Outteridge and Jensen move up to third at 49er Worlds in Croatia

Australians Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen have moved up the leader board on day two of the 2012 49er World Championship in Zadar, Croatia. The defending World Champions showed that consistency pays with a third, a fifth and a second moving them up from their overnight 11^th to be third overall.

After six races the Australian pair is tied on points with second and just three adrift of the leaders, Tobias Schadewaldt and Hannes Baumann of Germany.

“We had a good day on the score card today posting a three, five, two but it was a difficult day as it was light again and racing was very close,” said Outteridge.

Following delays due to a lack of wind on the opening day of the 2012 49er World Championships day two was a much quicker affair, with all three fleets able to complete their races by early afternoon in between eight and 15 knots of breeze.

Outteridge and Jensen have now finished in the top five in five of the opening six races with one day left of qualifying before the competition heats up in the finals.

“It’s nice to be consistent and that’s our main strength so hopefully as the days go by we can keep things rolling and keep jumping up the leader board,” said Outteridge.

While the more stable conditions did allow things to even out more on the leader board Outteridge is well aware that it’s not until the finals series the big movements will happen.

“The conditions today did even things out a little, though with it still being qualifying it won’t be until the finals start where the real gains and losses will be made,” he said. “We’re after more of the same tomorrow before the important racing starts on Thursday.”

Outteridge is competing for his fourth 49er World Championship and Jensen his third, with both sailors having won all of their titles under the guidance of coach Emmett Lazich.

West Australians Luke Parkinson and Jaspar Warren moved up from 52^nd to 31^st following a 13^th, a seventh and a fourth. The pair is competing in their first 49er World Championship together with Warren having raced with Steve Thomas at last December’s Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships while Parkinson did not compete.

Full results can be found at http://www.49erworlds.org/index.php/overall-results/.

- Craig Heydon, Yachting Australia