Aussie sailors tracking towards a good result set in Rio Olympics

by John Curnow on 14 Aug 2016 Tom Burton has been the World Number One Laser sailor for much of the quadrennial, and is now certain of a medal. With an 11, 4 day yesterday, he is only a point behind the leader overall, but 10 points after the discard, so he will need a cracker of a medal race to take Gold in the double-point medal race, which is on Monday (Tuesday 3am AEST).

Given Michael Blackburn is his coach, Burton will be very much aware of the tactical possibilities the Medal Race could bring. Burton said after racing yesterday, “Obviously it’s nice to have a medal locked in. Tonci (Croatian, Tonci Stipanovic) will probably have plans to lock Gold away, so I think it will be a good race.”

Jake Lilley (Finn) with a 3, 5 day is now in third place behind the about to be Gold Medallist, Giles Scott (GBR). In yesterday's first race he was second for much of the race and just got caught after the fourth mark to finish third. Overall, Lilley continues to impress. He might be the youngest sailor in the Finn Olympic fleet, but he has an old head on young shoulders, a great temperament.

As proof, here are some very sage words from the big Queenslander. “There are still two races remaining, and everyone’s got a big score, so no-one can afford to put another onto it. You’ve just got to take it one race at a time.”

Ashley Stoddart has sailed into Tuesday's Laser Radial Medal Race with a seventh and eighth today, to finish with an overall nine placing.

Half-way though the 49er regatta Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen were disappointed after frustrating another up and down day, with a 2, 5, 11 and 12th. They are in sixth place, whilst the London Silver Medallists, Burling and Tuke, are clearing out.

A rest day yesterday for the 470 fleet, with Matt Belcher and Will Ryan, sitting close behind the Croatians, with plenty of races to go, they are looking good for a medal. It really should be Gold. Belcher and Ryan are in really good shape, they have not been beaten from there in any regatta in the last quad.

The Aussie 470 girls, Carrie Smith and Jamie Ryan, are 11th overall and looking to improve.

Great news from the Nacra 17's with Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin still holding the overall lead. They finished with midfleet results of 15th, 11th and 11th today, but luckily for them, their closest rivals had similar results, so they still lead.

The cousins duo were upbeat, with Darmanin saying, “We thrive under pressure. We love flat water and shifty conditions, so we’re hoping the Navy course tomorrow will bring us some of that. Today wasn’t our best, but we’re ready to bring it home tomorrow.”

So Australia could win three sailing Gold Medals, and other medals too from here, with the right kind of prayers. The Sailors themselves, the Weather Gods and Sugarloaf medal course will no doubt decide!