Tom Ashley. Herald file picture / BoP Times
Three New Zealanders are poised to challenge for the lead with two days to go at the Princess Sofia yachting regatta in Palma de Majorca, Spain.
Board sailor Tom Ashley is third, while Andrew Murdoch and Michael Bullot are fourth and fifth respectively in the Laser.
After four days of
racing in the RS:X board sailing, Greece's Byron Kokkalanis came back strongly overnight (NZ time) with a second and third to hit the lead. Previously, Ashley and Shahar Zubari shared the top spot.
Kokkalanis has 29 points, six points clear of Zubari on 35, with Ashley one point further back on 36.
After no racing on day three, the other fleets returned to the water today with Murdoch making a big move in the Laser fleet. Now able to discard his DNF result from day two, Murdoch climbs back up the leader-board from 31st place into fourth. In today's racing he was fourth and then 18th.
Bullot retains his place in the top five of the Laser flee, now racing in gold fleet for finals to decide a top 10 to sail off for the medals. Bullot bounced back from a black flag in the first race of the day to finish fourth in the second race and keep his place in fifth in the overall standings.
Other New Zealanders in the fleet include Josh Junior (13th) and Andy Maloney is lying 15th.
In the women's 470, Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie had an excellent day with two third places. Lying seventh in the standings, the duo are just four points astray from third place while the men's 470 pairing of Paul Snow-Hansen and Jason Saunders are 16th.
Elsewhere, Sara Winther is in 26th in the Laser Radials, and Kate Ellingham 14th in the women's board sailing. Matt Coutts is in 26th place in the Finn class.
This is the third of seven events in the 2009-10 ISAF Sailing World Cup series after Melbourne and Miami.
- NZPA
