Delta Lloyd Regatta - Great day on the water for Aussie Krystal Weir

by Craig Heydon on 26 May 2012 At the Delta Lloyd Regatta 2012 in Medemblik, the fifth round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, Australian sailor Krystal Weir has taken the Laser Radial class lead on the penultimate day of racing.

Weir went into Friday’s four races a point behind overnight leader Tina Mihelic of Croatia with the Australian having a great day on the water with two wins and two seconds.

The results have given Weir a 10 point lead with just one fleet race and the final 10 boat medal race remaining.

'I had a really consistent day today which was important as it was very shifty on the course,' said Weir.

The Delta Lloyd Holland Regatta is trialing a new format for a number of classes at the event with more races a day, held over a shorter length, closer to shore.

'I’m really enjoying this format of racing with 45min races and four of them per day,' said Weir. 'It could be the way of the future for our class, more like the 49er's format of racing.'

In the Sonar class Australians Colin Harrision, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris continue to hold down second position with just one race remaining.

The Australian trio is four points behind the leading French crew following a first and a fifth from Friday’s two races.

'After a good start and some hard sailing in today’s first race we managed to pull off another bullet,' said Harrison. 'Race nine was more challenging with a high risk separation from the fleet leaving us exposed at the first top mark rounding.

'This left us fighting our way back through the fleet to finish fifth,' he said. 'It was a painful lesson learnt in risk management but we’re still second overall heading into the last race.'

Jessica Crisp remains fourth overall in the RS:X women’s class heading into the final double-points medal race.

The RS:X women’s fleet completed a further two races on Friday with Crisp finishing third and eighth to be 10 points off the leading Norwegian sailor heading into the final race.

With 20 points up for grabs in the medal race and just 10 separating the top four there will be plenty of action on the racecourse on Saturday.

Fellow Australian Joanna Sterling is 14th overall while in the RS:X men’s Luke Baillie is 24th.

Matt Bugg continues to work his way up the score board in the 2.4mR class with the Tasmanian now seventh overall following a pair of seventh place finishes.

'Today was a great day to be yacht racing with plenty of wind, big waves and once again warmth and sunshine,' said Bugg. 'I was happy with two sevenths, managing to climb another place on the leader board, my decision making today was good and I also really improved my starting from the last few days,' he said.

In the 470 class brothers Matthew and Robert Crawford are eighth overall following a further four races.

The Crawfords finished the day with a seventh, fifth, ninth and an eighth.

Jake Lilley is 26th in the Laser class with fellow Australian Ki-Raphael Sulkowski Australian Sailing Team Delta Lloyd Regatta website