In spite of a tough day on the water, results of 7,5 were enough for Nick Dempsey to maintain his overall lead in the RS:X windsurfing event, where he’s now four points ahead of the second placed Julien Bontemps of France.
“It was a really tough day today,” explained the reigning World Champion, who celebrates his 30th birthday tomorrow (Friday).
“Normally gold fleet racing is pretty tough but then you throw in some new conditions and it was really difficult. The race officer set a pretty difficult startline so it puts a bit more risk into it all and makes it hard to get off the line with a safe start.
“It was a solid day, I’m pretty happy. When it’s like that, it’s just a case of limiting the losses a little bit. You’ve just got to be patient.
“I was hoping for some light winds to mix it up a little bit,” Dempsey continued, “but it doesn’t matter what you want – it’s what you get and you have to do it in whatever you get. That’s what we strive to do.”
Bryony Shaw is one point off the podium positions in the RS:X women’s event.
The Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta continues on Friday 13 August. Racing for the Paralympic classes concludes on Friday, with the final 10-boat medal races for the Olympic classes scheduled for Saturday 14 August.
For the latest news and information, visit www.skandiateamgbr.com or follow us on Twitter (@skandiateamgbr) for updates during the regatta.