Russian Match Racers Dominate during the opening days in Weymouth
Russia’s Ekaterina Skudina maintained her 100% record in the Women’s Match Racing competition after another light wind day at the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, the London 2012 Olympic Test Event.
Skudina won gold at Kieler-Woche and narrowly missed out on a top three spot in the ISAF Sailing World Cup series by virtue of podium places with Sally Barkow pipping her to third spot. But the Russian has been in fantastic form since she got to Weymouth brushing Anna Kjellberg (SWE), Olivia Price (AUS), Rita Goncalves (POR) and Silja Lehtinen (FIN) aside today to be the only match racer to head into the last day of the Round Robin with a perfect record.
Lehtinen entered the second day of racing with a 100% record but she was defeated in her first race of the day by the in-form Skudina. Nonetheless the Finnish sailor went on to defeat Sally Barkow (USA), Lotte Meldgaard (DEN) and Claire Leroy (FRA) to head into the third days sailing and the final day of the Women’s Match Racing Round Robins with a 7-1 record.
Great Britain’s Lucy Macgregor bounced back following a disappointing opening day which saw the Brit win one out of four races. But on day two Macgregor, sailing with Annie Lush and Kate Macgregor, won all four of her races to move back into the mixer for a Quarter Final place.
Sally Barkow (USA) and Mandy Mulder (NED) won three races each and lost the other on the second day. Barkow has a record of 5-2 and Mulder sits 5-3 having raced an extra race after the final flight on day one was postponed until day three.
The Women’s Match Racing Round Robins conclude on Thurdsday as the eight Quarter Finalists are decided. The Men’s and Women’s RS:X sailors start the fleet racing action with two races scheduled to start at 12:00 local time.
The Laser, Laser Radial and Men’s and Women’s 470 fleets also take to the water on Thursday for their practice races.