Day 2 - 6 December 2006



In Brief:

Bundock/Ashby score 4, 2
Bundock/Ashby second overall
Breeze 10-12 knots
Hagara leads regatta by 1 point after scoring 1,3

In Detail:

Race 3 saw 10 knots at the start of the race and it was Olympic Gold Medallist Roman Hagara that got the best start at the bottom end of the line and came in from the favoured left hand side of the course to lead first around the first mark. all the leaders extended on the rest of the fleet with out many positions changing in the leading group. It was Roman Hagara first from second place of RUS Andrey Kirilyuk & Valery Ushkov, then the Spanish Toni Rivas & Fabian Escude, from the Australians Darren Bundock & Glenn Ashby who finished third and fourth consecutively.

Race 4 saw the starting line crowded at the top end of the line. This drew a few casualties with a number of boats hitting the starting boat. The French #3 in the world hit the starting boat and caused enough damage to there boat they had to retire.

However, the leaders came from the bottom end of the line once again as the breeze when slightly left up the first upwind. The French Billy Besson & Arnaud Jarlegan were the leaders this time and the fleet stayed close together for two upwinds. The French increased their lead on the second downwind and had no problems taking the winning bullet. The Aussies Darren Bundock & Glenn Ashby were second passing AUT Roman Hagara & Hans Peter Steinacher on the last downwind. Hagara/Steinacher move to first overall by one point over Bundock/Ashby.

" We decided to start clean at the pin, together with the Australians, and that made all the difference", explained the winner of the race French Billy Besson. The French have jumped up to 4th overall.

The Argentineans Bronze Medallists Santiago Lange & Carlos Espinola, made a come back through out the race and crossed the line in 4th, after an exciting finish head to head with Quingdao winners French Olivier Backes & Paul Ambroise Sevestre.

After a consistent performance in yesterday's races, French team Xavier Revil & Christophe Espagnon had a difficult day with a 22nd and a 24th and are now 7th overall.