ABU DHABI // Just like Formula One’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, there are double points on offer on the final day of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Finals, when the medals will be handed out.
The Australian pair Mathew Belcher and William Ryan lead in the 470 Men Class while compatriot Tom Burton has set the pace with three wins from six races in the Men’s Laser.
Billy Besson and Marie Riou of France have so far dominated the Nacra 17 Class while Byrony Shaw of Great Britain maintains her lead in the RS: X Women’s Class at the end of day three at the Breakwater in the Corniche.
Burton (11 points) has a new challenger, his younger training partner Matt Wearn (20) who moved up four places to second with an Australian one-two on the cards.
“It’s a bit of a shock to be up in second to be honest as the racing has just been so close in the Laser,” Wearn said.
“Tom’s got a bit more experience than me in medal race situations but I think I’ll go out there and just go for it. If I can win the race then anything can happen.
“It would be pretty big to finish on the podium. I had a bad regatta at the worlds, so to get the confidence back up and get back into the groove of the Laser class would be really good.”
Burton knows all about the feeling of racing behind a more illustrious teammate.
“Matt and I train together a lot,” he said. “I competed against [Tom] Slingsby in the regatta before he won the Olympic gold and I know how good a feeling it was for me to be just behind him.”
Lara Vadlau, the 2014 world and European champion, and Jolanta Ogar of Austria battled their way to the front in the 470 Women.
They were second behind the Chinese pair Shasha Chen and Haiyan Gao on the opening day and were tied at the top at the end of Day 2.
The Women’s Laser Redial Class for Women has turned in to a tight contest between the 2012 London Games bronze medallist Evi van Acker of Belgium and Anne-Marie Rindom of Denmark as just a point separates them as they go in to the medal round today.
With double points on offer in the medal round, Van Acker said: “I think I will just sail my own race. It’s one point so you can’t really do a lot. It’s also quite close behind us so it’s not like we have a 20-point lead over the rest.
“It will be really tricky and on the inside course [just off the Corniche] it will be really hard but I’m happy with my day and hoping to continue that tomorrow.”
Racing begins 10am, Sunday.
Top three in the leaderboard at the end of Day 3
470 Men:
1. Mathew Belcher/William Ryan (Australia) – 10
2. Panagiotis Mantis/Pavlos Kagialis (Greece) – 16
3. Sime Fantela/Igor Marenic (Croatia) – 20
470 Women:
1. Lara Vadlau/Jolanta Ogar (Austria) – 9
2. Shasha Chen/Haiyan Gao (China) – 15
3. Ai Kondo Yoshida/Miho Yoshioka (Japan) – 17
49er Men:
1. Tomasz Januszewski/Jacek Nowak (Poland) – 43
2. Marcus Hansen/Josh Porebski (New Zealand) – 48
3. Carlos Paz/Anton Paz Blanco (Spain) – 50
49er FX Women:
1. Alexandra Maloney/Molly Meech (New Zealand) – 15
2. Lisa Ericson/Hanna Klinga (Sweden) – 30
3. Giulia Conti/Francesca Clapcich (Italy) – 48
Finn Men:
1. Vasilij Zbogar (Slovakia) – 9
2. Caleb Paine (USA) – 24
3. Jake Lilley (Australia) 29
Laser Men:
1. Tom Burton (Australia) – 11
2. Matthew Wearn (Australia) – 20
3. Tonci Stipanović (Croatia) – 20
Laser Radial Women:
1. Evi Van Acker (Belgium) – 11
2. Anne-Marie Rindom (Denmark) – 12
3. Tuula Tenkanen (Finland) – 22
Nacra 17:
1. Billy Besson/Marie Riou (France) – 24
2. Moana Vaireaux/Manon Audinet (France) – 30
3. Matias Buhler/Nathalie Brugger (Switzerland) – 38
RS: X Men:
1. Louis Giard (France) – 26
2. Byron Kokkalanis (Greece) – 27
3. Nick Dempsey (Great Britain) – 36
RS:X Women:
1. Bryony Shaw (Great Britain) – 19
2. Charline Picon (France) – 35
3. Blanca Manchon (Spain) – 42
Sunday’s schedule
RS:X Women: 9.45am
Laser: 10.20am
49er FX: 11am
470 Women: 11.35am
Finn: 12.15pm
RS:X Men: 12.55pm
Nacra 17: 1.30pm
49er: 2.05pm
470 Men: 2.40pm
Radial: 3.20pm
Open Kite: 4pm
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