Qingdao wind whispers on day three

Three days into sailing’s 2007 Olympic Test Event, the original race schedule has been thrown into further disarray after more light winds dogged the 2008 Olympic waters in Qingdao, China, on Friday (17 August).

The 400 sailors competing across the 11 Olympic classes waited patiently on the shore for the weak winds to build across Fushan Bay, but with the weather buoys registering just two knots by the scheduled start time the prospect of racing looked very slim, and by 1600 hours race officials had given up any hope of racing and returned to shore.

With similar, if not even lighter conditions expected on Saturday, sailors and event organisers alike face the prospect of heading into the second half of the regatta having completed less than a quarter of the race schedule in some classes.

“One of our big concerns coming here was just making sure that actually we got enough racing in,” said Olympic Manager Stephen Park.  “I’m confident that if we have a decent series of races then even in light winds the best sailors will come to the top and hopefully that will be Skandia Team GBR.

“If we only have a few races in the series, which is actually possible here in China, then the amount of luck that plays a part in the results could be increased dramatically – if the luck’s with you then that’s great but if it’s not then that means the results could look very different to what we’d anticipated.”

With no racing, the regatta results remain unchanged from Thursday.  Skandia Team GBR top the leaderboard in five classes, with double Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie in the Finn class, Yngling World Champions Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson, Laser European Champion Paul Goodison, RS:X windsurfer Bryony Shaw and Athens silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield in the 470 all leading their respective fleets.

Racing at the 2007 Olympic Test Event is scheduled through to Thursday 23 August.

2007 Qingdao International Regatta (Olympic Test Event)

Results after 2 races (3 races for 49er and 470 Women)

Finn

1. Ben Ainslie, GBR (3pts)

2. Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic, CRO (6pts)

3. Gasper Vincenc, SLO (8pts)

Yngling

1. Sarah Ayton-Sarah Webb-Pippa Wilson, GBR (3pts)

2. Sally Barkow-Carrie Howe-Debbie Capozzi, USA (4pts)

3. Renee Groeneveld-Annemieke Bess-Marije Kampen, NED (6pts)

Laser

1. Paul Goodison, GBR (7pts)

2. Maciej Grabowski, POL (9pts)

3. Michael Leigh, CAN (10pts)

Laser Radial

1. Evi Van Acker, BEL (3pts)

2. Jo Aleh, NZL (10pts)

3. Lisa Ross, CAN (10pts)

GBR

23. Charlotte Dobson (40pts)

49er

1. Iker Martinez-Xavier Fernandez, ESP (5pts)

2. Athanasios Pachoumas-Athanasios Siouzios, GRE (14pts)

3. Jorge Lima-Francisco Andrade, POR (15pts)

GBR

9. Stevie Morrison-Ben Rhodes (29pts)

470 Men

1. Nick Rogers-Joe Glanfield, GBR (9pts)

2. Sime Fantela-Igor Marenic, CRO (12pts)

3. Nathan Wilmot-Malcolm Page, AUS (14pts)

470 Women

1. Therese Torgersson-Vendele Zachrisson, SWE (7pts)

2. AI Kondo-Naoko Kamata, JPN (12pts)

3. Elsie Rechichi-Tess Parkinson, AUS (14pts)

GBR

19. Christina Bassadone-Saskia Clark (50pts)

Star

1.Xavier Rohart-Pascal Rambeau, FRA (6pts)

2. Robert Scheidt-Bruno Prada, BRA (7pts)

3. Flavio Marazzi-Christoph Christen, SUI (8pts)

GBR

7. Iain Percy-Andrew Simpson (14pts)

Tornado

1. Roman Hagara-Hans Peter Steinacher, AUT (5pts)

2. Johannes Polgar-Flarian Spalteholz, GER (6pts)

3. Darren Bundock-Glenn Ashby, AUS (10pts)

GBR

6. Leigh McMillan-Will Howden (11pts)

For more news and information from the event, visit http://www.skandiateamgbr.com/events/olytest/olytest.htm