Australia’s world No.4-ranked Laser sailor Matt Wearn has produced another supremely consistent performance to rocket into the lead on day four of the Trofeo Princesa Sofia at Palma in Spain.
Wearn and 470 pair Mat Belcher and Will Ryan are heading their respective fleets with two days of racing remaining. But, while Belcher and Ryan have dominated the 79-boat 470 competition for most of the regatta, Wearn has been involved in a dogged game of catch-up and has finally secured the advantage.
“So far it’s going pretty well,” Wearn said after scoring a 5 and 4 in races seven and eight, to put him 18 net points ahead of New Zealand’s Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sam Meech and a further eight points above silver medallist Tonci Stipanovic.
“The conditions have been different every day, so I’m happy to be posting consistent results in all conditions. For now it’s great to test everything we have been working on over the Aussie summer and build on what we already have going forward to the Worlds in Aarhus later this year.
“It’s great being back in Europe racing again. I haven’t been to Palma since 2015 so it’s great to be out on the water here again.”
Australia’s Rio Olympic champion, Tom Burton – who is currently ranked No.2 in the world – sailed to eighth and a discarded 37th and is 7th overall and Mitch Kennedy is 9th.
Belcher and Ryan scored a 9 and a bullet to tighten their grip on the 470 fleet and lead by a massive 31 net points.
Elsewhere, Natasha Bryant and Annie Wilmot moved up four places to 20th in the 49erFX after posting 6, 13 and 11 in Gold group racing and David Gilmour and Joel Turner scored 18, 19 and 5 and are 15th in the 49er.
All Australian Results:
470
Mat Belcher/Will Ryan – 2, (13), 3, 1, 1, 1, 9, 1 – 1st (Gold group)
Chris Charlwood/Josh Dawson – 12, 30, 10, 25, (30), 12, 27, 27 – 32nd (Gold)
470W
Nia Jerwood/Monique de Vries – 17, 8, 11, 19, 6, 2, 8, (UFD) – 31st (Silver)
49er
David Gilmour/Joel Turner – 10, 4, 11, 1, 5, 1, (BFD), 19, 19, 18, 19, 5 – 15th (Gold)
Lachy Gilmour/Ryan Donaldson – 2, 15, 17, 8, 7, 10, 11, 3, 9, 1, (21), 3 – 29th (Silver)
Kurt Hansen/Harry Morton – 19, 3, 4, 22, 13, 18, 19, (30), 22, 23, 19, 10 – 42nd (Silver)
49erFX
Natasha Bryant/Annie Wilmot – 22, 10, 6, 7, 15, 16, 22, (DNC), 18, 6, 13, 11 – 20th (Gold)
Amelia Stabback/Ella Clark – 18, 14, 11, 20, 25, (UFD), 3, 2, 5, 14, 6 – 33rd (Silver)
Finn
Oli Tweddell – 26, (39), 31, 7, 1, 7, 25, 10 – 15th
Jake Lilley – 15, 25, (42), 19, 13, 3, 32, 23 – 18th
Jock Calvert – (50), 35, 5, 36, 44, 32, 47, 50 – 38th
Lewis Brake – (65), 49, 50, 53, 36, 36, 63, 58 – 55th
Laser
Matt Wearn – 5, 2, 6, (24), 2, 1, 5, 4 – 1st (Gold)
Tom Burton – 2, 24, 2, 22, 4, 2, 8, (37) – 7th (Gold)
Mitch Kennedy – 23, 4, 3, 8, 15, 8, 7, (39) – 9th (Gold)
Finn Alexander – 1, 5, 1, 31, 24, (37), 25, 35 – 25th (Gold)
Luke Elliott – 17, 18, (32), 30, 1, 1, 16, 7 – 64th (Silver)
Daniel Self – 47, 15, 26, 56, 33, 15, (57), 26 – 98th (Silver)
Laser Radial
Paige Caldecoat – 43, 53, 21, 49, (UFD), 36, 46, 39 – 104th (Silver)
Nacra 17
Tayla Rietman/Lachie White – 19, 21, 22, 22, 23, 22, 7, 8, (UFD), 11, 13, 13 – 40th (Silver)
