Right at the end of flight two when Ed BAIRD (USA) and Eugeny NEUGODNIKOV (RUS) were within touching distance of the finish line the wind went hard right, collapsing the spinnakers and leaving the crews scrambling for their jibs. Baird held on to win by less than a boat length.

The wind settled (well, loosely settled) out of the east at 6-10 knots but still threw a few curve balls in to keep the PRO on his toes with the occasional 60 degree lefty. Ben (the PRO) did a great job staying on top of the shifts and kept the mark boat crew busy dragging the marks around to keep the beats true.

At 9pm time was called after the completion of flight 10, leaving 7 flights for Friday to finish the second round robin. On Tuesday the wind came in at 7pm and some of the sailors asked ”Why are we not racing, there is excellent wind?” Nobody is likely to ask that question again.

RESULTS

Flight 1 : Taranov (RUS) def Presti (FRA) - Hansen (SWE) def Cian (ITA) - Jablonski (POL) def Lindberg (FIN) - Neugodnikov (RUS) def Williams (GBR)

Flight 2 : Hansen (SWE) def Taranov (RUS)- Presti (FRA) def Jablonski (POL) - Cian (ITA) def Lindberg (FIN) - Baird def Neugonnikov

Flight 3 : Cian (ITA) def Presti (FRA) - Hansen (SWE) def Lindberg (FIN) - Arbozov (RUS) def Berntsson (SWE) - Williams (GBR) def Richard (FRA)

Flight 4 : Taranov (RUS) def Cian (ITA) - Berntsson (SWE) def Williams (GBR) - Neugodnikov (RUS) def Richard (FRA) - Baird (USA) def Arbuzonv (RUS)

Flight 5 : Taranov (RUS) def Jablonski (POL) - Richard (FRA) def Berntsson (SWE) - Arbuzov (RUS) def Neugodnikov (RUS) - Baird (USA) def Williams (GBR).

Flight 6 : Berntsson (SWE) def Neugodnikov (RUS) - Williams (GBR) def Arbozov (RUS) - Richard (FRA) def Baird (USA) - Jablonski (POL) def Hansen (SWE)

Flight 7 : Richard (FRA) def Arbuzov (RUS) - Lindberg (FIN) def Taranov (RUS) - Cian (ITA) def Jablonski (POL) - Presti (FRA) def Hansen (SWE)

Flight 8 : Baird (USA) def Berntsson (SWE) - Jablonski (POL) def Neugodnikov (RUS) - Cian (ITA) def Richard (FRA) - Presti (ITA) def Lindberg (FIN)

Flight 9 : Arbuzov (RUS) def Hansen (SWE) - Williams (GBR) def Cian (ITA) - Lindberg (FIN) def Berntsson (SWE) - Baird (USA) def Presti (FRA)

Flight 10 : Williams (GBR) def Lindberg (FIN) - Jablonski (POL) def Berntsson (SWE) - Arbuzov (RUS) def CIAN (ITA)

The big question is which way next. With a forecast for Thursday exactly the same as the preceding two days, Thursday could bring the lions share of the second round completed or a stalling in the proceedings which could lead to breaking for semi-finals. Lets hope for the wind gods to smile.

STANDINGS

Ed Baird (USA), 8/3
Karol Jablonski (POL, Toscana Challenge), 8/3
Staffan Lindberg (FIN), 8/3
Evgeniy Neugodnikov (RUS), 6/5
Philippe Presti (FRA, Le Défi Français), 6/5
Bjorn Hansen (SWE), 5/6
Maxim Taranov (RUS), 5/6
Paolo Cian (ITA, Italia Challenge), 5/6
Mathieu Richard (FRA), 4/7
Ian Williams (GBR), 4/7
Johnnie Berntsson (SWE), 4/7
Andrew Arbuzov (RUS), 3/8

RESULTS

Flight 7 : Andrew Arbuzov (RUS) def. Mathieu Richard (FRA) - Maxim Taranov (RUS) def. Staffan Lindberg (FIN) - Paolo Cian (ITA) def Karol Jablonski (POL) - Philippe Presti (FRA) def Bjorn Hansen (SWE).

Flight 8 : Ed Baird (USA) def. Johnnie Berntsson (SWE) - Jablonski (POL) def Neugodnikov (RUS) - Richard (FRA) def Cian (ITA) - Lindberg (FIN) def Presti (FRA)

Flight 9 : Bjorn Hansen (SWE) def. Andrew ARBUZOV (RUS) - Paolo Cian (ITA) def. Ian Williams (GBR) - Staffan Lindeberg (FIN) def Johnnie Berntsson (SWE) - Philippe Presti (FRA) def. Ed Baird (USA)

Flight 10 : Staffan Lindberg (FIN) def. Ian WILLIAMS - Jablonski (POL) def Berntsson (SWE) - Cian (ITA) def Arbuzov (RUS) - Baird (USA) def Taranov (RUS)

Flight 11 : Lindberg (FIN) def Arbuzov (RUS) - Baird (USA) def Cian (ITA) - Johnnie Berntsson (SWE) def. Bjorn Hansen (SWE) - Richard (FRA) def Taranov (RUS)

Flight 12 : Baird (USA) def. Lindberg (FIN) - Presti (FRA) def Arbuzov (RUS) - Jablonski (POL) def Richard (FRA) - Neugodnikov def Hansen (SWE)

Flight 13 : Presti (FRA) def Berntsson (SWE) - Neugodnikov (RUS) def Cian (ITA) - Hansen (SWE) def Baird (USA) - Richard FRA def Taranov RUS

Flight 14 : Jablonski (POL) def Arbuzov (RUS) - Hansen (SWE) def. Richard (FRA) - Maxim Taranov (RUS) def Berntsson (SWE) - Presti (FRA) def Williams (GBR)

Flight 15 : Ed Baird (USA) def. Karol Jablonski (POL) - Lindberg (FIN) def Richard (FRA) -
Hansen (SWE) def Williams (GBR) - Arbuzov (RUS) def Taranov (RUS)

Flight 16 : Richard (FRA) def. Presti (FRA) - Jablonski (POL) def Williams (GBR) - Lindberg (FIN) def. Neugodnikov (RUS) - Berntsson (SWE) def Cian (ITA)

Flight 17 : Neugodnikov (RUS) def Cian (ITA) - Taranov (RUS) def Williéms (GBR)

The weather situation was much improved today but still changeable. Flights started in an early afternoon fresh breeze that brought with it thunderstorms and hard rain before the wind eventually dropped off this evening.

So far, six full flights have been sailed and the current joint leadership is held between the Current number 1 on the ISAF World Match Race Rankings, Karol JABLONSKI (POL) and the current ISAF World Match Race Champion, Ed BAIRD (USA).