The 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final is set for a dramatic climax in Abu Dhabi after a spectacular day of racing saw the sailors battling to grab the initiative in the gold medal chase.
Honours in the eight Olympic sailing classes as well as an open kiteboarding competition will now be decided in a tense final day of medal races at Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club on Sunday, with several defending champions coming under pressure.
In the open kiteboarding event, defending champion Oliver Bridge is in pole position heading into the semi finals. Bridge has been on fire since day one and even though at one point he relinquished his lead, he regained it with a strong display.
The young Briton heads into the semi-finals with a strong advantage. Sunday’s two semi finals will be contested with six sailors in each fleet. Points will be carried over into the semis with the top three riders advancing to the final. From there it is a do-or-die scenario with the first across the line taking gold.
Brazilian Ricardo Santos holds a slender two-point advantage over Spain’s Ivan Pastor Lafuente in the Men’s RS:X class after winning the second of three races in Day 3 of the regatta, sponsored by ADS Securities and Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.
Byron Kokkalanis of Greece, last year’s silver medal winner, is third after taking the last race of the day which saw British overnight leader Tom Squires finish 12th, slipping to fourth overall. But with double points counting in the medal races, the tussle for gold is still wide open.
Brazilian Santos reflects with a smile on his day on the water and his improving regatta saying, “It was fun, I am improving every day. My regatta on the first day was the worst. The wind was very shifty, tricky and the level of the fleet is very high. Today was perfect, I came first twice and then fourth so I am happy.”
Only a last day disaster can prevent Bryony Shaw from landing her second straight World Cup gold medal in Abu Dhabi after the British sailor underlined her dominance of the Women’s RS:X class, winning all three races yesterday.
With six victories overall in nine races, Shaw leads by seven points from Italy’s Flavia Tartaglini.
In an offshore breeze of 8-13 knots, Australian Tom Burton held onto his overnight three point lead in the 20-boat Laser class from Brazilian Robert Scheidt after both suffered, and discarded, their worst results of the regatta so far.
