After long delays waiting for wind, racing got underway for the Stars at 16:20 Qingdao time in nine knots of wind.
O'Leary was quick to assert himself in the fleet, rounding the top mark of the windward-leeward course in sixth. By the end of the run, O'Leary/Milne had dropped a place, and the inside the top seven began to shuffle unpredictably as a pack separated itself from the racers in eighth and below.
While Percy and Simpson slid from third, O'Leary and Milne picked up a place on the last run to finish sixth.
O'Leary and Milne's selection for the games was a controversial one, sparking seveal appeals and much acrimonious debate over the merits of the subjective selection process used by the ISA. An early result like this one will certainly put the critics on hold, at least for the time being, as everyone waits to see how consistent the pair can be.
With the likes of Owens/Lawton posting race wins and good results in the Star class, mood in the Irish camp is likely to be buoyant this evening, and the results show it. Ciara Peelo has found her form in the Laser Radial class, posting a seventh today, which elevates her to 15th overall. Tim Goodbody also posted a respectable 15th in the Finn class, with Ger Owens and Phil Lawton finishing 21st in the 470s today, a result that pushes them further away from the top ten and the medal race. With three races yet to be sailed, they now lie in 14th position, eighteen points adrift of the top ten.
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