In the open gold fleet Tomas SILVA and Francisco GOMES (POR) scored a bullet in the day’s opening race to extend their lead at the top. They followed that win with a twelfth and a seventh place to extend the gap at the top to eleven points.

Alfredo CAPODANNO and Vittorio PAPA (ITA) were the outstanding performers of the day. The pair had struggle on Wednesday following a seventh with finishes of 26 and 42. In yesterday’s opening race a 16th suggested nothing had changed before they blasted back with two bullets to send them shooting up the leaderboard into second place.

Peter BURLING and Bruce KENNEDY (NZL) also had a good day with three top ten finishes moving them up to third overall, one point ahead of Pablo SANTURDE and Abelardo QUEVEDO (ESP).

Three races are scheduled for the final day of the Championship today. After the conclusion of the first race today the second discard will be introduced. As things stand CAPODANNO and PAPA look set to benefit from this and if they can finish in front of SILVA and GOMES in race nine they will move to the top of the leaderboard.

2005 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Champions, Marie LUMEAU and Claire BOSSARD (FRA) are gradually reeling in leaders Maria Stella TURIZIO and Maria Carolina RENDANO (ITA) in the women’s fleet. However the young pair now have only two more races to overcome the nine point deficit that separates them from the top spot.

LUMEAU and BOSSARD had an inconspicuous start to the day finishing 16, four points behind their Italian rivals. However they came back strongly, finishing 6 and 5 in the next two races, although it looks likely that they will have to improve on those finishes to have a chance of taking the title today. TURIZIO and RENDANO followed up their twelfth in race eight with a fourth place to extend their lead at the top, before they slipped to 14 in race ten bringing them back within sight of the rest of the fleet.

Since their fantastic start to the Championship Jo BRIGG and Mary ROOK (GBR) have been plagued by inconsistent finishes. Yesterday was no different as they opened up with finishes of 46 and 12 to lose their second place to LUMEAU and BOSSARD. They came back strongly in race ten however, finishing second to move back to within one point of second place and ten of the lead.

Two final races are scheduled for the women today and if either LUMEAU and BOSSARD or BRIGG and ROOK can find their winning form then the Italian leaders could yet falter.

Open Top Ten After Eight Races

Pos	Nation	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Pts
1	POR	Tomas SILVA	Francisco GOMES	14	(DSQ)	1	1	9	1	12	7	45
2	ITA	Alfredo CAPODANNO	Vittorio PAPA	3	2	7	26	(42)	16	1	1	56
3	NZL	Peter BURLING	Bruce KENNEDY	4	1	17	(23)	22	10	4	6	64
4	ESP	Pablo SANTURDE	Abelardo QUEVEDO	2	6	19	18	13	(OCS)	5	2	65
5	FRA	Alex BISHOP	Pierre BOMBRAY	21	3	(42)	29	1	7	7	12	80
6	POR	Salvador BURNAY	Joao DUARTE	6	(DSQ)	18	17	6	2	26	13	88
7	FRA	Thomas RAHIER	Mathieu RAHIER	34	7	9	16	(18)	13	13	3	95
8	USA	Adam ROBERTS	Nick MARTIN	12	9	4	35	7	24	8	(43)	99
9	FRA	Antoine GUILLOU	Vincent GUILLARM	5	(DSQ)	2	28	16	18	27	5	101
10	GER	Nico KOEHLER	Jannik FRITZ	16	13	14	25	2	31	2	(41)	103

Women's Top Ten After Ten Races

Pos	Nation	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	Pts
1	ITA	Maria Stella TURIZIO	Maria Carolina RENDANO	(15)	11	3	1	(21)	1	7	12	4	14	53
2	FRA	Marie LUMEAU	Claire BOSSARD	7	13	11	(15)	5	12	3	(16)	6	5	62
3	GBR	Jo BRIGG	Mary ROOK	1	2	2	17	4	23	(25)	(46)	12	2	63
4	FRA	Delphine MACAIRE	Chloe GOUGEON	6	5	18	5	18	(55)	5	7	23	(35)	87
5	GBR	Maria STANLEY	Catherine ALTON	26	19	(BFD)	2	3	(46)	1	13	17	10	91
6	ITA	Benedetta DANTI	Lisa LARDANI	(31)	(31)	20	7	7	3	14	14	16	12	93
7	POR	Piedade COLACO	Diana NEVES	17	12	13	(BFD)	24	(48)	10	3	2	15	96
8	FRA	Marina LAULANET	Mathilde GAYON	9	3	17	39	(46)	11	17	(45)	3	9	108
9	GBR	Joanne MACDONALD	Laurie MARSDEN	5	6	22	(BFD)	6	28	(42)	27	7	13	114
10	FRA	Delhia SEURIN	Lorraine MANLAY	8	(27)	(33)	24	14	26	6	11	14	23	126