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The Aussies won race 7 from Leigh MCMILLAN and Will HOWDEN (GBR) and Mitch BOOTH and Pim NIEUWENHUIS (NED). In race 8, it was the Danish team of Allan NORREGAARD and Michael RISOER who came home first from BOOTH and NIEUWENHUIS and Andrey KIRILYUK and Valery USHKOV (RUS).

Following eight races, Darren BUNDOCK and Glenn ASHBY (AUS) on 15 points lead team BOOTH on 22 points and KIRILYUK and USHKOV are in third place on 26 points.

BUNDOCK said this afternoon: "The Danes made a big comeback to win race 8. It was very tricky out there today. Very shifty. The left side paid big. Hard left. We were in the front row of that race; second at the top mark, then the shift got us. It was definitely a one way track to the left," he said.

"There was a fair bit of current today too, which had an effect on results. Downwind was where everyone made their gains and losses today."

KIRILYUK and USHKOV are happy, to say the least, with their overall third placing and enjoyed yesterday's and today's 12-13 knot conditions.

"We have not been sailing between October and the New Year, so this regatta and the Asia Pacific Series coming up at Sandringham Yacht Club next week is all practice and training for our Worlds," KIRILYUK said through his coach.

"In particular, we are looking at our boat speed. We are one of two Russian crews here and whichever one of us is the best placed at the Worlds, gets the place for the Olympic Games," he said.

"Since finishing the 2007 ISAF Worlds in Cascais, we have lost 10kg between us and have a bit more to go, because if we are selected for the Olympics, we need to be light to suit the light conditions," added KIRILYUK, who has three Olympic campaigns under the belt.

The Championship, being sailed under the Sail Melbourne banner and conducted by Somers Yacht Club, concludes tomorrow afternoon.

Sail Melbourne - www.sailmelbourne.com.au
Results - www.sailmelbourne.com.au/race-results/2008/tornado/series.htm