Maloney and Junior run the show on penultimate day
New Zealand’s Andy Maloney has extended his lead at the 2021 Finn Gold Cup in Porto, Portugal, to take a five-point lead into the final day on Wednesday, with three races possible. Zsombor Berecz, the 2018 champion, from Hungary, moves up to second, while defending champion Josh Junior, also from New Zealand, climbs to third.
Race wins went to Brazil’s Jorge Zarif, in the very light first race, before Nenad Bugarin, from Croatia, and Junior won the next two races in winds of up to 16 knots.
After no racing for two days, everyone was happy to get racing again and what a day it was. It was actually a day of three thirds, with a very light opening race of 6-8 knots, followed by clearing skies and a slightly tougher race of 12-14 knots, before finally clouding over and picking up to 14-16 knots in the final race. The one constant though was the shifting wind, which kept the sailors on their toes and the race teams busy repositioning marks for almost every leg.
Britain’s Giles Scott led round the top from the middle left in Race 4 from Ioannis Mitakis, from Greece and Brazil’s Jorge Zarif. Zarif, the 2013 World Champion took the lead on the second upwind to lead down to the finish, as the soft breeze finally started to build.
Milan Vujasinovic, from Croatia, was fastest to the top mark in Race 5, but was soon surrounded by Kiwis, who passed him downwind. Junior led round the second top mark, but Bugarin found better pressure on the left on the final downwind to move into the lead and take the win, while Maloney moved up to third.
The last race of the day was again all about the left, with many boats overstanding the layline as the top mark was difficult to see in the huge swell. The Kiwis dominated again, but France’s Fabian Pic got the first beat right to round with a nice lead from 2018 Swedish World Champion, Max Salminen. By the gate Junior was in the lead, but he went too far left on the final beat, while eagle eyed Maloney got the layline spot on. Maloney got there first only to touch the mark as he rounded. After turns Junior was back in the lead and both stretched out to the finish, while Estonia’s Deniss Karpak sailed a great race for third.
Maloney and Junior are sailing their first major regatta for 15 months, after time out for the America’s Cup and SailGP, so their performance is particularly impressive, as well as worrying for everyone else as they prepare for the Olympics in just over two month’s time. In contrast, Berecz has won back to back European titles.
The Toyko 2020 European Continental qualifier is heading for a nail biting conclusion with four sailors inside the top 10. Spain’s Joan Cardona is fourth, but just six points ahead of Croatia’s Nenad Bugarin, while the European bronze medalist, Nils Theuninck from Switzerland, is in ninth place, a further 17 points back. However it is a long way from being over.
Three races are possible today and the forecast indicates a good day of sailing is on the cards. Both Maloney and Junior have heavier discards than Berecz, but with three races, the championship is still wide open. Racing is scheduled to commence at 11.00 local time.
Text Credits: Finn Gold Cup
Photo Credits: Νeuza Αires Pereira | BBDouro / Finn Gold Cup 2021