The second round – the 1/16 Finals – of the SSL Gold Cup came to a conclusion in Gran Canaria over the weekend.
Sixteen national teams took part in four fleets competing for places in the third round, with a double-points final race day for the 1/16 Finals.
Fourteen races were sailed in total, with the Golden Double Points Super Sunday hampered by a lack of wind until the afternoon, two fleets being unable to race on the final day due to the 16:00 start time cut-off.
The result was progress for eight teams to the third round 1/8 Finals, starting Tuesday 21 November.
In Fleet 1 Chile, Malaysia and Estonia finished on equal points. Estonia missed out on qualifying due to not winning a race.
Fleet 2 the Hungarian ‘Shamans’ won their double points final race to win their group, with Tahiti qualifying second.
Fleet 3 Portugal’s ‘Navigators’ found their own breeze in the double points final race to go from last to first, and win the group. While South Africa overtook Croatia to qualify second.
Fleet 4 Lithuania put in a commanding performance to win the group, winning two races and finishing second in the other, only losing to the second qualifier Slovenia.
The eight qualifiers will now join with the USA, Argentina, Poland, Brazil, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and France who enter the competition at the 1/8 Finals stage.
The action resumes on Tuesday 21 November as the 1/8 Finals of the SSL Gold Cup get underway.
Britain joins in at the quarter-final (1/4) stage – 27 Nov to 1 Dec – with the GBR team skippered by Ian Williams.
