RS:X World Championship - Kokkalanis and Shaw on top after day 2

Tue, 5 Mar 2013

Day two of racing at the 2013 RS:X World Championship held in Buzios, Brazil sees Bryony Shaw (GBR) leading the women's fleet and Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) at the top in the men's fleet. The wind of 15knots from the east allowed the race committee to do three races scheduled, with an average duration of 30 minutes each. With five races completed, the sailors have discarded the worst result, which has resulted in some changes on the leader board.

Sailing at home, happy with the perfect conditions, Ricardo 'Bimba' Winicki, won the first race of the day and with a third and a fourth places, moved up to fifth overall.

'The wind was a little more constant and I sailed easier today. On the first race, I believed in the gusts on the right side of the course. It paid off and I won. On the second race, I did the whole race in fourth, passing the French in the last downwind leg. In the last one, I had a good start and fought with Dorian Van Rijsselberge and Nick Dempsey, gold and silver medals in London Games, the whole race,' said Bimba.

Van Rijsselberge (NED) and Dempsey (GBR) also sailed consistently throughout the second day and sit in the podium spots behind Kokkalanis. On his day Dempsey said, 'The weather was quite tricky again on the water and I had a six and two second places. That is not bad, the first result is a little bit disappointing, but the weather was quite difficult.'

Three races were also sailed in the women's fleet and enabled British sailor Shaw to swoop into the lead ahead of France's Charline Picon. After losing the lead Picon said, 'I haven't sailed in these conditions in a while so it served as a test for me. Today was a bit more complicated. In the third race I made a mistake that cost me the leadership. I was close to the British, but took the wrong decision in the windward leg and ended in 13th place.'

Patricia Freitas carries the home nation's hopes and is placed 13th overall.

With yesterday's races, the men's fleet reach the end of the qualifying series and on Monday will be divided into gold and silver fleets. The women will continue sailing a single fleet until 5 March and the top ten in both fleets will sail the Medal Race on 6 March when the 2013 RS:X Worlds conclude.

2013 RS:X World Championship MEN Overall

Sailed: 5, Discards: 1, To count: 4, Entries: 66, Scoring system: Appendix A