Day full of close racing for Australian crews in Miami

Another day of light and shifty wind conditions meant challenging racing on the Women’s Match Racing course. The conditions meant there were no hard and fast rules, sailing well provided opportunities to win by a lot or stage a come-from-behind win. And this was the case with both Australian crews who were racing for different outcomes.
 
“Lucinda Whitty and crew found themselves in a one race must win situation against Anna Tunnicliffe of the USA, and could have progressed straight into the top eight with a win,” said Australian coach Dayne Sharp. “However after a hard fought pre-start and almost taking the lead in a tacking duel, the USA held onto a close but comfortable win.”
 
“This left Lucinda third in her group and racing in a six boat fleet round robin repechage where the top two go through to the top eight group, all to play for,” he said.
 
After three races in repechage group, Lucinda sits on a two win one loss score and has a definite chance of progressing into the top eight.
 
As the winners of Group C Nicky Souter and crew started a round robin with the other winners and second place getters to provide the seedings for next knock out stage. After three races the Australians finished with one win two losses and have two races on Thursday morning.
 
“In Nicky’s first race she led the French crew off the line, taking a four length lead around the course,” said Sharp. “In the second race against American Sally Barkow, Nicky incurred a pre-start penalty but hung in just to be on the stern of the American boat at the top mark and close by at the bottom mark.”
 
Better shift sailing up the second leg bought Nicky and crew back into the game and a lee bow tack near the top mark put the USA under pressure to keep clear. They were unable to and the Australian’s penalty was offset, with good defending downwind, Nicky held a small lead to the finish.
 
The last race against the unbeaten Great Britain team skippered by Lucy Macgregor saw the Australians receive a pre-start penalty, with Great Britain taking control off the line and held a two to three boat length lead around the course.  
 
Both Australian crews have plenty left to race for on Thursday with final places and seedings for the finals to be decided.
 
Australian Sailing Development Squad 49er crew of Will and Sam Phillips have slipped to third position overall after recording a 13th, seventh and 25th in the day’s three races. After the leading the class for the opening two days the Phillips brothers are just four points behind the second placed Austrian crew and 15 behind the leaders, Many Dyen and Stephane Christidis of France.
 
Brendan Casey is currently 13th in the Finn class after finishing the day’s three races in 10th, 12th and 25th places and is currently 14 points outside the top 10.
 
In the Laser Radial class Megan de Lange picked up an 11th and 38th to finish in 24th position overall while Paul McKenzie and Philip Toth are 13th in the Star class.