The Official
Website of the
International
Sailing Federation

'It´s very close,' said skipper Ben CLOTHIER. 'At least ten boats can still take the championship and there are still five races to sail'.

The 55 entrants contested two races yesterday in beautiful, but very demanding, conditions with all kinds of weather from bright sunshine and a steady southern breeze around 15 knots to sudden squalls and shifting winds down to four knots.

'Very tricky conditions,' surmised CLOTHIER. 'I can't remember so many different kind of weathers in one regatta. We win race two and then a ninth place in the third!'

In second place, May Be XIV skipper Patric FREDELL has a jubilee to take care of. 30 ago he won the Worlds in Sandhamn together with Christer SALÉN, co-owner, on May Be X.

Berta lies third overall with skipper Lars ENGELBERT happy to have a new tactician onboard in the shape of well known VO 60 skipper Gurra KRANTZ.

'It´s like a seesaw out there, you're happy on the first beat and in despair on the next,' said KRANTZ. 'But it's so funny to be back in the 6mR - it's tight and rough and probably the only boat in the whole world where you can't see an inch of the course as tactician!'

It started very well for the classic boats too. The first race took place in perfect weather and winds and there were no major problems or incidents reported.

The newly built, Danish Sunray won the first race, but slipped up in race two leaving Finnish boat Toy in the top spot. Klara Stjärna and Railli complete a Finnish clean sweep of podium places.

After the second race today, the third in the regatta, the lead has changed. Sunray is no more in the lead. It is all Finnish boats in the lead with Toy leading. Toy won the classic class in S.t Tropez in 2003. Klara Stjärna is now 2nd and on the 3rd place we have Railli followed by Bambi and Maybe IV on the 4th and 5th place.

Neonode 6mR World Cup 2005 continues in Sandhamn till Saturday with five more races to sail.