Laser Senior Worlds 12 - 20 September 2006

Report:  Day 3

Wet 'n' Wild

An early start to racing on the third day of the Jeju Laser World Championship was rewarding for both race committee and competitors when they were able to catch up one lost race in the programme and complete two further races before heavy rain killed the 23 knot easterly winds just after midday.

It was also rewarding for Giles Scott GBR and Tom Slingsby AUS who both won all three races in their respective fleets in testing conditions.

In yellow fleet Slingsby said of racing today "Downwind it is pretty much survival just stay upright then try and attack on the beat. I love the conditions so I can't complain". In the first race a rain squall passed through the racing area. Slingsby, was dominant from the start of the first race when he started at the port end and then crossed the fleet after 2 minutes to win by a comfortable margin from Thomas LeBreton FRA and Johan Wigforss SWE. In the same fleet 2003 World Champion Gustavo Lima POR finished 2nd and 3rd in
the next two races after dropping from third to seventh in the last beat of the first race. Moving to fourth overall he commented "the racing is very physically tough but I had
a good day and there is a long way to go in this Championship"

The blue fleet was dominated by Giles Scott GBR who said "I am over the moon. I never expected to win the races. I started at the committee boat end of the line and
was able to hold my lane and with good speed to be amongst the leaders at the first mark and was then able to work through to win."

Sydney bronze medallist, Michael Blackburn AUS finished second in the first race despite having a capsize on the downwind leg with Rasmus Myrgen SWE third.

In the second race Andrew Murdoch NZL rounded the first mark second behind Scott but was unable to pass him. Blackburn consolidated his position in the regatta by taking third after a poor start due to a bad wave just seconds before the start.

In the third race Mathias Del Solar CHI lead at the first mark but lost his lead on the second downwind leg to Scott and Blackburn and then was involved in an incident at the downwind mark with Murdoch that resulted in Del Solar receiving a 30% penalty after an arbitration hearing.

Racing has again been re-scheduled for a 9.00am start on Saturday. With typhoon ShanShan forecast to pass between to the east of Jeju between Korea and Japan on Sunday racing is unlikely to take place on Sunday as the harbours are closed and boats evacuated to safe a place.

Overall results after 4 races without discard:

1. Tom Slingsby AUS 4pts
2. Michael Blackburn AUS 8pts
3. Giles Scott GBR 14pts
4. Gustavo Lima POR 18pts
5. Mate Arapov CRO 21pts
6. Andrew Murdoch NZL 22pts
7. Rasmus Myrgen SWE 24pts
8. Adonis Bougiouris GRE 25pts
9. Mike Leigh CAN 27pts
10. Johan Wigforss SWE 30pts

Full results: www.laserinternational.org

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