Olympics: Australian Sailing Team: - Wild Day 9
AUS Team Results at a glance
'On the wild side - Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin (AUS) 49er medal race in the Qingdao Olympic Regatta 2008.'
Guy Nowell © Click Here to view large photo
Final Result: 10th- Yngling - Krystal Weir, Karyn Gognich & Angela Farrell
Final Result: 5th - 49er - Nathan Outteridge & Ben Austin (NB// Protest still pending)
1st - 470m - Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page
1st - 470w - Elise Rechichi & Tessa Parkinson
3rd - RS:X - Jessica Crisp
2nd - Tornado - Darren Bundock & Glenn Ashby
7th - Radial - Sarah Blanck
15th - Star - Iain Murray & Andrew Palfrey
26th - Laser - Tom Slingsby
49er
Skiff Event (49er Class) Final Result 5th
The Australian 49er crew of Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin sailed a heroic, rollercoaster final race in driving rain, blustering winds and heavy seas this afternoon, only to watch their medal chance blown away with the gusts which also capsized them twice just before the finish line. The young team from the NSW Central Coast can be proud of their never-give-up attitude which sees them complete their first Olympic campaign in fifth overall.
It was a race of attrition in winds which gusted up to 23 knots and waves of up to 1.5 metres high. The Aussies' hopes swelled even before the starter's gun fired as the leading Danish boat broke its mast. The Danish rushed back to shore to borrow the Croatian team's boat and joined the race after it had started. Then, in the final leg of the race, the Australians' other closest rivals, the Italians, capsized, putting the Aussies in the Gold medal position. However, the washing machine sea state and whistling winds decided their fate and they themselves were thrown into the water. As boats around the course suffered the same problems, it was a matter of who could get upright and moving forward most quickly. As Outteridge and Austin's boat Spotless tipped again to throw them both into the drink, five boats crossed the line ahead of them and their medal chances were swept away
However, at the time of print there is a protest being held with two issues being addressed - firstly, the legality of the Danish crew's use of the unquarantined Croatian boat for the race and, secondly, the decision of the race committee to hold the race in the prevailing conditions.
A medal ceremony has been postpoined and official result s are pending the outcome of these protests. A full update will be provided once the protest outcomes are advised.
The Australians returned to the boat park battered and bruised.
'We came so close,' said a shattered Austin.
'After the first capsize, we'd damaged so much, the boat was trashed - it
looked like we'd just sailed across the Atlantic.'
49er Top 3
Gold - DEN
Silver - ESP
Bronze - GER
AUS - 5th
Nathan & Ben's website link, 49er.australiansailingteam.com
Yngling
Women's Keelboat Event (Yngling Class) 2008 Olympic Games - AUS 5th Krystal Weir, Karyn Gojnich and Angela Farrell sailed a solid Medal Race and finished 5th in the race which put them in 5th place at the end of the regatta. The team was later protested by the race committee and disqualified from the race for failing to weigh in. In the Yngling Class, the team members have to record their body weight to prove that they are under the maximum weight limit. After having weighed in ready for the medal race that didn't happen yesterday the team didn't realise they had to weigh in again today. The penalty saw them drop from 5th to 10th overall.
Yngling Top 3
Gold - GBR
Silver - NED
Bronze - GRE
AUS - 10th
Laser Radial
Women's One-Person Dinghy Event (Laser Radial) Class After 6 Races - AUS 7th
Sarah Blanck came 12th in the Laser Radial race and now sits 7th overall on 40 points.
Lithuania is first on 17 points, the USA is second (23 points) and New Zealand is third (24 points).
Laser Radial Top 3
1 - LTU - 17 points
2 - USA - 23 points
3 - NZL - 24 points
AUS - 7th - 40 points
Sarah's website link, radial.australiansailingteam.com
Laser
Men's One-Person Dinghy Event (Laser Class) After 5 Races - AUS 25th Tom Slingsby scored 20th today in the only race of the day and moves up one place to 25th with 106 points.
Laser Top 3
1 - GBR - 34 points
2 - SLO - 37 points
3 - ARG - 38 points
AUS - 25th - 106 points
Tom's website link, laser.australiansailingteam.com
RS:X
Women's Windsurfing Event (RS:X Class) After 7 Races - AUS 3rd The windsurfers had to hang on rather than pump for air today and Jessica Crisp finished with an 8th and 9th to put her third overall on 20 points. China retains the lead with 16 points and Italy is second on 23 points.
RS:X Women Top 3
1 - CHN - 16 points
2 - ITA - 23 points
3 - AUS - 26 points
Jessica's website link, rsx.australiansailingteam.com
Star
Men's Keelboat Event (Star Class) After 4 Race - AUS 15th Iain Murray and Andrew Palfrey were in 6th place when their mast broke. They managed to limp across the finish in 15th place and sit in 15th overall in the star studded Star fleet.
Star Class Top 3
1 - POL - 21 points
2 - FRA - 22 points
3 - SWE - 23 points
AUS - 15th - 54 points
Iain & Andres's website link, star.australiansailingteam.com
Tornado
Multihull Event (Tornado Class) After 4 Races - AUS 2nd In the Tornado class, Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby won the only race today, revelling in the strong winds and sit in second place overall on 13 points just one point behind Spain on 12 points with Greece in third with 26 points.
Tornado Class Top 3
1 - ESP - 12 points
2 - AUS - 13 points
3 - GRE - 26 points
Darren & Glenn's website link, tornado.australiansailingteam.com
Todays Racing Schedule (China Time):
11am - Tornado, Star, RS:X, Radial, Laser
1pm - 470 Men & Women's Medal Race
Follow the racing and learn all about the team on the team website. www.australiansailingteam.com.au
by AST Media 
Click on thumbnails to enlarge and find more photos:
sunrise beach, QLD
