The first day of the 2020 Australian Laser/Radial Championships being held at Sandringham, Victoria was completed to schedule.
A last minute entry in the Laser event was Britain’s Nick Thompson, who decided to use the Aussie championship as part of his preparation for the Laser Worlds taking place at the same venue in early February.
He told officials that, ‘he wanted to get a feel for the conditions he’s likely to encounter at the Worlds’.
Thompson is in a four-way battle for Team GB selection to Tokyo 2020, which will most likely be decided by the results of the upcoming World Championship in Australia.
Thompson and the other British Team members, Michael Beckett, Lorenzo Chiavarini and Elliot Hanson, are also due to compete at Sail Melbourne (17-21 Jan) before the Worlds.
With two races completed Thompson leads the 69 strong Laser fleet, winning both races. In second place is Charlie Buckingham (4,3) of the USA with Australia’s Matt Wearn (2,6) in third place.
Jake Farren-Price (17,17) of Britain is 17th overall with 34 points.
In the mixed Radial fleet Australia’s Mara Stransky (1,1) leads, tied on 2 points with Mirthe Akkerman (1,1) of Holland. Agata Barwinska (2,3) of Poland takes third place.
Finley Dickinson (2,6) of Britain is placed 6th overall and first male and leading U19.
Britain’s Alison Young finished the first day with a 24 and 8 in 26th overall with 32 points.
Marit Bouwmeester (5,5) of Holland is in 10th overall, Annalise Murphy (13,13) of Ireland is in 18th place overall.
Shoko Kitahara (1,2) of Japan leads the 4.7 fleet from Russel Yom (2,3) of Singapore.
There was almost no wind when competitors arrived for the first race of the championship, but by start time a light southerly was fluttering the flags.
Heavy smoke haze blanketed the racing area, but race management was monitoring the situation and deemed it safe to sail.
Racing continues tomorrow, with strong winds close to 30 knots forecast on Port Phillip for the afternoon.
Laser Australian Nation Championship
1st GBR THOMPSON, Nick 1 1 – – 2 pts
2nd USA BUCKINGHAM, Charlie 4 3 – – 7 pts
3rd AUS WEARN, Matt 2 6 – – 8 pts
4th EST RAMMO, Karl-Martin 6 5 – – 11 pts
5th USA BARNARD, Christopher 11 2 – – 13 pts
6th AUS KENNEDY, Mitchell 3 11 – – 14 pts
7th NZL MEECH, Sam 8 8 – – 16 pts
8th NZL GAUTREY, George 9 9 – – 18 pts
9th NZL SAUNDERS, Thomas 5 14 – – 19 pts
10th AUS ALEXANDER, Finn 12 7 – – 19 pts
Radial Australian Nation Championship
1st AUS STRANSKY, Mara 1 1 – – 2 pts
1st NED AKKERMAN, Mirthe 1 1 – – 2 pts
3rd POL BARWINSKA, Agata 2 3 – – 5 pts
4 GRE KARACHALIOU, Vasileia 4 2 – – 6 pts
5 FIN MIKKOLA, Monika 3 4 – – 7 pts
6 GBR DICKINSON, Finley 2 6 – – 8 pts
7 AUS KARIM, Sofiane 6 3 – – 9 pts
8 NED BOUWMEESTER, Marit 5 5 – – 10 pts
8 FRA BOLOU, Marie 5 5 – – 10 pts
10 JPN DOI, Manami 6 6 – – 12 pts
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