Burling and Tuke take lead at Rio test event

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke in action during the Rio test event. Credit Pedro Martinez/Sailing Energy

Champion sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have jumped to the top of the standings in their 49er class after the second day of racing at the Rio Olympic test event today.
Burling and Tuke nailed three wins from four races to sit top.

"It was a tricky day out there on the close course right under the Sugar Loaf so we're really pleased to come away with three good results," Burling said.

At the end of day two the 49er fleet has now completed six races and Burling and Tuke know there is plenty of racing yet to come.

''We're halfway through the fleet racing series of the regatta," Tuke said.

''We had two races yesterday which were good for us, just a nice solid start, and it was good to get out and put the hammer down today and get three firsts."

The day produced tricky conditions with light winds, indeed too light for any racing on the three outer course areas, but all classes completed at least one race.

Two crews sit fourth overall, Nacra 17 pair Jason Saunders and Gemma Jones, and 49er FX sailors Alex Maloney and Molly Meech.

Saunders and Jones began with a win today and picked up a third in their second race, a 13th in their last race of the day didn't help. They have a reserve day tomorrow.

Maloney and Meech picked up a fifth today, which was given over to a waiting game for the wind to turn up.

Finn sailor Josh Junior sits sixth overall after a fourth placing in his fleet's only race of the day.

Olympic champions Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie picked up fifth and ninth places today to sit seventh overall; while Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox in the men's 470 placed 17th and 12th to lie 15th after four races.

Laser sailor Andy Maloney was 23rd in his fleet's only race to sit 12th.