Home favourites on course for SKUD18 title at Para World Sailing Championships

Challenging weather saw several crews suffer a mixed day of results ©ISAF

Paralympic gold medallists Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch remain in pole position to claim gold in the SKUD18 class at the Para World Sailing Championships following two more races in challenging conditions in Melbourne.

The defending champions held an 11-point advantage over their nearest rivals Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell overnight and maintained their lead after a closely fought battle with the British crew on the fourth day of the regatta.

Rickham and Birrell, recovering from a difficult start to the week, were attempting to claw back the Australians in the remaining three days of competition and enjoyed a perfect start as they claimed an early lead over the home favourites in the first race of the day.

Having held off Fitzgibbon and Tesch in the closing stages, the British duo edged closer to the leaders but were unable to repeat the feat in the second race of the day as their rvials claimed victory to restore their lead.

With only three races remaining of the event, Fitzgibbon and Tesch look poised to retain their title as they are currently on nine points, with the British pair moving onto 20.

Italy’s Marco Gualandris and Marta Zanetti currently occupy third place on 26 points.

Australia's sonar team remain on course for gold ©ISAF

After claiming the 2.4mR fleet race lead while his rivals suffered in the difficult weather conditions yesterday, France’s Damien Seguin looked destined to relinquish his grip of first position after finishing outside of the top six sailors in the opening race of the day.

Once again, however, he thrived in a constantly altering breeze to clinch victory in the seventh race of the regatta, while many of his closest competitors were struggling in the conditions.

Seguin moved onto a total of 16 points for the week, with Germany’s Lasse Kloetzing and Australia’s Matt Bugg occupying the remaining podium positions on 21 and 33 points respectively.

Podium positions in the sonar class remain unchanged after the teams all had a mixed day of results, including race leaders Colin Harrison, Jonathan Harris and Russell Boaden who suffered their worst result of the week, placing 11th in the opening race.

The Australians, though, had an improved second race where they placed fifth, ensuring they ended 14 points clear of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas in the standings, with the British team lying on 28 for the week.

French trio Bruno Jourdren, Eric Flageul and Nicola Vimont-Vicary, hoping for a third consecutive world title, remain in third place with their points total moving onto 31, having been disqualified in the first race of the day.

The regatta is due to come to a close on Thursday (December 3).