The second day of racing has concluded in the Toyota Optimist Championships being sailed at Auckland's Narrow Neck beach, on the North Shore. Two Australian sailors are placed in the top three overall in the Open fleet
After all racing was lost yesterday in the Open Fleet due to non-existent or inconsistent wind, racing only got underway properly today with a moderate 8 - 10 knot sea breeze or north easterly was coming in onto the beach causing small waves, under overcast skies, with occasional rain.
Racing got underway mid-morning with the 200 competitor Open fleet sailing off Narow Neck, and the while the Green fleet raced midway between Narrow Neck and Takapuna to the north. There is a fleet of 80 'Mommy Boats' accompanying the racers.
Just over three hundred sailors from five Oceania countries are competing at the event.
Day 2 - 2011 Toyota Optimist Nationals - Will Calver Ocean Photography NZL
The seabreeze kicked in soon after the start of the first race as the Open fleet sailed the first of their 14 race series. Winds peaked at 24 knots late morning before quickly dying off then rebuilding later in the afternnon, with periods of rain.
The Open fleet got three races in and the regatta is currently lead by Christopher Charlwood of Australia, second is Isaac McHardie of Tauranga/Hamilton, and third Alistair Young of Australia.
A number of top contenders are suffering from an OCS (over the line at the start), many of these competitors scored very well in the final two races of the day and when the first discard cuts in there should be changes at the top of the points table
The Green fleet also managed to get two races away in the challenging conditions and came back to shore in the early afternoon to enjoy pasta the warmth and shelter of the club rooms. Henry Gibbs of QCYC is leading this division of the regatta, followed by Vaitea Delvallet and Romain Vigneron. Both are from Tahiti.
For the next two days, Predictwind.com is showing moderate breezes, with the winds becoming lighter on Monday, the final day of the regatta, which also serves as a Selection Trial for the New Zealand team for the 2011 World Championships.
Day 2 - 2011 Toyota Optimist Nationals - Will Calver Ocean Photography NZL
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