Rio Olympics – Thompson and Young ready for second Medal Race attempt

by RYA on 16 Aug 2016 The Laser and Laser Radial classes will try to determine their final Rio 2016 standings tomorrow after both of today’s Medal Races were scuppered in Guanabara Bay (Monday 15 August).

The revised schedule for tomorrow is to be confirmed with racing due to resume from 5pm (BST).

The Laser Radials were scheduled to race first, with the Lasers following an hour later, but the women were held ashore for over two and half hours as breath-like wind and glassy water blighted the Pão de Açucar (Sugarloaf) course.

With a front forecast to bring wind speeds of around 25 knots inside the bay, and the race committee having a time limit of 8.30pm BST to get the Radial Medal Race underway, the sailors were released from the shore at 7.30pm with the aim to get their race on.

But by the time they reached the racecourse area, the wind had built so much and so rapidly to 30+ knots the committee had no choice but to abandon racing for the day on safety grounds, and everyone will now return tomorrow to try again.

If the Laser Radial and Lasers still aren’t able to complete their Medal Races tomorrow, the medals will be awarded as per the current standings in which Alison Young sits in eighth and Nick Thompson is sixth respectively.

Alison Young, who sits in eighth on the Laser Radial leaderboard, admitted it was one of the more surreal racing experiences she had found herself in.

She said: “It was certainly eventful. It was a shame we didn’t get racing in but I’m looking forward to a good Medal Race tomorrow.

“First there was no wind and then there was lots of wind, it was interesting. I managed to keep calm so we just need to get ready to go again tomorrow”.

The Finn and Nacra 17 Medal Races are also scheduled to take place tomorrow.