Day 3 brought a very different Eckernförde. The big breeze of the opening days gave way to much lighter, shifty conditions that turned the racing technical and demanding — a day for patience, lane management and reading the water. Across all three fleets, it produced some moments that really stood out.
The 49ers were first out, managing two races to wrap up their preliminary series at eight races. The big question was whether yellow jersey holders James Grummett and Rhos Hawes could maintain their form in the softened breeze, and they answered convincingly, even scoring a second place in the final race of qualifying to protect their overall lead.
The day’s drama unfolded when France’s Erwan Fischer and Clément Péquin did not get to race at all. A Dutch boat attempting a port-tack start collided with them, injuring Fischer’s wrist. The 2024 World Champions had to retire from the day and head to the hospital for an X-ray. Fortunately, the jury awarded them redress for both races, lifting them to second overall behind GBR 4.
World Champions Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush sit third heading into the Final Series, with Poland’s Mikołaj Staniul and Jakub Sztorch fourth. Young British pairing Elliott Wells and Freddie Lonsdale posted a 7 and a 3 to sit fifth overall, despite initial concerns about their performance in lighter conditions.
Harry Price and Max Paul are sitting in 17th.
In the 49erFX fleet, the Canadians Georgia and Antonia Lewin-LaFrance dominated the Gold fleet day, taking two race wins and lifting them to second overall, just three points off the lead held by Italy’s Jana Germani and Giorgia Bertuzzi, who managed to protect their advantage despite a rough start.
Brooke Wilson and Evie Hasledine are sitting in 20th.
In the Nacra 17 class, Willemijn Offerman and Scipio Houtman maintained their lead, extending their points advantage through consistent performances. GBR 21’s John Gimson and Anna Burnet took two bullets from three races, climbing to fourth place and showing they could still contend for the title.
Second place is now a dead heat on 32 points between Australia’s Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown — who closed their day with a race win — and Sweden’s Emil Järudd and Hanna Jonsson, with the tiebreak going the Australians’ way. For Archie Gargett and Sarah Hoffman, today was a tougher one and they have slipped to 6th.
Tomorrow, the 49ers split into Gold, Silver, and Bronze fleets, with the top 25 boats going into Gold. As the competition progresses, sailors will need to adapt to the ever-changing conditions in the Baltic. Forecast is for similar lighter conditions.
#BalticChampionship #Nacra17Sailing #49erSailing
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