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Aussies in the mix for medals on the final day of Sail Melbourne

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Australian Sailing Team crews are in the mix for medals in four classes as the opening round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, Sail Melbourne, heads towards its climax on Saturday.

Jessica Crisp is the best placed Australian as she leads the RS:X women’s fleet heading into the final medal race.

Crisp opened up a three point lead over China’s Hualz Zhu after starting the day in second position. The three-time Olympian had a fifth and a 10th while her Chinese competition was ninth and 13th.

If Crisp wins Sail Melbourne tomorrow it will be back to back wins for the Australian as she also took out the opening round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup last year.

In the Laser class Australian Sailing Development Squad member Tom Burton is the leading Australian and heads into the medal race in second position. Burton had a mixed penultimate day of racing with a 13th, 22nd and a second and lost his overall lead to Nick Thompson of Great Britain.

“I didn’t quite get off the line in the opening two races today,” said Burton. “After the first two I didn’t want another bad one as I’d already used my drop and wanted a good start and I managed to get a good start and my speed was fine once I got off the line.”

“Tomorrow will be my first grade one regatta medal race which is pretty cool,” he said. “I’ll take a look at the points tonight but it would just be nice to stand on the podium.”

But Burton won’t have it all his own way on Saturday with three-time Laser World Champion and reigning ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Tom Slingsby just five points behind him.

Slingsby had the perfect start to the day, winning the opening two races, before finishing fourth in race three to move up from his overnight fourth position.

“Today wasn’t a bad day results wise,” said Slingsby. “But in race three I was leading but found myself in no breeze and got overtaken by all the boats that I needed to beat.”

“I had a speed advantage all day but in the last one it got so shifty and patchy it was frustrating,” he said. “Tonight I’ll go and have a look at the points and see what I need to do tomorrow in the medal.”

The two Australians will be joined in the medal race by compatriot and ASDS member Ryan Palk who is currently in fifth position.

The 470 men’s fleet is set to go right down to the wire with the top four crews split by only four points. Australian crews are currently in third and fourth position with 2010 470 World Champions Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page third and Sam Kivell and Will Ryan two points further back in fourth.

The 470 fleet only managed to complete one race before a major storm hit Sail Melbourne with Belcher and Page beating the Austrian crew of Matthias Schmid and Florian Reichstaedter by just half a boat length. Kivell and Ryan were fourth and are well and truly in with a shot of a medal on Saturday.

Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen have had a mixed regatta in the 49er class and are in fourth position heading into the medal race. The pair are eight points off the third placed American crew of Storck and Moore with New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke leading the way.

Krystal Weir will compete in the Laser Radial class medal race after finishing the qualifying series in 10th position, with a fifth in Friday’s only race.

Brendan Casey finished the week in 11th place in the Finn class, missing out on a spot in the medal race by just a single point.

The Paralympic classes finished their regatta today with 2011 Australian Sailing Team members Ame Barnbrook and Lindsay Mason winning the Silver medal.

Fellow Australian Sailing Team members Daniel Fitzgibbon and Rachael Cox finished in third position, five positions behind Barnbrook and Mason.

In the 2.4mR class ASDS member Matthew Bugg won the final race of the regatta to finish with the Bronze medal while Greg Hyde was fourth.

For full race results, videos, news and photos visit www.sailmelbourne.com.au.


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