A true test

A light winds start to the day but a promising forecast

Largs and the Clyde estuary seems determined to present a true test for world championships competitors, race officers, event management teams and the huge army of volunteers, all working hard to make sure that everything that can be done is done to ensure these Laser Radial World Championships are a big success.

While the early start time of 1130hrs was set to try and get three races in, it was a slow and fairly windless start to the day around the seafront and the regatta venue.

The forecast reckons on easterly breezes again today with 4-10kts in the morning but  12-15kts in the afternoon. Once more in this offshore breeze there are usually big differences in wind pressure and big shifts in wind direction, but competitors do seem to be getting used to that now.

The weather may be proving to be testing but the cream has risen so far, as shown by the fact there are four current or past world champions in the top five in the Women's fleet with Sari Multala (FIN) the current champion still on top of the leaderboard by seven points from Marit Bouwmeester (NED). America's 2005 World Champion Paige Railey lies third, 2008 champion Sarah Steyaert (FRA) is fourth and Belarus' 2007 champion Tatiana Drozdovskaya is fifth.
Bouwmeester is still the only sailor in the Women's fleet to have kept all of her scores inside the top ten.

13/7/2010 12:22