Annalise Murphy has sailed into second overall after two more tricky Rio races today. After an opening Olympic Radial race win yesterday and a 13th scored in race two, she started today with a well earned fourth in race three and this afternoon added a seventh in race four but it might have been even better for the Dublin yachtswoman who briefly lead the final race of the day.
Annalise ascended the rankings after a good day on the innermost Ponte course in Rio's Guanabara Bay. With the discard kicking after three races, China's Lijia Xu was able to discount her disqualification in Race 1, posting the day's best score of 3, 1 to lead by five points from Murphy in second with Denmark's Anne Marie Rindom in bronze, 2 points further back.
While second overall after four races shows a very consistent performance, Annalise will rue the loss of five places in the latter half of the fourth race, slipping from 2nd to 7th at the finish.
After some very tricky sailing over the past two days, the Irish solo sailor is coping well with Rio's notoriously fickle breezes that have so far, at least, blown into double digits for the world renowned Irish 'Breeze Queen'. There is no doubt Annalise is making the very best of the conditions that have been presented to her on the opening two days of the regatta.
The National Yacht Club sailor is making good on a prediction she made earlier this year where she included herself in a line up of eight of the girls who have the potential to medal in Rio.
Murphy has been in Rio at least ten times prior to the Games and only a fortnight ago won Rio de Janeiro International Sailing Week at the venue in similar conditions to today. It was obviously a pre–Olympic tonic in an otherwise fallow run of international results for the Irish sailing star.
This has been a brilliant start for Annalise and Irish sailing, especially after the disappointment of London four years ago, but there is a long way to go with six races to come over the next four days.
Annalise will be out on the Copacabana course which is outside the bay at sea. Tidal conditions and breeze will present a completely different scenario to anything on the first two days which will make for more very interesting racing.
On the Men's course, Ireland's Finn Lynch, scored 15 and 40 to lie 24th overall. Argentina leads, with Croatia 2nd and New Zealand third.
Weather
The fresh breeze started the day in the south-south east and gradually veered to the south-south west maintaining a fairly steady pressure close to 12 knots during the race period. Tomorrow, when the Lasers race off the Copacabana beach, will see some showers, cooler temperatures and lighter winds.
Elsewhere
Britain's Nick Dempsey is dominating the RS:X men's board, posting three 1sts, a 2nd and a 4th, while in the female RS:X, Italy is one place ahead of France in RS:X women
Schedule
The Boards have a day off Wednesday, while Lasers and Radials race their fifth and sixth races. The 470s and multihulls get their regatta under way on Wednesday.
Annalise and Finn are back on the water for Race 5 at 5.15pm Irish time tomorrow before Race 6 at approximately 6.40pm. Thursday is a rest/reserve day for the two Laser events. Both the skiff events for men and women begin on Friday when all four of Ireland’s sailors are in action.
Laser Men
1. Julio Alsogaray, ARG, 7
2. Tonci Stipanovic, CRO, 13
3. Sam Meech, NZL, 14
Full results: https://www.rio2016.com/en/
Laser Radial Men
1. Lijia Xu, CHN, 7
2. Annalise Murphy, IRL, 12
3. Tuula Tenkanen, FIN, 13.3
Full results: https://www.rio2016.com/en/