Day Two started with no wind. By the start time the fleet were pleased to be still on the shore as a rain squall came through and the visibility dropped to 200 metres!
As the squall cleared the wind filled in and by the time the fleet were at the starting area there was a steady 18 knots oscillating through 30 degrees to give great sailing conditions.
Australians Michael BLACKBURN and Tom SLINGSBY both had a perfect day's racing, leading their respective fleets from start to finish in the both races held yesterday. Matt BLAKEY (NZL), who on the first day had matched the results of the Australians, lost contact in his second race when he got caught on the wrong side of a left hand shift caused by an active rain cloud passing nearby the course and could only mange a 6th.
Racing was a lot closer in the women's fleet. Christine BRIDGE, from the home club, got the locals cheering when she led round the first mark in the first race of the day. She said,
"It was a bit shifty and I got into the sequence. Downwind I lost several places but fortunately not Krystal, who capsized just behind me." Weir took up the story.
"It was quite a bad capsize and I lost several places. At the downwind gate I rounded the left hand mark whilst everyone else rounded the right hand one. I locked into a good shift which got me up to first, which I held until the last windward leg. I failed to cover Christine on the last leg and she got a good shift. She came in from the right and I was on port and in trouble. We finished on opposite ends of the line." Bridge said,
"I thought I just got the gun but it was exciting."
Bridge was dominant in the second race working the shifts well up the first windward leg to hold a comfortable lead at mark 1 ahead of Jane MACKY from New Zealand. Weir did not have a good start and was eighth round the first mark, about three quarters of a leg behind Bridge. Weir said.
"I said myself I am in trouble here but I had a good downwind leg and was able to slowly work my way back through the fleet but not enough to catch Christine and Jane."
Two more races are scheduled for Monday. Full results are on the event website at the address below.