On the penultimate day of racing at the Porsche Centre Brisbane 2026 Finn Gold Cup, Anders Pedersen’s lead has narrowed to just one point ahead of Alessandro Marega with only one day left to sail. Following a switch to lighter northerlies, the fleet experienced numerous position changes during two completed races on Wednesday. Australia’s Brendan Casey excelled, achieving finishes of 1st and 2nd, while France’s Valerian Lebrun followed closely with finishes of 3rd and 1st.
The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron hosted Wednesday’s racing under scorching conditions with winds ranging from 7 to 12 knots. The fleet benefited from free pumping for the second race, with wind conditions fluctuating as the day progressed. Pedersen, who hails from Norway, faced challenges, finishing with a 6th and a 4th place which allows Marega just one point behind him with a 2nd and 3rd place finish. The top three competitors maintain their standings with Australia’s Anthony Nossiter remaining in third place, 16 points adrift of Marega.
In Race 7, Brendan Casey maintained the lead from start to finish, delivering a significant victory over Marega and Lebrun. The wind demonstrated some stability, reaching about 10 knots at the bottom of the course, but dropped again for the final downwind leg. For Race 8, Rob McMillan put in a strong performance, rounding the first mark ahead, followed closely by Casey, who took an early lead before being overtaken again by Lebrun. Ultimately, Casey secured 2nd place, with Marega rounding out the top three.
Rodion Mazin from the USA climbed to 10th overall, sharing his thoughts on the challenging conditions saying, “I had a good first race but found the second race tougher starting in a less favourable position.” Nick Craig described the day as fantastic with good wind conditions and praised the race officer for effectively managing the racing amidst tricky tide situations.
Marega expressed satisfaction with his week so far, appreciating his consistent placement in the top three as the final day approaches. It promises to be another engaging day of competition, with Marega and Pedersen as the clear frontrunners.
Results after eight races are as follows:
- 1 NOR1 Anders Østre Pedersen 15
- 2 ITA 1103 Alessandro Marega 16
- 3 AUS 221 Anthony Nossiter 32
- 4 AUS 11 Brendan Casey 37
- 5 ESP 100 Rafael Trujillo 38
- 6 FRA 111 Valerian Lebrun 44
- 7 AUS 2 Rob McMillan 66
- 8 NZL111 Karl Purdie 70
- 9 AUS 37 James Bevis 75
- 10 USA16 Rodion Mazin 86
Full results can be found at here.
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