Audi Laser Radial Womens Worlds – Tightening at the top

by Sail-World.com on 20 May 2012 Audi Laser Radial Womens World Championships 2012 - Germany - The seasons most consistent sailor, with three World Cup wins under her belt Lijia Xu (CHN) had her worst day of this Boltenhagen regatta. She was saddled with a 14th and 12th, these are now her two drops.

However Xu is still ahead of Gintare Scheidt (LTU) in the overall results due to her 12 point lead with which she went into today's races.

Today's first start at the Audi Laser World Championship 2012 was postponed for three hours as there was barely any wind.

Around 1pm a sea breeze came in and there were six to eight knots for the first race and ten to twelve knots for the second.

A small current on the Wohlenberger Wiek kept the sailors in line and there was neither a general recall nor a single early starter during any of the starts.

Scheidt gained against her Chinese rival in today’s first race where she was second but had to discard the seventeenth place from the second race as her worst result in the final series so far.

With the second discard after ten races Alison Young (GBR) only adds one point to her overall score and moves back up into third place.

Sari Multala (FIN) slips to fourth place but with only eleven points separating her and Lijia Xu in first place there is still the chance for some major changes in the overall rankings.

Defending World Champion Marit Bouwmeester (NED) held her fifth place overall with two ninth places.

18-year-old newcomer Erika Reineke (USA) scored spectacular results in gold fleet today, achieving a third and a first place ahead of fellow countrywoman Paige Railey who finished 20th and ninth.

Reineke is still ahead in the U21 rankings as well, having established a giant 69 point lead on Brenda Bowskill (CAN) in second place. Michelle Broekhuizen (NED) is in third place.

Results - Gold Fleet

Results - Silver Fleet

Full results for the 2012 Women's Laser Radial World Championship can be found here.