China leads Laser Radial Worlds

8:14 PM Wed 29 Jul 2009 GMT
Chinese Olympic medallist Lijia Xu jumped to the top of the leaderboard after a star showing on the second day at the Laser Radial Worlds in Japan.

Lijia Xu (CHN) had a mixed opening day with a sixth and a 30th, but in today's extremely varied conditions she excelled in both races to move to the top of the leaderboard, tied on points with Beijing gold medallist Anna Tunnicliffe (USA). First and second place finishes, combined with the introduction of the discard after race four of the series, put Xu top on nine points, the same score as Tunnicliffe who was typically consistent with 3, 5 scores today. Denmark's Alberte Lindberg (DEN) occupies third overall, just ahead of Sari Multala (FIN), winner of the pre-Worlds here in May, who impressed today with a first and a third place.

It was a tough day on the water for all 87 competitors from 30 nations competing in Japan. After being kept ashore because of concerns about thunder storms, a clearance was given to head to the water and racing started at 12:05 in 11-12 knots. Like yesterday a shift to the right caused a postponement for the blue fleet and a course change to straighten the outer loop for the yellow fleet. Race three for the yellow fleet provided the only OCS of the day. Conditions became very tricky for the sailors in race three as the sea built to a two metre swell and a decreasing breeze of only 6 to 7 knots. It was very difficult to catch the enticing waves. Despite some intervention by the Race Committee to decrease the length of the legs the sailors would have been pleased to see the end of a somewhat longer race.

In these difficult conditions race wins went to MULTALA, who came in just ahead of XU in the yellow fleet, and to Singapore's Victoria CHAN. In contrast race four started in the lighter breeze that increased steadily during the race with 20 knot gusts by the end. This gave exciting conditions for the sailors with big gains to be made for those who knew how to catch the waves. XU excelled in the heavier breeze to score her first win of the series and jump into the overall lead. Denmark's Maiken SCHUTT also posted a win. Reignin g World Champion Sarah STEYAERT (FRA) also enjoyed the stronger winds to drag herself drag into contention with a second place finish moving her up to ninth overall, just two points and two places behind teammate Sophie DE TURCKHEIM (FRA).

The varied conditions so far in Karatsu have resulted in a high scoring start to the regatta with virtually all of the top names posting at least one high score to date. The only skipper bucking that trend is the ever-consistent TUNNICLIFFE, who's showing the form that won her gold in Beijing and puts her on top in the current ISAF Sailing World Cup. With four top-five places she looks in a very strong position at this early stage.

Last night the inaugural Laser Caf? Twilight Race was held in the water close to the boat park. Takao Otani, the Radial Worlds Event Organizer, gave an amazing running commentary for the assembled company that included some local dignitaries. Spectators lined the marina to cheer the sailors on. Veronika FENCLOVA from the Czech Republic took out the race from Watanabe the local hero. Jean Luc MICHON, the Laser class Vice-President and member of the Jury sailed a good race to finish fourth in a fleet of 14 boats. A second race is to be held tonight.

Two races are scheduled for tomorrow.

Overall Results Laser Radial Women

No	Sailno	Name	Scores	1	2	3	4
1	CHN 38	Xu Lijia	9.0	6	(30)	2	1
2	USA 45	Tunnicliffe Anna	9.0	2	4	3	(5)
3	DEN 78	Lindberg Alberte	11.0	(16)	3	4	4
4	FIN 70	Multala Sari	14.0	(15)	10	1	3
5	ESP 13	Reyes Lucia	14.0	(dsq)	3	9	2
6	CZE 22	Fenclova Veronika	16.0	1	5	10	(17)
7	FRA 26	de Turckheim Sophie	16.0	8	2	(19)	6
8	ITA 75	Clapcich Francesca	17.0	7	(9)	6	4
9	FRA 17	Steyaert Sarah	18.0	1	15	(21)	2
10	ESP 42	Romero Steensma Susana	19.0	6	1	12	(13)
11	LTU 15	Mileviciute Ausra	19.0	10	2	7	(33)
12	USA 71	Railey Paige	20.0	5	5	(13)	10
13	NED 18	Bouwmeester Marit	22.0	(ocs)	14	3	5
14	CRO 5	Mihelic Tina	24.0	9	1	(dsq)	14
15	GBR 56	Dobson Charlotte	24.0	17	(24)	4	3
16	DEN 59	Schutt Maiken	25.0	4	(27)	20	1
17	NZL 46	Winther Sara	25.0	2	7	16	(19)
18	POR 9	Carmo Sara	25.0	(14)	10	8	7
19	MEX 31	Elias Calles Wolf Tania	26.0	5	(24)	2	19
20	BEL 41	Van Acker Evi	26.0	12	8	(22)	6
21	BLR 14	Drozdovskaya Tatiana	26.0	7	(11)	11	8
22	GBR 72	Brewster Andrea	30.0	3	(25)	14	13
23	NED 39	Blom Claire	30.0	12	7	(30)	11
24	ESP 19	Reyes Fatima	34.0	(ocs)	11	5	18
25	AUS 23	King Gabrielle	35.0	17	6	(27)	12
26	FIN 27	Tenkanen Tuula	35.0	(23)	17	8	10
27	IRL 51	Murphy Annalise	35.0	9	(16)	15	11
28	USA 82	Lihan Sarah	38.0	(33)	4	25	9
29	POL 66	Deberny Katarzyna	38.0	19	(22)	12	7
30	JPN 11	Saiki Yukiyo	39.0	3	12	(29)	24
31	GBR 6	Diamond Hannah	40.0	18	(22)	7	15
32	PER 65	Schmidt Paloma	40.0	11	9	20	(26)
33	DEN 43	Gunni Sarah	40.0	10	(17)	16	14
34	USA 35	Haeger Anne	40.0	11	16	13	(22)
35	CAN 67	Bertold Isabella	41.0	14	18	9	(20)
36	SIN 76	Chan Victoria	42.0	25	(28)	1	16
37	CAN 20	Ross Lisa	44.0	(24)	8	21	15
38	GRE 68	Kravarioti Virginia	44.0	(27)	18	18	8
39	IRL 53	Brien Tiffany	45.0	(26)	23	5	17
40	ISV 77	Roller Mayumi	45.0	13	6	26	(34)
41	BEL 29	Maes Laura	47.0	(ocs)	13	10	24
42	GBR 40	Bassadone Christina	48.0	(21)	21	6	21
43	GBR 3	Young Alison	49.0	20	20	(22)	9
44	SWE 50	Olsson Josefin	49.0	19	(26)	18	12
45	CAN 55	Rasa Keamia	50.0	4	(31)	17	29
46	DEN 8	Hall Cathrine	51.0	(25)	14	14	23
47	USA 4	Reineke Erika	55.0	8	19	28	(32)
48	IRL 49	Murphy Claudine	55.0	21	23	11	(25)
49	AUS 64	South Alexandra	55.0	20	12	(32)	23
50	CAN 30	Spalding Jennifer	56.0	13	28	15	(dnf)
51	GBR 88	Snellgrove Hannah	59.0	22	(26)	17	20
52	USA 69	Dennis Claire	64.0	(29)	13	29	22
53	CAN 87	Merry Rachael	65.0	27	15	23	(36)
54	GBR 80	Chapman Rosie	65.0	22	(29)	27	16
55	AUS 73	Paterson Sarah	67.0	24	20	23	(32)
56	JPN 86	Kondo Ai	72.0	15	31	26	(36)
57	AUS 60	Stoddart Ashley	75.0	(34)	25	32	18
58	JPN 16	Kawahara Yuka	77.0	18	21	38	(39)
59	JPN 83	Tabata Wakako	82.0	32	(34)	24	26
60	JPN 7	Takahashi Kaori	83.0	28	(37)	28	27
61	JPN 44	Tombe Yumiko	84.0	34	19	31	(37)
62	RUS 48	Shnitko Svetlana	86.0	30	35	(40)	21
63	CAN 74	Dube Danielle	87.0	29	(32)	30	28
64	JPN 33	Matsunae Saki	88.0	16	(41)	35	37
65	CAN 32	Rafuse Erin	90.0	26	dne	19	(29)
66	JPN 61	Tada Momoko	91.0	(39)	37	24	30
67	CAN 54	Prokop Joanne	92.0	30	34	(38)	28
68	JPN 36	Hasegawa Satoko	92.0	(31)	30	31	31
69	JPN 34	Ishikawa Ayumi	94.0	28	32	34	(40)
70	IND 2	Rau Rohini	94.0	31	33	(36)	30
71	JPN 1	Onizuka Minami	98.0	32	27	39	(41)
72	JPN 12	Nagahori Yuka	99.0	23	36	40	(42)
73	JPN 25	Hiruta Kanako	99.0	(36)	29	36	34
74	FRA 47	Le Sausse Fanny	100.0	35	38	(41)	27
75	NZL 58	Barrell Jessica	101.0	35	(43)	41	25
76	USA 21	Love Margaret	102.0	(38)	33	34	35
77	CAN 28	Merry Ingrid	105.0	37	(39)	35	33
78	CAN 57	Cloutier Beaudoin Chanel	106.0	(ocs)	36	25	dnf
79	IND 79	Santhanam Mrinalini	110.0	36	(42)	33	41
80	ITA 37	Cosentino Laura	110.0	(42)	35	37	38
81	JPN 63	Kawasoe Atsuko	111.0	(ocs)	39	33	39
82	JPN 24	Hagihara Emi	115.0	33	40	(44)	42
83	CAN 85	Bougie-bastien Genevieve	116.0	(dsq)	43	42	31
84	JPN 62	Ishikawa Chika	116.0	40	41	(43)	35
85	TPE 52	Liu Yu-chun	117.0	37	38	42	(43)
86	USA 84	Chimney Catherine	117.0	(43)	40	39	38
87	RUS 81	Kulakova Tatiana	118.0	41	(42)	37	40

by ISAF (source: John Parrish)

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