WA Sailors in Medal Contention at Sailing World Cup Melbourne
Western Australian sailors are in medal contention at the Sailing World Cup Melbourne event with a number of athletes in action across a range of fleets.
Laser sailor Matt Wearn sits between Cypriot Olympic silver medallist Pavlos Kontides – who currently leads the fleet on five points – and 2016 Rio Olympic champion Tom Burton who holds 12 points. Wearn after four races, has accrued six net points.
The 21 year-old Australian Sailing Team member earned second place finishes in each of the opening three races before dropping his fourth race effort, where he had crossed the line in fifth place.
Kontides opted to drop an opening race third place finish and has enjoyed race wins in rounds two and four, with another third place effort accumulated in round three.
Burton similarly elected to drop his opening race – a seventh place finish – and has followed up with a fourth, a first and another seventh place effort.
WA Olympian Carrie Smith and her crew mate Jaime Ryan are currently second in the women’s 470 class on seven points.
Smith and Ryan dropped their opening effort fifth place and have consolidated with fourth, first and second place finishes to sit well and truly in medal contention.
WA sailor Nia Jerwood and her partner Monique de Vries hold fifth place on 13 points. The fleet is headed by Austrians, Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar (three points).
In the women’s laser radial class, WA young gun Zoe Thomson currently holds 10th place on 25 points. The Youth world champion was fifth at the end of day one, but slipped back on the second day of racing after a 13th and 14th (dropped) place pair of results.
One place back in 11th, is another emerging WA talent in Elyse Ainsworth, who has accumulated 27 points from four rounds. Both Ainsworth and Thomson have looked comfortable competing against more seasoned sailors.
Dutch sailor Marit Bouwmeester is leading the fleet on four points ahead of Danish athlete Anne-Marie Rindom (seven points) and Italy’s Silvia Zennaro (10).
WA 49er sailors David Gilmour (competing with Joel Turner) and Lachy Gilmour (competing with Ryan Donaldson) occupy seventh and eighth positions with 27 and 37 points respectively. The fleet is led by Kwi duo Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie on 15 points.
In the women’s 49erFX, WA duo Caitlin Elks and Hayley Clark have 24 points from six races and hold fifth place. Australian pair Tess Lloyd and Eliza Solly, lead on eight points.