Back on track

After day three of the Laser Radial Women's World Championship in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

The regatta is back on schedule! Despite a late start due to light, midday winds, the Race Committee re-sailed the race that was abandoned yesterday (R4-Blue) and completed both races scheduled for today (R5 & R6 for both the Yellow & Blue fleets).

Race 4 for yesterday’s Blue fleet started cleanly in a southwesterly breeze of 8 knots and clearing skies. The wind filled, and clocked right about 10 degrees, before R5 started cleanly for the Yellow fleet. A general recall, leading to a restart, held back the start of the race for the Blue fleet. Fleet splits were based on results through Race 3, from yesterday.

The wind continued to build as the skies cleared, reaching about 15 knots in the late afternoon. Both fleets completed Race 6, despite several general recalls, although this kept the competitors (and the race committee!) on the water into the early evening.

Today’s results have shuffled the top of the score sheet, and, with five races completed, each competitor can discard one race from the total score.

Marit Bouwmeester (NED) has moved to the top, with four wins and the discard of her high finish in the first race. Paige Railey (USA) has moved up into second. Her teammate, Erika Reinecke (USA), the previous regatta leader, used her discard for the over-early disqualification from one of today’s races.

Tomorrow (the fourth day of racing) is the final day of qualifying races, which determine the split between the Gold and Silver fleets for the remaining three days of the competition.