It had been hoped to provide three races today (Thursday) at the Optimist Worlds 2021, but increasingly unstable weather over Lake Garda saw only one completed. In flukey conditions, with the wind drawing from the north for the first time in the 9-day championship - and ominously doing so against a storm approaching from the south - Ireland’s Rocco Wright was one of many in the 289-strong fleet whose overall placing suffered, and his overnight overall ranking of 9th has become 20th with a 55th recorded by the time the one race today finished.
Overnight leader Gil Hackel (USA) also suffered, but not to the same extent, and his 25th of today becomes his discard in an otherwise formidable scoreline of one first, four seconds, a fourth and a ninth. This gives him all the makings of a consistent well-assembled series provided he can keep it steady throughout tomorrow (Friday) - quite a challenge, as the Race Officers hope to put through three more races to complete the championship, a tough proposition for these young and very young sailors.
Brazil’s Alex di Francesco Kuhl was today’s star to take the bullet, confirming him in second slot overall behind Hackel, with overnight second-placed Weka Bhandubandh of Thailand going down to third, as he was with Rocco in the crab grass to slide across in 45fth place, providing an unusually harsh blast of a different reality for someone whose scoreline includes three firsts.
