
"It's pretty scary that they are happening so soon but hopefully I'll be as prepared as possible for it after Sail for Gold and the test event."

Another win yesterday to bring the tally to four race wins this week means Annalise Murphy stays in contention for overall honours in the closing stages of the Olympic classes Sail for Gold regatta today and tomorrow. The Dun Laoghaire single-hander is placed third overall in Weymouth.

Ireland's other medal contenders Peter O'Leary and David Burrows slipped back slightly yesterday in the Star keelboat class with two mid-fleet positons and are eighth overall.

A relative calm descended on Weymouth Bay this morning, after the battering from the day before. But there was no less tension or aggression in the racing in Day Four of Skandia Sail for Gold, as the fleets moved into the endgame. The bigger fleets were split into gold and silver fleets for the penultimate two days of racing, before the decisive medal races on Saturday.

In the Laser Radials, Murphy slipped back from her overnight lead to third, after a 13th in the first race, but she wasn't raising the white flag and came back with a win in the second and final race of the day. It was Evi van Acker who posted the best performance of the leading group to go to the top of the table. ISAF Sailing World Cup leader, the Netherland's Marit Bouwmeester remains in second, but now only a point off the lead.

In the Stars, Brazil's multiple Olympic medallist Robert Scheidt and his crew Bruno Prada saw their five point lead over Sweden's Freddy Loof and Max Salminen cut to a single point. Loof and Salminen posted scores of 4, 1 and 2, and Scheidt had to pull out all the stops to win the last race from the charging Swedes and hold onto his overall lead. Poland's Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Dominik Zycki remained steady in third, but 15 points off the lead.

In the 470 Men the overnight leaders, Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page (AUS) and the third-placed French team of Pierre Leboucher and Vincent Garos swopped places, moving around the static, second placed Anton Dahlberg and Sebastian Ostling (SWE). Leboucher and Garos now hold a four point lead from Dahlberg and Ostling, with the Australians another five points adrift.

The Kiwi women, Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie owned the Women's 470 course today with a superb couple of victories that took them past the British pairing of Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark and into the lead. The Brits had their worst day so far with a 16th and an eighth, but held onto second ahead of the Israelis Gil Cohen and Vered Bouskila.

The Gold 49er fleet managed to get in four races and it was the Australian World Champions, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen who turned on the style with two firsts, a fourth and a sixth to take the overall lead. The overnight leaders, Italy's Sibello brothers could post nothing better than an eighth and slipped back to fourth. Skandia Team GBR's John Pink and Rick Peacock held onto second, with France's Stephane Christidis and Peter Hansen moving up from fifth to third.

In the Laser Men the Gold fleet did two races and Britain's overnight leader Nick Thompson had a day he will want to forget with a 32nd and 34th to drop all the way back to ninth. It was left to Australia's World Champion Tom Slingsby to move up to the lead after posting a super consistent 1, 3. Kiwi Andrew Murdoch also had a good day with a first and a fourth and is now just six points behind the leader.  Dutchman Rutger van Schaardenburg is in third, another nine points behind.

It was all change again on the RS:X Mens race course, New Zealand's Jp Tobin and Dutchman Dorian van Rijsselberge both moved back above overnight leader Nick Dempsey (GBR), who slipped back into third. The leading group have a ten point cushion to fourth placed Przemek Miarczynski (POL).

In the RS:X Women, it was Spain's Marina Alabau who mastered the tricky conditions, posting a third and a first to slide past Lee Korzits of Israel and into the lead. Alabau now has a four point lead going into the final day ahead of the medal race split. Zofia Klepacka remained in third nine points behind Korzits.

The Women's Match Racing had a lot of catching up to do after the strong wind and waves curtailed yesterday's racing. It meant an early start and a late finish. The Gold Group was completed along with the Repecharge Round Robin, and so we know tomorrow's quarter final pairs. The Gold Group winners, Sally Barkow, Elizabeth Kratizig-Burnham and Alana O'Reilly from the USA will race against Silja Lehtinen, Silja Kanerva and Mikaela Wulff (FIN). Next up, it will be the second placed team in the Gold Group, Australia's Nicky Souter, Jessica Eastwell and Lucinda Witty to sail against Claire Leroy, Elodie Bertrand and Marie Riou (FRA). Anna Tunnicliffe, Molly Vendemoer and Debbie Capozzi (USA) were third in the Gold Group and will sail against France's Anne-claire Le Berre, Alice Ponsar and Myrtille Ponge. And that leaves Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Kate Macgregor (GBR) against the Netherlands' Mandy Mulder, Annemieke Bes and Merel Witteveen.

The Finn class saw Britain's triple Olympic gold medallist, Ben Ainslie increase his lead over compatriot Giles Scott to 13 points -  despite recording what for Ainslie was an average day's scores of 1, 6, 4. Scott could only manage a 2, 4 and 9 but that was enough to move him from a tie with third placed Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic to a single point lead.

The 2.4mR's raced first on the Paralympic courses, and the leading pair overnight both had an average day. But it was Damien Seguin (FRA) who got the better of his Dutch rival, Thierry Schmitter to snatch the overall lead, while Paul Tingley had a solid day (3, 4) to move up into third and onto the podium ahead of their final day tomorrow.

The SKUDs and Sonars took their turn on the Paralympic course in the afternoon, and the former in particular had some serious sailing to do to catch up with their schedule. So it was well into the evening by the time the SKUDs completed their third race. It was Australia's Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch that showed everyone the way home with three straight bullets. They extended their overall lead to four points ahead of Britain's Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell. Jamie Dunross and Rachael Cox (AUS) remain in third, a further five points behind.

The Sonars also raced three today, and were also out there late – Britain's John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas didn't have a particularly good day with a 5, 8, and 1, but they did enough to hold off the Dutch and French, tied in second. Udo Hessels Marcel van Veen and Mischa Rossen are now four points adrift, tied with the French team of Bruno Jourdren, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont Vicary – all to play for on the final day of racing tomorrow on the Paralympic course.

Racing continues at Skandia Sail for Gold until Saturday. For more information on the event please visit http://www.skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk/2011 or follow us on our Facebook page

Course Tracking: You can follow the tracking on the event website, www.skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk For Smart Phone users please visit www.mobile.tractrac.com

Quotes of the Day

Nathan Outteridge (AUS) - 49er
World Champion and overall leader
It's been really nice, around 14-19 knots for most of the day. There have been little shifts but it's mainly just great speed and handling and being on the right side of the shifts. It's always a mix when we sail here in Weymouth, we've been here the last three years and every year has been something different so the weather is not unsurprising, you just get all the conditions which is good.
Every World Cup event this year is a selection event for us. To get selected we actually have to win one of those regattas. If you win the regatta you are selected for the Olympic team but, if two teams both win an event each it then becomes a subjective decision based on a year or two years' worth of results. We came second at the Delta Lloyd regatta in Holland so we are trying to win this event to try and get the selection out of the way. But, we are just focusing, trying to be consistent and sail well.

Olivia Powrie (NZL) - 470 Woman
Overall leaders
It's been a pretty good day, with good conditions on the water and quite exciting. Pretty good breeze and the waves got a bit bigger as the tides turned. It's been a little bit mixed, probably windier if anything but it's good, we like a breeze to sail in. It's actually pretty similar to sailing back home in New Zealand, the water, the breeze but a much better venue; it's such a good set-up. This is our third year here, so we are getting the hang of it more and more I guess. It's quite tricky; there are a lot of different factors at play so it does make it a bit difficult. I think the 470 class is quite close at the moment, there always seems to be someone new at the regatta and you never quite know who's going to be up there so always exciting.

Vincent Garos (FRA) - 470 Men
Overall leaders
We had strong winds again today so it was hard conditions and very physical. We were very happy with the first race of the day because we won. In the second race we had a lot of pressure on us and we tried to do our best but we had a very bad start and finished 13th.
We are still very happy with where we are overall because tomorrow is the last day before the medal race and we are in the first position. We will have to keep working hard for the rest of the regatta and try to win - we won last year and would love to win again.

Evi Van Acker (BEL) - Laser Radial
Overall leaders
I am feeling pretty good. It has been a great week, with great conditions. It has been pretty windy most of the time mostly from the south-west which I think suits me. We are sailing on a different course to last year and the wind is steadier, we have big waves and it has just been fun sailing. I have managed to do well and sail consistently, I haven't made many big mistakes, a few little ones, but I think that's why I am at the front.
It is pretty cold here this week but in these wind conditions you can't complain! It has been great sailing. I think a few years ago there were just a handful of really competitive girls in this fleet but I think it has become broader and broader, more like the Laser Standard. Depending on the conditions there are different girls that are doing well.
The Irish girl Annalise is going very fast, faster than all of us. She is the one to beat when the winds are strong. Marit from the Netherlands is another who has been sailing really well and is so consistent, and then Sari from Finland really knows how to perform when the pressure is on. We have two days left to go, and I think lighter winds tomorrow, so it is still going to be a tricky regatta.

Rick Peacock (GBR) - 49er
Second overall
Today was a good day for us, there was a good bit of breeze... thought we did ok – we had some good counters and managed to get some top fives so we are happy with that. We spent a lot of time here during the last month which I think has been key to getting used to the conditions. It I think it has made a big difference and has made it a lot more natual to sail here. I wouldn't say it is extra pressure this week but certainly all the talent is here and everyone is raising their game and looking pretty good. It is great competition.

Ben Ainslie (GBR) – Finn
Olympic champion and overall leader
It was a mixed day, we had three races in tough conditions out there and to cap it all off you then have a very long sail back to the harbour, so I'm looking forward to getting some rest. I won the first race but I made a few mistakes in the second two races. I didn't pick the right side on the first beat and I had to battle back and fortunately I did a pretty good job of that. It's hard out there. It has been a very difficult course because it's quite tidal. Overall, I had a good day and with regards to the nearest competition I'm reasonably happy. We've got two more races tomorrow and then the medal race so things are certainly starting to get into the money end of the regatta.

Leonard Ong (SIN) – RS:X Men
Silver fleet
It is really windy here, but the sailing is great – not too choppy and the waves aren't too big so great for sailing. This is my second time in Weymouth and I always enjoy it. For a lot of the sailors here they are looking towards 2012, I am not at that standard but I am definitely looking at 2016 and I know a lot of the other guys here will be too. I am just taking this opportunity to prepare as much as possible and it is great to compete against this standard of sailors. I really admire the Korean sailor (Taehoon Lee), and the sailors like Nick Dempsey (GBR) and Tom Ashley (NZL). Those guys have been doing this for a long time and they are great to watch and learn from.

Provisional Results Day 4: Thursday 9th June

49er  After 10 Races
1. AUS 2- OUTTERIDGE Nathan / JENSEN Iain (34pts)
2. GBR 8- PINK John / PEACOCK Richard (44pts)
3. FRA 4- CHRISTIDIS Stephane / HANSEN Peter (47pts)

470 WOMEN  After 8 Races
1. NZL 75- ALEH Jo / POWRIE Olivia (33pts)
2. GBR 847- MILLS Hannah / CLARK Saskia (43pts)
2. ISR 311- COHEN Gill / BOUSKILA Vered (49pts)

470 MEN  After 8 Races
1. FRA 44- PIERRE Leboucher / VINCENT Garos (26pts)
2. SWE 346- DAHLBERG Anton / OSTLING Sebastian (30pts)
3. AUS 11- BELCHER Matthews / PAGE Malcolm (35pts)

FINN  After 8 races
1. GBR 3- AINSLIE Ben (16pts)
2. GBR 41- SCOTT Giles (29pts)
3. CRO 524- KLJAKOVIC GASPIC Ivan (30pts)

LASER  After 8 Races
1.. AUS 197541- SLINGSBY Tom (18pts)
2. NZL 199218- MURDOCH Andrew (24pts)
3.. NED 192625- VAN SCHAARDENBURG Rutger (33pts)

LASER RADIAL  After 8 Races
1. BEL 197514 VAN ACKER Evi (20pts)
2. NED 200444- BOUWMEESTER Marit (21pts)
3. IRL 199417- MURPHY Annalise (23pts)

STAR  After 8 Races
1. BRA 8255- SCHEIDT Robert / PRADA Bruno (21pts)
2. SWE 8450- LOOF Fredrik /  SALMINEN Max (21pts)
3. POL 8417- KUSZNIEREWICZ Mateusz / ZYCKI Dominik (35pts)

SKUD 18  After 6 Races
1. AUS 47- FITZGIBBON Daniel / TESCH Liesl (6pts)
2. GBR 45- RICKMAN Alexandra / BIRRELL Niki (10pts)
3. AUS 52- DUNROSS Jamie / COX Rachael (15pts)

SONAR  After 8 Races
1. GBR 748- ROBERTSON John / STODEL Hannah / THOMAS Steve (15pts)
2. NED 688- HESSELS Udo / VAN VEEN Marcel/ ROSSEB Mischa (19pts)
3. FRA 840- JOURDREN Bruno / FLAGEUL Eric (19pts)

2.4mR  After 7 Races
1. FRA 13- SEGUIN Damien (15pts)
2. NED 12- SCHMITTER Thierry (18pts)
3. CAN 99- TINGLEY Paul (19pts)

RS:X MEN  After 8 Races
1. NZL 151- TOBIN  JP (17pts)
2. NED 8- VAN RIJSSELBERGE Dorian (20pts)
3. GBR 1- DEMPSEY Nick (20pts)

RS:X WOMEN  After 8 Races
1. ESP 5- ALBAU Marina (16pts)
2. ISR 111- KORZITS Lee (20pts)
3. POL 8- KLEPACKA Zofia (29pts)

MATCH RACING
Gold Group Round Robin
USABarkow / Kratizig-Burnham / O'Reilly 5-0
AUS Souter / Curtis / Price 3-2
USA Tunnicliffe / Vandemoer / Capozzi 3-2
GBR Macgregor / Lush / Macgregor 2-3
NED Mulder / Bes / Witteveen 2-3
FRA Le Berre / Ponsar / Ponge 0-5
Repecharge Round Robin: The following two teams qualified for quarter finals
FRA Leroy / Bertrand / Riou 4-1
FIN Lehtinen / Kanerva / Wulff 4-1

Winds are dropping and we're only at the half way stage of the Sail for Gold Regatta. There can be many a slip between lip and cup. Olympic team manager James O'Callaghan is right to be cautious but yesterday's news that Annalise Murphy produced two wins against the strongest Laser Radial fleet in the world (including a race winning margin of two minutes over the world champion) to lead Sail for Gold overall is a huge lift for Irish sailing.

Both Annalise and Peter O'Leary and David Burrows in the Star are well positioned going into the second half of the regatta lying first and fourth respectively. Agonisingly the 49er pairing of Ed Butler and Ben Lynch missed the cut for Gold fleet by one point yesterday.

Listen in to the rest of the conversation about the Irish team on a bad line from Weymouth...

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The pressure might be off Annalise Murphy at the 2011 Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta, but Afloat.ie's Sailor of the month for May, insists she isn't taking her foot off the pedal writes Ben Baker. 

While hundreds of other boats fight tooth and nail to get their foot in the door for a London 2012 place at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, Murphy can rest safe in the knowledge that she will be there as she is the only Irish representative in the Laser Radial class.

But despite ploughing a lonely furrow on England's south coast, the 21-year-old is making sure people sit up and take notice – sitting 15th overall with finishes of first, second and fourth to put a nightmare opening race placing of 33rd firmly behind her.

And with Sail for Gold taking place on the same waters as London 2012, Murphy is delighted to get some inside knowledge ahead of her biggest challenge in just over a year's time.

"This is the Irish trials but it's not so important for me because I'm the only one," said Murphy.
"It takes a lot of pressure of because, for most countries the national trials mean they are worrying about where the other people they are sailing against are in races.

"I don't have anything to worry about, I'm just going out and enjoying myself and not getting caught up in it.
"It's really important to get used to the venue and being here gives you an idea of what it is going to be like next year.

"It's pretty scary that they are happening so soon but hopefully I'll be as prepared as possible for it."

 

Two black flag penalties in both of this morning's races will dash any hope of a podium finish for Dun Laoghaire's Annalise Murphy, last night's overall leader of the Delta Lloyd regatta in Holland. After five races in the Olympic Laser Radial fleet Murphy had a winning margin of one point but after seven races the Irish hope for London had plunged to 19th overall. More as we have it.