The third day in the International 8 Metre Class Centennial World Championship at the Royal Northern and Clyde YC saw seven-times world champion Gefion from Canada win the first race of the day.

After a long postponement due to lack of breeze the first race of the day started in a 5kt northerly.

Gefion led at the first mark followed by Hollandia and the two Swiss boats Aluette and Yquem.

After a course change due to a wind shift to the east, at the next weather mark Gefion was still in the lead, then Hollandia and Aluette, with Lafayette in fourth place, having improved from fifth. This remained the order at the finish. Aluette, however, was disqualified for a premature start. First of the classic boats was Anne Sophie from Germany.

The second race of the day started in 7 to 8 knots of wind. On the first leg Gefion went up the left-hand side of course, the rest of the fleet going right.

First to the weather mark was Aluette, followed by Yquem then Hollandia and Lafayette. Lafayette then overtook Hollandia round the mark. On the next leg Aluette extended her lead. Second at the leeward mark was Yquem with Lafayette and Gefion immediately behind.

On the last two legs of the race, Aluette maintained her lead to the finish. After several place changes in a tricky shifting breeze, the boats were barely able to hold spinnakers on the final downwind leg. Yquem finished second, followed by Gefion and Lafayette.

After an exciting tussle involving several boats over the last hundred yards of the race, the German boat, Wyvern, in 6th place in the fleet, was first of the classic boats.

Lafayette, skippered by the host club’s Allan Manuel remains in the lead overall, despite a disappointing day in the lighter conditions.