With yesterday’s fourth day of sailing for the Women’s Laser Radials at the Rio Olympics bedevilled by light breezes after unusually strong winds earlier in the week, pressure is intensified on Annalise Murphy, who has electrified everyone at home with an inspirational performance. Although she slipped from the lead to third overall after recording an 18th in yesterday’s first race in light conditions, she saw an improvement in the second contest (Race 8) to take 12th and continue in a clearer third place overall. W M Nixon takes a look at the family background which has provided the foundations for this world class sailor, and analyses how our Olympic sailing history has made the hope for a medal almost a national obsession.

Olympic sport is a matter of intensely private effort made under an unprecedented level of global scrutiny. And Olympic sailing can seem like a particularly exquisite form of torture, as it manages to combine the toughest elements of the sprint with the marathon.

The sprint side is obvious. The races of the 2016 Olympiad can seem almost absurdly short to the observer, even if they seem long enough to the participants, particularly those who have carved out a lead. But the insidious marathon side is to be found in the overall length of time the entire series takes up. Days and days. It’s like war. Brief periods of intense excitement and activity, separated by long periods – day after day - of waiting. Boredom could become an enemy for the psychologically unprepared.

In sailing in particular, the complexity is total. This vehicle sport, in which the mysterious wind is the driving power, and on an unpredictable sea at that, is a severe test for athletic ability, technological savvy, tactical and strategical techniques, and the most profound depths of psychological inner strength.

Even in a normal sailing area, that’s how sailing is. But the sailing in Rio is heroically abnormal. In fact, for the first five days of the Sailing Olympiad 2016, it could be argued that the sailing conditions are the unpredictable stars of the show. Offshore breeze with smooth water? Then you can get little bullets of wind curving round those crazy peaks to have one boat planing along while another well within shouting distance is just plodding. Strong onshore winds? They don’t mess about – these are winds, they’re not breezes, and on the most seaward course area at Copacabana, the result can be waves as big as house.

And then yesterday came light airs. So those who are doing well are those who are keeping themselves unfazed by the kaleidoscope of sailing conditions. And as Annalise Murphy has made no less than nine prolonged sailing visits to the race area in the three and more years since she shook off the upset of suddenly dropping out of the medals at the London Games of 2012 in the final Medals Race itself, Rio is almost a home from home, and she knows its wayward ways

But inevitably as she comes within striking distance of a medal in Rio, everything is magnified. But not in any panoramic way. We’re talking microscopic magnification here. Her every move, every facial expression, every statement, is minutely dissected and analysed.

A fortnight ago here, in trying to set the scene, we gave an impression of the team as they prepared to depart for Rio:

“So how are our sailors going to do in Rio? As Annalise Murphy has more experience of the venue than anyone else, her opinions were of special interest. She crisply dismissed any grumblings about the flukiness of the sailing waters by saying that the unpredictability is so general in sailing in Rio’s winter (or what passes for winter when you’re near enough to the equator) that in the end it’s the same for everyone.

Certainly she’s giving it her best shot, and she has benefitted – as have all the Irish sailing squad - from the involvement (intensive in her case) of uber-coach Gary Keegan of the Institute of Sport. He’s leaving the Institute for a new venture after the Olympics, but for now, he has helped guide Murphy to peak form, thanks to a closely-controlled weight reduction programme as part of a carefully-monitored training plan which, at Tuesday’s conference, had the Irish sailor looking extremely fit and well, with her mental outlook in a very good place.”

The Annalise Murphy who went off to the Olympics less than a fortnight ago was a very different person from the frustrated sailor who was disappointed with her own international performances early in the season. There’ll be time enough, once these Olympics are over, to learn about how the transformation was brought about in such a relatively short time. But some hints of the psychological adjustments which have been made came through from various sources.

In her interviews this week, as the mesmerizing saga of her consistency at the top of the Women’s Laser Radial leaderboard has unfolded to capture the national imagination, one of her comments stands out. She has said several times – indeed, many times – that she’s enjoying herself. Ally that with her determination to take it one race at a time, together with her new extra-trim fitness levels, and in all, Ireland has a formidable presence among the pace-setters in her class.

It speaks volumes for her strength of character, which in turn speaks volumes for the family background from which she has emerged. But then, when you have parents like Con Murphy and Cathy McAleavey, the likelihood of your own sailing being something special is very high indeed.

Con and Cathy were pioneers in multi-hull sailing in Ireland, and then Cathy pioneered in another direction by teaming up with Aisling Byrne to race the 470 for Ireland in the 1988 Olympics, the first Olympics with a specifically women’s class.

Cathy McAleavey and her daughter Annalise Murphy racing the family’s Water Wag in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. Photo VDLR
Cathy has since become a tower of strength in the classic boat movement with new boats for the Water Wag and Shannon One Design classes built with the great Jimmy Furey of Roscommon, but for many years before that she was a serious competitor in the Lasers. Yet it was the Holy Grail of the Round Ireland Sailing Record which really brought Con and Cathy into the limelight way back in 1993, when they persuaded Steve Fossett to bring his 60ft trimaran Lakota to Ireland for a record challenge in September. It was a challenge in which Con and Cathy were key members in the crew, a challenge so perfectly calculated that their record time stood for 22 years.

Thus there was a satisfying completeness to the global sailing scene as it impinged on their home club of the National Yacht Club last night, for not only were members gathered to cheer Annalise on her way as she sailed races 7 and 8 of the Rio Olympics, but American speed sailor Lloyd Thornburg was back in town to embrace the trophy which he so recently won with Phaedo 3’s new Round Ireland record, a trophy which first appeared when the Lakota record was set back in 1993.

The crew of Lakota in the National Yacht Club after her Round Ireland Record in 1993 are (left to right) Con Murphy, Cathy McAleavey, Steve Fossett, Dave Scully, and Brian Thompson who currently sails with Lloyd Thornburg on Phaedo 3.

As for Irish involvement in the sailing Olympics, it goes back only to 1948, as it had taken some time since Irish Independence in 1921 to establish a separate Irish national sailing identity. In fact for some time to come, most contentious sailing matters were still to be referred to the Yacht Racing Association in London, which became the Royal Yachting Association in 1953).

But for the Olympics in 1948, an ad hoc organization called the Irish Yachting Federation was established to be the required national authority. Thereafter, the Irish Dinghy Racing Association (subsequently the Irish Yachting Association, and now the ISA) took over the role, but today in seeing Ireland contemplate medal territory, it’s timely to salute those who sailed for Ireland in the Olympic cause in times past, for as late starters in the Olympic sailing game, we have an extra edge to our medal hunger. And we can also reflect on the huge changes in boat type used.

The boats of the 1948 Olympics are (left to right) the Firefly, International Star, Swallow Class, International Dragon, and International 6 Metre. In this first post-World War II Olympiad, while London hosted the main shoreside events, the sailing was staged 200 miles away in Torbay in Devon. Although the Germans had been developing una-rigged single-handed dinghies pre-war, following the Hitler unpleasantness there was no way the British hosts were going to use German boats for the 1948 games. In a sailing situation typical of the times, there was only one dinghy – all the others were keelboats. The new Uffa Fox-designed 12ft Firefly, hot-moulded “like a waffle” by Fairey Marine, was roped in to be the Singlehander despite being sloop rigged (it was to be replaced by the Finn for the 1952 Games), while the two-man boat was the 26ft Swallow Class keelboat.
IRISH OLYMPIC SAILING REPRESENTATION, 1948-2016

1948 - London (Torquay)
Firefly: Jimmy Mooney
Swallow: Alf Delaney, Hugh Allen
Reserve: D St J Sullivan
Management: Billy Mooney, Errol McNally

1952 - Helsinki
Finn: Alf Delany

1956 Melbourne
Finn: J. Somers Payne

1960 Rome
Flying Dutchman: Johnny Hooper, Peter Gray
Dragon: Jimmy Mooney, David Ryder, Robin Benson
Finn Class: J. Somers Payne
Reserve: Neil Hegarty
Management: Clayton Love Jnr, Alf Delaney
Boatman: Jimmy Miller

1964 Tokyo
Dragon: Eddie Kelliher, Harry Maguire, Rob Dalton
Finn: Johnny Hooper
Manager: Leo Flanagan

1968 Mexico City - Sailing in Acapulco
No competitors

1972 Munich - Sailing in Kiel
Tempest: David Wilkins, Sean Whitaker
Dragon: Robin Hennessy, Harry Byrne, Owen Delany
Finn: Kevin McLaverty
Flying Dutchman: Harold Cudmore, Richard O'Shea
Reserves: Curly Morris, Joe McMenamin
Management: Peter Gray, Ken Ryan, Kare Brevik

1976 Montreal - Sailing in Kingston
470: Robert Dix, Peter Dix
Flying Dutchman: Barry O'Neill, Jamie Wilkinson
Tempest: David Wilkins, Derek Jago
Management: Ken Ryan, Jock Smith

1980 Moscow - Sailing in Talinn
SILVER MEDAL
Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Jamie Wilkinson
Management: Michael Maguire, Tom Clancy

The magic moment – Afloat report on 1980’s Silver Medal
1984 Los Angeles

Finn: Bill O'Hara
Management: Mick Wallace

1988 Seoul - Sailing in Pusan
Finn: Bill O'Hara
Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Peter Kennedy
470(Women): Cathy MacAleavy, Aisling Byrne
Reserves: Maeve McNally, Conrad Simpson
Management: Michael Wallace, Con Murphy

1992 Barcelona
Europe: Denise Lyttle
Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Peter Kennedy
Star: Mark Mansfield, Tom McWilliam
Reserves: Denis E O'Sullivan, Conrad Simpson
Management: Michael Wallace, Mark Lyttle, Trevor Millar

1996 Atlanta - Sailing in Savannah
Laser - Mark Lyttle
Europe - Aisling Bowman(Byrne)
Finn - John Driscoll
Star - Mark Mansfield & David Burrows
470 (Women) - Denise Lyttle & Louise Cole
Soling - Marshall King, Dan O'Grady & Garrett Connolly
Management - Derek Jago, Paddy Boyd, Anne Blaney and Bill O'Hara

2000 Sydney
Europe - Maria Coleman
Finn - David Burrows
Star - Mark Mansfield & David O'Brien
Management - Bill O'Hara, James Hynes, Garrett Connolly, Paddy Boyd, Anne Blaney

2004 Athens
Europe - Maria Coleman
Finn - David Burrows
Star - Mark Mansfield & Killian Collins
49er - Tom Fitzpatrick & Fraser Brown
470 - Gerald Owens & Ross Killian
Laser - Rory Fitzpatrick
Management - Garrett Connolly

2008 Qingdao
Star - Peter O'Leary & Stephen Milne
Finn - Tim Goodbody
Laser Radial - Ciara Peelo
470 - Gerald Owens & Phil Lawton
Management - James O'Callaghan

2012 London sailing at Portland/Weymouth
Star - Peter O'Leary & David Burrows
Laser Radial - Annalise Murphy
49er - Ryan Seaton & Matt McGovern
Laser - James Espey
470 - Ger Owens & Scott Flanigan

2016 Rio de Janeiro
Laser Radial – Annalise Murphy
49er – Ryan Seaton & Matt McGovern
Laser – Finn Lynch
49erFX – Andrea Brewster & Saskia Tidey

The International Star was the unlikely provider of the last gasp for keelboats, and that was in the 2012 Olympics. Although the Stars still harbour hopes that they will get a call to return to the five ring circus, no-one else sees keelboats happening again in the line–up, as the athletic approach to sailing takes over completely.

As it is, involvement with the Olympics can knock a class off course completely, and over the 120 years of Olympic sailing, only a few of the boat types involved longterm have emerged unscathed. All of which resonates to the great credit of the Bruce Kirby-designed Laser. Here at last is a boat which can be both a very viable Olympic class – it has the biggest fleet at Rio – while also being a boat which succeeds for sailors at all levels. So let’s hear it for the gallant little Laser – she has risen above the Curse of the Olympics.

Meanwhile out in Rio yesterday the evening trickled away and still the quest for another medal, the first since 1980, goes on. Over the years, the level of Irish achievement has gradually risen. In 1960 when the Rome Olympics staged the sailing in Naples, we had our first race win by Peter Gray and Johnny Hooper, but that was by default as the Italian crew were disqualified after it was proven they’d left out a mark.

Thus it was 1972 at Kiel in Germany before Ireland got a race-winning gun, for David Wilkins and Sean Whitaker in the Tempest two-man keelboat. And then eight years later it was David Wilkins – our most tenacious Olympic sailor – who finally brought home the Silver Medal, crewed by Jamie Wilkinson in the Flying Dutchman, a two-man 20ft dinghy which seemed the height of modernity at the time, hut with a massively over-lapping genoa which went round the block and back again, she now seems almost quaint.

The team which took the Silver Medal in 1980 are (left to right) David Wilkins (helm), Michael Maguire (Manager), Kare Brevik (Meteorologist), Ken Ryan (Chef d’Equipe) and Jamie Wilkinson (crew)
But yesterday’s conditions weren’t quaint. They were maddening. Racing went nowhere at first, but by the second race - Race 8 - a reasonable breeze filled in further offshore. Annalise Murphy’s 18th in Race 7 should be seen in the broader context, with Race 8’s 12th firming up her third overall. For Olympic newbie Finn Lynch in the Men’s Laser the competition piled on, and he had to be content with a 33rd in Race 7 which tested his resolve, as it puts him back to 28th overall in a series in which he was showing in the top third of the 46–strong fleet in the early races, but her finished the day 30th overall.

As for the next wave of classes now coming into their programmes, Matt McGovern and Ryan Seaton in the 49er were best, they showed a 14th for the first race, but an outstanding second in Race 2 shunted them up to fifth overall, which is definitely something to work with.

But taking the long view, a medal is a medal. After 36 years, the people are hungry and thirsty. So for now, here’s to the Flying Dutchman, which did it for us back in 1980.

The International Flying Dutchman. All of 20ft long, and with a genoa only for heroes. But she brought home the Silver for Ireland in 1980

Racing further out to sea in a westerly 9–12 knot breeze on Rio's Pia course, Annalise Murphy scored 12th in race eight and is in bronze medal position going into the final two qualifying races tomorrow. Race eight completed a tough day on the water for the Dubliner who lost the overall lead but stays very much in the mix for the medals, just 14–points off the lead.

Annalise rounded the top mark in race eight in ninth place in good company from the left and importantly had rivals Marit Bouwmeester (NED), Anne–Marie Rindom (DEN) and China's Lila Xu behind her. 

On the first downwind leg, Annalise opted to go low, a good bit below the rhumb line and ended up getting pushed high to the leeward gate by overall leader Rindom.

On the first downwind leg Annalise opted to go low, a good bit below the rhumb line

Nearly the entire 37–boat fleet headed left on the second beat, to the extent that it appeared to be consistently paying to be on the left side of the Pia course. Annalise was somewhere between tenth and 14th, and was furthest left on and on the layline, or above it, on the last quarter of the beat. The tracker put her 12th in a good lane when Boumeester tacked inside her and Annalise rounded 11th.

On the next run, Annalise went left and this time stuck more to the rhumb line, but it was neck and neck with the Dutch World Number One for the entire leg.

At the line, after 50 minutes of hard racing, Annalise took 12th with Bouwmeester 13th. Results are provisional and subject to protest.

Top ten overall in the Radial class after eight races

Races nine and ten will be held tomorrow.

Annalise Murphy has finished 18th in race seven and dropped to third in the overall standings. The race, her worst result of the regatta so far, was a struggle in eight to 12 knots but the Dubliner will be boosted by a great light air comeback over taking 10 boats on the second round of the Laser Radial course to get back into the teens in the 37–boat fleet. Race eight follows.

Overall top ten below after seven: 

 

 

Annalise Murphy faces a wait for wind in Rio today after her Race seven in the Laser Radial Class was abandoned. The light air race was scrubbed due to a major wind shift, which, if it had continued, would have produced an unfair race. Competitors are now back in the starting area waiting for winds to settle. Currently there is no wind on the Copacabana course.

In a composed heavy weather performance, Annalise Murphy scored a 5 and 2 today to lead the Olympic regatta overall going into tomorrow's rest day.

In a masterful display in races five and six, Murphy produced the same world beating form that saw her lift the European Radial title in 2013. The Dubliner has completed the half–way stage of the competition with an extremely consistent 1, 13, 4, 7, 5, 2 on the scoresheet.

With winds reaching over 20–knots on Rio's Ocean course today, the National Yacht Club star produced her best day on the water yet to lead the regatta by one point. 

However, Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) had an even better day with scores of 3,1 to move to within a point of Murphy. 

It wasn't such a good outing for the reigning Olympic Champion Lijia Xu (CHN), whose scores of 8,12 have dropped the Chinese sailor down to fifth overall. An even bigger casualty was Evi van Acker (BEL), whose scores of 16,15 have dropped the 2012 bronze medallist to tenth overall. With just four races before the Medal Race, time is running out for van Acker to get back in contention.

After a hectic race five, where Annalise Murphy lost fourth place in the closing stages, a dramatic race six saw Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) win followed by Annalise then FIN, SWE, LTU, NED, USA, ESP, GBR. 

It puts things incredibly tight at the top of the table. One point behind Ireland's medal hope is Rindom (the only sailor without a result outside the top ten) and World Champion Marit Boumeester of Holland is third just a further point behind. 

Four more races before Monday's final are forecasted to be sailed in lighter winds, adding to the drama of Ireland's Laser Radial medal chance.  Results from Friday and Saturday will decide the top ten for the medal race climax with Annalise's performance to date putting her right in the frame.

Meanwhile, in the Laser class Carlow's Finn Lunch finished 18 and 27 respectively in his two races today and is 24 overall. He has a break tomorrow as well before resuming on Friday.

In an unstoppable performance from Ireland's 'Breeze Queen', Annalise Murphy was again at the top of her Rio Olympic fleet at the half way stage of the Laser Radial regatta today. It puts Annalise (unofficially) third overall, just two points behind Holland and China.

In the waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, the Dubliner recorded another top five result, her third top five result of the regatta so far. 

Sitting in second overall after four skilful races sailed, the Dubliner went again in the Women’s laser radial today on the outside Cocapana course with 19-21 knots from the west, ideal conditions for the Irish helmswoman.

Wearing the silver/blue jersey to denote her place overall, Annalise rounded the first mark in fifth in the 37–boat fleet, about one minute behind leader, Marit Boumeester of Holland.

The top five established a big lead and within that group Annalise moved into fourth behind leaders NED, DEN and USA. It appears that Annalise unfortunately lost out in a reaching duel with Croatian Tina Mihelic in the closing stages and finished fifth and not fourth as reported earlier.

After that, those following the race across the world on the online tracker were frustrated when technology failed! 

The Radial course today was trapezoid, which included two short reaches along with windward-leeward legs. Two laps on the Windward-Leeward section were sailed. 

The provisional finishing order was Marit Bouwmeester (NED) in first followed by USA, DEN, CRO, IRL, GBR, SWE and CHN.

World Sailing continues to struggle with its results system. Results by Rio organisers are here.

 

There's another couple of 12–knot races in prospect for Annalise Murphy in the Olympic Laser Radial class today. But after that all similarities will end for the sailors as today's races five and six are on the Copacabana course which is outside the bay and at sea. It's a crucial stage as the regatta passes the half–way stage. The race area is subject to tidal conditions and winds are expected to be different to anything seen on the first two days, perhaps a little more like Annalise's home waters of Dublin Bay?

Annalise has been training in Rio on at least ten occasions over the past four years and will be familiar with all the course locations being sailed this week.

Start time is 5:10 Irish time. No TV coverage again. 

Annalise Murphy has sailed into second overall after two more tricky Rio races today. After an opening Olympic Radial race win yesterday and a 13th scored in race two, she started today with a well earned fourth in race three and this afternoon added a seventh in race four but it might have been even better for the Dublin yachtswoman who briefly lead the final race of the day.

Annalise ascended the rankings after a good day on the innermost Ponte course in Rio's Guanabara Bay. With the discard kicking after three races, China's Lijia Xu was able to discount her disqualification in Race 1, posting the day's best score of 3, 1 to lead by five points from Murphy in second with Denmark's Anne Marie Rindom in bronze, 2 points further back.

While second overall after four races shows a very consistent performance, Annalise will rue the loss of five places in the latter half of the fourth race, slipping from 2nd to 7th at the finish.

World Number one Marit Boumeester (NED) passes ahead of Ireland's Annalise Murphy in race three. Photo: Richard Langdon

After some very tricky sailing over the past two days, the Irish solo sailor is coping well with Rio's notoriously fickle breezes that have so far, at least, blown into double digits for the world renowned Irish 'Breeze Queen'. There is no doubt Annalise is making the very best of the conditions that have been presented to her on the opening two days of the regatta.Ireland's Annalise Murphy was challenging for the lead – and held it for a time – in Race four this afternoon as this screengrab from the live race tracker shows

The National Yacht Club sailor is making good on a prediction she made earlier this year where she included herself in a line up of eight of the girls who have the potential to medal in Rio.

Murphy has been in Rio at least ten times prior to the Games and only a fortnight ago won Rio de Janeiro International Sailing Week at the venue in similar conditions to today. It was obviously a pre–Olympic tonic in an otherwise fallow run of international results for the Irish sailing star. 

This has been a brilliant start for Annalise and Irish sailing, especially after the disappointment of London four years ago, but there is a long way to go with six races to come over the next four days.

Annalise will be out on the Copacabana course which is outside the bay at sea. Tidal conditions and breeze will present a completely different scenario to anything on the first two days which will make for more very interesting racing.

Laser Radial Results after four races at the Rio Olympics, showing IRL second

On the Men's course, Ireland's Finn Lynch, scored 15 and 40 to lie 24th overall. Argentina leads, with Croatia 2nd and New Zealand third.

Weather
The fresh breeze started the day in the south-south east and gradually veered to the south-south west maintaining a fairly steady pressure close to 12 knots during the race period. Tomorrow, when the Lasers race off the Copacabana beach, will see some showers, cooler temperatures and lighter winds.

Elsewhere
Britain's Nick Dempsey is dominating the RS:X men's board, posting three 1sts, a 2nd and a 4th, while in the female RS:X, Italy is one place ahead of France in RS:X women

Schedule
The Boards have a day off Wednesday, while Lasers and Radials race their fifth and sixth races. The 470s and multihulls get their regatta under way on Wednesday.

Annalise and Finn are back on the water for Race 5 at 5.15pm Irish time tomorrow before Race 6 at approximately 6.40pm. Thursday is a rest/reserve day for the two Laser events. Both the skiff events for men and women begin on Friday when all four of Ireland’s sailors are in action.

Laser Men
1. Julio Alsogaray, ARG, 7
2. Tonci Stipanovic, CRO, 13
3. Sam Meech, NZL, 14
Full results: https://www.rio2016.com/en/sailing-standings-sa-laser-men

Laser Radial Men
1. Lijia Xu, CHN, 7
2. Annalise Murphy, IRL, 12
3. Tuula Tenkanen, FIN, 13.3
Full results: https://www.rio2016.com/en/sailing-standings-sa-laser-radial-women

Annalise Murphy has sailed another exceptional race in the the top ten of the Laser Radial fleet in Rio this afternoon. The Irish medal hope moved progessively up the fleet in shifty conditions from eighth to seventh. On the final upwind leg the Dubliner moved in to fifth position within striking distance of fourth.

The race started in light patchy winds and then built to a 12–knot hiking breeze on the Ponte course.

On the final downwind leg the order was HUN, CHN, BEL, DEN and IRL. 

In another huge result for the National Yacht club star, Murphy, wearing the red jersey to indicate her third overall position after two races, overtook the much faniced Dane Ann Marie Rindom on the short reaching leg to the finish to clinch fourth.

Mária Érdi of Hungary was the race winner followed by BEL, CHN and then IRL.

Following yesterday's race win, It's another very impressive result for Murphy in a consistent performance so far in her 37–boat fleet. It's almost certainly going to be a counter in the best of ten–race series this week.

Race four follows this afternoon. No overalls available. The wind has slowly swung from SE to SW. There is a bit more wind on the Ponte course than the other two. Up to 12 knots at times.

The live tracker facility showed Annalise Murphy well placed in race three of the Radials in 14 knots of wind

 

4th Place in Race 3!! HUGE RESULT!! #COYGIG

— Annalise Murphy (@Annalise_Murphy) August 9, 2016

Annalise Murphy has been promoted to third overall at Rio Olympic Sailing Regatta following the disqualification of regatta leader Lijia Xu from race one of the Laser Radial Class yesterday. Murphy is now on 14 points, alongside Evi Van Acker (BEL) and Ashley Stoddart (AUS). The Irish girl is listed ahead of the others due to her win in the first race.

Xu's disqualification was for failing to get well clear of other boats in good time following a port and starboard with American sailor Paige Railey. Demonstrating that seconds are crucial, the jury noted that the Chinese sailor rounded the mark four seconds after the hail and then commenced her turns. Apparently she should have sailed to windward immediately she heard the hail and exonerated herself before the mark.

World Sailing continues to struggle with the results - twelve hours after racing ended they are still not complete.

Races 3 and 4 today for the Lasers and Radials will take place on the Ponte course, the most landward of all the courses. Today's forecast suggests southerly winds building from 11 knots at the 1300 (1700 Irish) start to 16 knots by close of play.