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Only the 49er and 49erFX fleets completed races on Friday. The sailors and Race Committee made valiant attempts to get in racing on a hazy, humid day with light air to no avail.

49erFX

Sarah Steyaert and Julie Bossard (FRA) came from behind to open up a 16 point gap over Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA) in the 49erFX

Despite a difficult start to the day the French team bounced back with two seconds whilst the Italians finished down the pack to fall behind ahead of the final day.

After racing Bossard commented, "We had a bad race in the first one with a bad start and then we fell in the water but that was okay in the end because we managed to concentrate and focus better and we got twos in two.

"We had good speed and good starts and we're happy with that."

Conti and Clapcich ventured into the day with a four point lead and the helm was visibly disappointed with her day, "In the first race we made a bad strategic decision to go on the right as the pressure came on the left so it was basically done.

"In the second race we had a very bad start which we could never recover from and in the last race we weren't very lucky because we had a very good start but then a boat tacked on the top mark and hit us so we couldn't round the top mark properly. We tried to recover a little bit and ended up 11th which was not that bad. It was tricky but tomorrow is another day."

Three ten minute Stadium races will bring the 49erFX to a close on the final day and the girls know it will be a tough day on the water.

Conti added, "I think it's going to be hard because the French are very good sailors and will do their best.

"I don't really like the stadium racing, I prefer a standard single Medal Race but it's something we have to get used. Three races are a lot but we will do our best."

Bossard concluded, "There's three races with lots of points. We'll just race like the other days because there are too many points to think about something.

"It will be a hard day for everybody. The best one will win."

Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) sit in third on 77 points.

49er

Six points separated first to sixth heading into the penultimate day of 49er racing with it all to play for. No team had taken the bull by the horns and grabbed the initiative. Consistency across the race track has been hard to come by with everything team counting at least two double point scores across the nine race series.

Three races in tricky conditions saw several shifts in position as a race win, a discarded 16th and a fourth promoted Stevie Morrison and Chris Grube (GBR) from sixth to first. The new British team formed as a trial at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne and early chemistry has been formed as the pair continue their early development. "Stevie is an experienced helm," commented Grube, "and it kind of shows in our sailing. I'm new to the boat and everything he tells me is pretty good.

"At the moment we're so new to the team and we're just making sure we're taking it one step at a time and doing the things that we need to do and making sure our programme suits that."

The Britons are tied on 51 points with Julien D'ortoli and Noè Delpech but lead on countback. Overnight leaders John Pink and Stuart Bithell (GBR) dropped down to fifth overall with Brad Funk and Trevor Burd (USA) and Jonas Warrer and Peter Lang (DEN) sitting ahead of the Brits on 54 points.

The final day of 49er racing will see the top ten compete in three single point stadium races to decide the honours.

Saturday's medal race series includes the top ten ranked sailors in each fleet competing in one race with double points applied. The 49er and 49erFX will conduct a series of three short races worth single points each.

The final day of 49er racing will see the top ten compete in three single point stadium races to decide the honours.

Here is the schedule with course assignments:

Course Area Theatre:
1100 - 49er - 3 Medal Races
1200 - 49er FX - 3 Medal Races

Course Area Alpha:
1330 - Radial Medal Race
1400 - Laser Medal Race

Course Area Bravo:
1100 - 470 Men Medal Race
1130 - 470 Women Medal Race
1200 - Finn Medal Race
1230 - RS:X Men Medal Race
1300 - RS:X Women Medal Race
1330 - Nacra 17 Medal Race

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