The second day of racing for the 2.4mR and Sonar at the Paralympic on the Saronic Gulf, Athens yesterday was sailed in tricky conditions which led to mixed results for the British team.

Racing took place in 7-14 knots of wind and it was mixed fortune for the Team GB sailors. Allan Smith had the best day for the team in the 2.4mR class. He crossed the line in seventh place in the first race of the day which he followed up with a sixth. This consistent result sees him move up to eighth place overall.

Smith said: “It is really good to be competitive in the shifty, testing conditions that we experienced today.”

Two first places for American Thomas Brown places him first overall, three points in front of young Frenchman Damien Seguin.

In the three-person Sonar class the British team of John Robertson, Stephen Thomas and Hannah Stodel did not have much luck on day two. They finished the first race of the day in ninth place overall and in an attempt to get to the front of the fleet in the second race they jumped the gun and started prematurely which left them with maximum points. This places the team tenth overall after four races.

Robertson commented: “We have been sailing well but lady luck is not smiling on us so far this week, hopefully this will change.”

John Ross-Duggan, Jean-Paul Creignou and Bradley Johnson of America currently lead the Sonar class by six points from Australians Jamie Dunross, Jeff Milligan and Colin Harrison.

Today sees a rest day for the 2.4mR class whilst the Sonar will be back out in action to complete races five and six. The sailing events conclude on Thursday 23 September.

Results (day two)

Sonar

1, John Ross-Duggan/Jean-Paul Creignou/Bradley Johnson, USA (3,1,3,6) 13 pts

2, Jamie Dunross/Jeff Milligan/Colin Harrison, AUS (2,6,6,5) 19 pts

3, Udo Hessels/Macel Van De Veen/Mischa Rossen, NED (6,4,5,4) 19 pts

GB

10, John Robertson/Stephen Thomas/Hannah Stodel (11,2,9,OCS) 38 pts

2.4mR

1, Thomas Brown, USA (4,2,1,1) 8 pts

2, Damien Seguin, FRA (1,1,4,5) 11 pts

3, Heiko Kroeger, GER (2,4,3,3) 12 pts

GB

8, Allan Smith (9,10,7,6) 32 pts