Gold sailed but silver stopped at 2016 RS:X Worlds

As the qualification days split the fleets in to gold and silver at the 2016 RS:X World Championships in Eilat, Israel, so did the wind, only allowing the gold competitors to race on day four.

With an earlier start, the gold fleets in both the men and women’s sections completed three races before the wind died and the silver fleets were sent back to shore without crossing a finish line.

Men’s RS:X

Moving from third in qualifying to top of the leaderboard is Poland’s Piotr Myszka who finished the day with a bullet, sixth and a discarded 14th. With 21 points, Myszka has an 11-point cushion ahead of France’s Louis Giard in second who has 32 points following a 4-10-(16) day.

Giard heads a bunched field with only five points separating second and eighth overall. Included in the bunch is the biggest mover, the home nations Shahar Zubari who shoots up to third overall as the discard comes in to play. Zubari discards a UFD from his qualification races, which leaves him with the task of maintaining high finishes to stay among the medals with his safety net taken away early.

With leader Myszka taking one of the three available bullets, the others went to France’s Thomas Goyard and Netherlands’ Kiran Badloe. Italy’s Mattia Camboni maintains his position as top of the U21’s and is in 15th overall.

Women’s RS:X

Poland’s Malgorzata Bialecki continues to hold first overall in the women’s section, although her lead has been cut to just one point by Netherlands’ Lilian De Geus.

De Geus began the day with a bullet and followed it up with a fifth and sixth which gives her 20 points. Her rival Bialecki could only manage a second, tenth and a discarded 12th, but holds the lead with 19 points.

From second to 13th, Flavia Tartaglini just had one of those days. The Italian dropped down the rankings with an 18-(19)-17 for the day and has 51 points.

Former World Champions Marina Alabau Neira (ESP) and Charline Picon (FRA) took the other bullets on offer on day four.

Reigning Youth World Champion, and bringing that form in to the senior competition, Russia’s Stefania Elfutina moved in to the top 10 on 47 points and leads the U21’s.

An earlier start is confirmed for day five with the aim of using the forecasted early morning wind for both gold and silver fleets to complete racing.