October 12, 2002
1 minute reading time
Points Close With Four to Sail
Just five points separate the leaders after 8 of the scheduled 12 races in Samoa.
Just five points separate the leaders after 8 of the scheduled 12 races in Samoa.
Teiki Hacheche (TAH), twelfth at the Optimist World Champioship in July and firm favourite before the event, had two bullets in races 7 and 8 to bring him within a point of the new leader Gael Blanquart of New Caledonia. Early leader Corentin Guegan is a further two points adrift.
The Cook Islands continue to surprise and may secure girls bronze, which would be their first medal in the history of the event, through Sophie Merkens. Gold and silver look to be a repeat of last year with Vaimiti Rigal (TAH) leading Sally Whitmore (AUS).
Top 10 (After 8 Races)
| Position | Nation | Sailor | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 1 | NCL | Gael Blanquart | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | TAH | Teiki Hacheche | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | NCL | Corentin Guegan | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | NCL | Lescadieu Sebastian | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | TAH | Ewen Morin | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 6 | NCL | Malo Lesaigneur | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 13 | 2 |
| 7 | COK | Jan Sijp | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| 8 | TAH | Vaimiti Rigal | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 9 | NZL | Scott Davies | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| 10 | NZL | Michael Langley | 10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |