3 more races despite a postponement until 1400 as rain and very light variable winds delayed action on day 4. [more]
Today’s format saw all divisions starting together on the “pulsar” course – short race, 8-10 minutes, reaching start followed by downwind slalom and a final beat to windward. The mass start was close to the beach, as was the finish, affording spectators a great view of an easy to follow race.
Stand out sailor today was Marina Alabau (Spain) , 2012 Olympic Gold medallist who won all three races today – which puts her only 2 points adrift of the leader Hei Man Chan (Hong Kong) who was her usual consistent self today. Brit Bryony Shaw has been nudged down into third place but again only two points behind Marina. Quite a battle between these three girls who are way ahead of their nearest rival on the leaderboard.
In the Espoirs, Chun Tin Lee is clinging on to the top spot by the narrowest of margins as Lok Yiu To has tightened the gap to just one point behind! With only one day to go with a possible three races there is no doubt that one of these two will win this competition but it will be an exciting finish.
Over in the men’s division every race had a different winner – Indonesian Micah Sampeian will be stoked to take the bullet for the last race of the day – but Philippino Geylord Coveta is holding on to the top spot, still 4 points clear of Chang Hao. Yuta Nagano has managed to knock Ryutaro Kinjo off the podium but there is quite a battle going on for bronze with Kiichiro Hirata also in contention.
Titles will be won or lost on day 5! RS:One_Championship Rules dictate that scoring follows all the laws of the RRS Windsurfing Competition Rules “except there shall be no discards”! So, it’s critical that nobody loses their nerve and makes an error – one false start for example could mean a disastrous end to someone’s championship!
Great racing on day 3 of the Boracay RS:One World Championships
A strong offshore breeze greeted the race committee and competitors as they arrived at the beach front of Boracay Regency Resort & Spa this morning.[more]
With strong winds forecast to last all day the decision was made to run slalom racing over a “figure of 8” course set as close to the beach as possible.
The strong winds, gusting up to 33 knots, and never less than 19 knots, delivered exciting racing with some spectacular “wipe-outs” thrown into the mix!
The format and conditions presented challenging conditions for the racers and great entertainment for the spectators.
Racer of the day was Chang Hao from Taipei, winning all three races in the men’s division, which moved him closer to the leader, Geylord Coveta from the Philippines, in the overall rankings.
In the women’s division it was 3 races, each with a different winner; but a consistant performance from Hei Man Chan from Hong Kong ensured she kept her lead over Bryony Shaw and Marina Alabau.
It was a similar situation in the Men’s Espoir (under 22) division- with three different race winners. However, Chun Ting Lee from Hong Kong, was one of those winners and enabled him to maintain his overnight lead.
Results after 8 races / Day Three Photos
