Ainslie moves ahead

Robert Deaves (in 53rd place) describes yesterdays racing at the Finn Gold Cup

The Finn Gold Cup in Rio de Janeiro saw two more races yesterday in superb conditions in Guanabara Bay with fresh winds and great waves. A win in race 5 and a 12th in race 6 saw Ben Ainslie (GBR) move into a 7 point lead over Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) with just three races to go. David Burrows (IRL) moved up to 3rd after some consistent races.

Race five got underway in 8 to 10 knots of breeze in a warm north-east wind. The windward leeward course was set and most sailors started down near the pin end. The majority of the fleet headed towards the left of the course. Sebastian Godefroid (BEL) and Ben Ainslie (GBR) moved towards the right and then tacked back to the left. These two rounded the top mark first and second followed by Rafael Trujillo Villar (ESP, Ali Enver Adakan (TUR).....stop! You don't want to know all that. I mean we are in Rio. It's two days to the carnival, the sun is out, it's 30 plus degrees, the wind is blowing, the water is sparkling and there are some great waves to surf down. What more could a Finn sailor want out of life?

The scene is awesome. The cloud has cleared giving a great view of the Sugar Loaf, Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado, Cococabana beach and some really impressive mountains behind. The mere mention of the romantic names of places in Rio conjures up a life on the beach, of beautiful people, partying, girls, sand and awesome scenery. Do you really want to know who rounded what mark in what order? I guess you do...

Ah hmm..to continue...and Anthony Nossiter (AUS). The overnight leader, Mateusz Kusznierewicz was struggling somewhere in the mid-20s. The leaders split gybes on the first downwind with Ainslie going to the left and Godefroid heading right. The top sailors were in their element now as the wind increased allowing them to show off their great pumping and surfing skills - under the ever watchful eye of the Jury of course. Godefroid rounded the gate in the lead but went wrong up the second beat to let Ainslie through to the lead which he held to the finish. Godefroid eventually finished 4th behind Ali Enver Adakan and Sander Willems (NED).

One of the most experienced sailors in the fleet, Sebastian has been sailing Finns for 14 years and will step out of his hiking pants after the Olympics in Athens this summer. Not doing quite as well as he expected here Sebbe spent the winter months sail testing, however it didn't’t quite go according to plan. “When we put together this new sail we sailed every day in a large swell and 7 to 8 knots. In Rio until today we have had flat water, so I am lacking a bit of speed.” On his plans after the summer, Sebbe says, “I am planning to go into the Tornado after the Olympics. I got a taste for speed without too much effort sailing the trimarans and also really liked the teamwork that’s involved. If you sail Finns for so long, it can get a bit boring, so it’s good to sail other boats for a change.” Tucking into a big sandwich he continues, “I am also doing some triathlons, the first one is is September, straight after the Games, but it should help me lose some weight for the Tornado.”

Race six started in 12-15 knots and for the first time in the regatta the traditional Olympic course was used with an upwind finish. After one general recall, the pin end marker was moved and many boats opted to start at the committee boat, Ainslie among them. However shortly after the start the wind shifted back and left those at the starboard end with some catching up to do. The majority of the fleet headed left again and at the top mark it was Guillaume Florent (FRA) leading Rafael Trujillo Villar, Emilios Papathanisiou (GRE), Balazs Hadju (HUN), Anthony Nossiter (AUS), Jonas Hoegh Christensen (DEN) and Andrew Simpson (GBR). Ainslie was somewhere in the 30s and had a lot of work to do.

Large waves and an increased wind facilitated two fantastic reaches, but it was still Florent at the leeward mark ahead of Trujillo and Papathansaiou. The fleet virtually all banged left again on the second beat. Papathanasiou emerged round the top mark in the lead followed by Florent and Trujillo. Positions remained the same on the run and the final beat, with Simpson moving up to fourth.

With a bad result apiece today, the top two from yesterday, Ainslie and Kusznierewicz, swapped positions going into the penultimate day. David Burrows is just 5 points behind the Pole and this group are 11 points ahead of the chasing group. It could be an interesting day as positions 4 through to 10 are separated by just 6 points, so tomorrow will be very important for some.

After racing Ainslie commented, "In the first race I got it just about right. I started at the pin end, rounded the top mark in second place and then moved into the lead on the final run. In the second race, after the general recall, they moved the pin end mark and I made a mistake by deciding to start by the committee boat. Anyway, soon after the start the wind shifted back, and those who started at the pin crossed me by miles. I rounded the top mark in the 30s, but managed to pull up a lot offwind and a few on the final beat, so I am reasonably happy with a 12th."

One other person who should be mentioned is David Howlett, the GBR coach here. Now David keeps an close eye on his boys and makes sure they all know what is going on and gives them every assistance - even going as far as giving some good advice on the odd occasion. So imagine the reaction when coming alongside your beleaguered author, who expected a tow in after a hard days racing, he comes up with, “You’re the kind of person who is always saying they don’t sail enough, so here’s your big opportunity.” And with that he roars off back to the club. To add insult to injury, on the way out to the race course today, he comes alongside in a similarly jocular tone (hey very funny!) and comments, “I would give you a tow but you need the practice!” And roars off again in a cloud of spray. Great advice if ever any was needed…

Three more races are still to be sailed in this championship, two today and one Friday.

	Country	Skipper	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	With Discard
1	GBR	Ben Ainslie	5	17	3	6	1	12	27,0
2	POL	Mateuzs Kuzsneirewicz	3	16	7	2	27	6	34,0
3	IRL	David Burrows	33	7	11	9	7	5	39,0
4	CAN	Richard Clarke	11	4	19	11	12	13	51,0
5	CRO	Karlo Kuret	6	13	17	7	9	21	52,0
6	FRA	Guillaume Florent	19	1	53	26	6	2	54,0
7	ESP	Rafael Trujillo Uillar	45	37	6	3	5	3	54,0
8	DEN	Jonas Hogh-Christensen	4	10	9	BFD	22	10	55,0
9	GBR	Andrew Simpson	20	36	16	1*	14	4	56,0
10	NED	Sander E. Willems	17	2	1	34	3	43	57,0
11	CRO	Marin Misura	37	6	2	20	13	20	61,0
12	BEL	Sebastian Godefroid	24	3	20	BFD	4	14	65,0
13	TUR	Ali Enves Adakan	18	34	22	16	2	9	67,0
14	AUS	Anthony Nossites	30	14	23	5	21	7	70,0
15	SLO	Gasper Vincec	44	12	18	13	11	17	71,0
16	BRA	João Signorini	21	21	8	10	20	15	74,0
17	BRA	Bruno Prada	7	DSQ	15	8	15	34	79,0
18	GBR	Charlie Cumbley	8	11	12	25	24	25	80,0
19	NED	Jaap Zielhuis	2	8	29	19	23	41	81,0
20	DEN	Soren Holm	15	9	25	14	19	24	81,0
21	NZL	Dean Barker	32	5	44	27	8	11	83,0
22	NED	Stefan de Vries	9	20	24	15	17	28	85,0
23	CZE	Michael Maier	1	28	14	38	18	30	91,0
24	GRE	Emilios Papathanasiou	16	31	27	22	DNF	1	97,0
25	POL	Waclaw Szukiel	27	23	4	17	29	33	100,0
26	ARG	Alejandro Colla	41	40	10	4	32	22	108,0
27	HUN	Balazs Hajdu	23	38	38	18	25	8	112,0
28	GBR	Matt Howard	25	25	13	23	26	29	112,0
29	FRA	Bruno Ismael	26	33	36	24	10	23	116,0
30	SUI	Bruger Christoph	31	24	30	36	16	18	119,0
31	ITA	Michele Marchesine	12	42	33	31	28	27	131,0
32	CAN	Christopher Cook	DNF	18	37	21	31	26	133,0
33	SUI	Othmar Mueller Von Blumenvon	28	39	5	39	30	35	137,0
34	SWE	Johan Tillander	14	35	28	30	40	32	139,0
35	GER	Michael Fellmann	22	43	39	28	OCS	19	151,0
36	IRL	Youen Jacob	46	15	45	12	35	45	152,0
37	IRL	Aaron O`Grady	13	45	42	32	34	31	152,0
38	FIN	Tapio Nirkko	51	22	21	35	38	37	153,0
39	CRO	Nenad Viali	49	32	41	29	41	16	159,0
40	ESP	Agustin Juarez Narrero	29	29	32	33	39	38	161,0
41	CZE	Babicky Roman	38	19	26	43	43	47	169,0
42	BRA	Jorge Zarif	10	46	48	42	37	36	171,0
43	HUN	Tibor Pallay	34	30	31	44	44	44	183,0
44	CAN	Mike Milner	43	26	40	40	36	42	184,0
45	BRA	Henry Raul Boening	40	41	46	37	33	39	190,0
46	BRA	Maurício Bueno	36	44	34	41	42	40	193,0
47	ITA	Luca Devoti	39	27	35	DNC	DNC	DNC	211,0
48	BRA	Marco Aurélio de Sá Ribeiro	42	51	43	48	46	50	229,0
49	BRA	Jorge Rodrigues	35	49	47	BFD	49	DNF	235,0
50	NED	Rodrick Casander	RAF	47	52	45	45	49	238,0
51	USA	Philippe Kahn	50	50	49	47	48	46	240,0
52	GER	Michael Ellen	47	48	50	49	47	DNF	241,0
53	GBR	Robert Deaves	48	52	51	46	50	51	246,0
54	BRA	Gustavo Pereira Vaitsman	52	53	54	50	51	48	254,0