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17 August 2008, 11:33 pm

Spaniards Stay Ahead As Tornados Sail In Troubled Waters

Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby of Australia won Sunday's race in heavy winds

©Clive Mason/Getty Images

2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Qingdao, China

Spaniards Fernando ECHAVARRI and Anton PAZ just managed to retain their overall lead after the Tornado fleet sailed one race in strong winds and heavy seas on Sunday.

Below the Spaniards, who came in fourth in the race, the point standings changed dramatically. Darren BUNDOCK and Glenn ASHBY (AUS) won the race and are now one point behind Fernando ECHAVARRI and Anton PAZ . With twice the points of BUNDOCK and ASHBY, Iordanis PASCHALIDIS and Konstantinos TRIGONIS (GRE) are in third place overall.

Francesco MARCOLINI and Edoardo BIANCHI (ITA) were second in the race, followed by heavyweights Mitch BOOTH and Pim NIEUWENHUIS (NED).

The heavy weather was what they had expected for the opening of the regatta and the reason that they elected not to measure in a small gennaker.

Xavier REVIL and Christophe ESPAGNON (FRA), #5 in the ISAF World Sailing Rankings, did not sail because their halyard lock broke before the start.

Rather than taking Monday 8 August off as originally scheduled, the Tornados will try to get back on track with three races scheduled and a warning signal at 11:00.

Overall Results - click here

ISAF (source: Olympic News Service)