Morning Report: Rindom’s day of reckoning in the Radials

Today’s racing will take place in:

• Finn Men
• 470 Men
• 470 Women
• Foiling Nacra 17 Mixed
• Laser Men – Medal Race
• Laser Radial Women – Medal Race

Day 8 in Enoshima, and today we get to see the Laser and Laser Radial medals decided. Southerly wind, and more of it than yesterday, should be enough to get some good tight racing.

Matt Wearn has already wrapped up Laser gold for Australia, but there’s going to be a scrap for silver and bronze with three sailors very close on points – Hermann Tomasgaard (NOR) in second, Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) in third, and Pavlos Kontides (CYP) in fourth. Germany’s Philipp Buhl and Brazilian legend Robert Scheidt still have an outside shot at the podium. What a finish to his Olympic career that would be, for the 48-year-old Brazilian, to win a sixth medal exactly 25 years after winning Laser gold at Atlanta 1996.

If Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) doesn’t win gold in today’s Medal Race, her unforced error from Friday will haunt the Dane for the rest of her life. Since that catastrophic day, Rindom has had 48 hours to remind herself that she still holds the advantage, seven vital points ahead of the irrepressible Marit Bouwmeester, the defending Olympic Champion from the Netherlands. There are seven sailors in with a chance of the podium: DEN, NED, SWE, CAN, BEL, ITA, FIN. 

In the Finn, with two more races to run before the Medal Race, Josh Junior (NZL) has hauled himself back into medal consideration. The Kiwi is now in fifth place, two points behind Nicholas Heiner (NED). Zsombor Berecz holds third place for Hungary and is now just three points behind Joan Cardona (ESP) in second. Giles Scott (GBR) has a six point lead.

Still hardly putting a foot wrong in the Nacra 17 are the Italians Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti, who are becoming very attached to their yellow bibs. Six points off the lead are the reigning World Champions from Great Britain, John Gimson and Anna Burnet. Also well in contention are third placed Paul Kohlhoff and Alica Stuhlemmer (GER) and Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (AUS), who had a very good day in yesterday’s light winds.

After a day’s rest for the 470 Men, it’s back to business for Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS), who hold the lead in front of Luke Patience and Chris Grube (GBR) in second place. Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox (NZL) are particularly dangerous in light winds and could threaten the front two.

Lighter breeze suits the local favourites Ai Kondo and Miho Yoshioka (JPN), who look like the best bet for an Olympic sailing medal for the host nation. Holding the 470 Women lead since the start of the regatta are Agnieszka Skrzypulec and Jolanta Ogar (POL) with Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre (GBR) and Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz (FRA) in hot pursuit.

Weatger

• Mostly sunny with no chance of thunderstorm.
• Gradient winds: SSE 5-10kt, SSW 10-15kt early afternoon.
• Race Area surface wind less than 5kt, SSW-S 7-10kt G10-13kt from 10LT, S-SSE 11-15kt G14-19kt from 12LT, S-SSW 11-14kt G14-18kt from 17LT.
• Sea state: 0.5-1.5m wave height.

Schedule

Medal Races

Enoshima Course

1430 JST Laser Men, Medal Race
1530 JST  Laser Radial Women, Medal Race

Fleet Races

Fujisawa Course

1500 JST  Finn, 2 races

Zushi Course

1200 JST 470 Women, 2 races
1210 JST  470 Men, 2 races

Enoshima Course

1200 JST Nacra 17, 3 races

To follow the racing on tracker, click here.

To find out more about international broadcasters of the Sailing, click here.

For more detail from the Weather Forecast, click here.

Words by Andy Rice – World Sailing
Photography by Sailing Energy / World Sailing