Israel’s Nimrod Mashich heads the leaderboard after four races in Men’s RS:X at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships with two top ranked Polish sailors, including the world No. 1, just four points astern.

Blue fleet

The second day of the RS:X races began with Dorian van Rijsselberghe (NED) leading a good distance ahead of the blue fleet in race 3, until a lapse of attention led him off track.

Dropping from a clear first place down to seventh after the third marker, he wound up in 15^th position. Rijsselberghe redeemed himself in race 4 however, coming first, 15 seconds ahead of Tom Ashley (NZL).

Race 3 went to Zachary Plavsic (CAN), the first win at the Perth 2011 World Championships for the Canadian RS:X team.

“It is definitely rewarding,” he said. Plavsic placed 11^th in race 4, explaining “It’s a game of snakes and ladders out there.”

Race 4 saw a change of course to a slalom configuration as winds crept up to 20 knots.

Despite putting up a good fight, Nicholas Dempsey (GBR) placed 13^th and 5th. “I should have won,” he said.  “I had to keep stopping because of the seaweed. The conditions aren’t great either. The wind died after being pretty thick at the top and I watched them all sail past me.”

Yellow fleet

Prezemyslaw Miarczynski (POL) won race 3 today, however Nimrod Mashich (ISR) maintained his overall number one position by placing second, and winning race 4.

Mashich said: “Today was really good for my confidence and now I’m relaxed and ready to focus on the next few days.”

“Israel is doing really well in the RS:X and the 470s,” he continued. “We have a big history in our country for windsurfing. We have a big base for training and now, even though we are young, we have a good foundation.”

When asked what was driving him, he said. “I just really, really, really want to win!”

Full results: www.perth2011.com/results