Sailing Magazine
pic by Pedro Martinez/Sailing Energy/World Sailing
by Richard Crockett
After a stunning opening first race which the RSA pairing of Asenathi Jim and Roger Hudson won, day two ended up a frustrating affair with ultra-light winds and results the two ‘Japies’ would be annoyed about.
It was all about the pressure – wind pressure that is as racing took place in conditions which were on the edge of being unsailable. With so little pressure one has to pay attention and stay focussed ALL the time.
It was the experienced Men’s 470 teams that rose to the top, with the top five teams in the overall standings after three races each featuring at least one former Olympian.
Our guys finished with a 9 and an OCS – that OCS being something they will be particularly displeased about so early on. But with racing going through until Saturday, one hopes that they will be able to discard it, while scoring good single-digit results for the remaining races.
All is not lost as they lie 4th overall, but this is a tight and highly talented fleet – and ‘blips’ in their results simply don’t cut it. Yet our guys are resilient and focussed and they will bounce back.
