O’Leary and Milne in 11th place overall

AFTER a demanding day on the waters of Qingdao’s Fushan Bay yesterday in the most wind they had sailed in since they dropped their mast disastrously during the Star Worlds, Peter O’Leary and Stephen Milne lie in 11th place overall in the Star class.

While it was lighter and much more unsettled 6-12 knot breezes that the Irish duo had to deal with on Saturday when they scored a 12th and a seventh, they slipped back yesterday in the 18 knots easterly breeze which kicked up disproportionately large, and disorganised seas which played havoc with the 49er class medal race on the inshore show course.

While the breeze was no more than 20 knots out of the most offshore course area, where the Stars and Tornados were due to race, both fleets were sent back to the Olympic Sailing Centre when the committee boat got into trouble.

After a long delay the fleet were sent back afloat for a later afternoon race which saw O’Leary and Milne finish tenth in the fourth race of the series, won by Brazil’s world champion Robert Scheidt and Bruno Parada.

“We did not have a great start but managed to get back into the race, getting right early on and so we were OK. Overall, four races in of a ten race series we are reasonably happy,” said O’Leary.

In the 470 class Ireland’s Ger Owens and Phil Lawton had their hopes of making the cut into the top ten for today’s Medal Race scuppered when they scored a 15,13 and a 24th from Saturday’s three final series races.