The field can be divided into three groups: For the 49ers and Mistral men, the games have just started with a race. The Lasers and Europes finished four races and the Mistral women finished three races. They can see slight trends, but they cannot cancel a race yet. The last group has more than half of their races behind them with six races. Anyone who is not in the medal ranks after today has bad cards.
The first group includes the surfer Toni Wilhelm (26th place) as well as Marcus Baur and Max Groy in the 49er. The Kiel duo took ninth place in the opening race (after disqualification of a competitor) and was satisfied with the conditions yesterday. The application for redress, which they made because of an obstruction by two press boats, was rejected yesterday, but today they are applying for a reopening of the proceedings. Richard Slater, the rules expert of the America's Cup team Alinghi, who advises the German team, has drawn up an argumentation paper. "We hope to be able to suggest to the jury that Marcus and Max have lost two to three places as a result of this campaign," said team boss Jochen Schümann. "The situation when the 49ers drop onto the downhill aisle after the cross is decisive for the war. You can't miss the right angle." Baur and Groy had lost seven places on this leg, but since they were previously tenth and sailed back to this place to the finish, the jury could not see how they should have lost places due to the handicap. "It's funny that the jury found that the organizers made a mistake by letting the press boats too far into the course so that they interfered with our team, but then they didn't draw any conclusions from it. They didn't want to make an example.", says Schümann. There are three races on the program for the 49ers today.
The second group was very disappointed. PetrNiemann came in ninth after four races. The Berliner was considered one of the safe medal candidates of the Germans. "She was terribly disappointed," said the team boss. "She sailed relatively well yesterday without bringing in the harvest in the end. She lost sight of the big picture in the fight for sixth and seventh places." For them it is now a matter of sailing according to their assets in order to catch up with the top.
The hope that surfer Amelie Lux can defend her silver medal from Sydney must be buried after three races and 18th place overall. "I had the impression that she realized that it would be difficult with a medal," reported Schümann from the German camp. "That was a turning point for her yesterday, she got through her low, the pressure is gone, now she could sail easily."
The results of the 470s were like the weather - changeable. They are sailing their seventh and eighth races today. For Stefanie Rothweiler and MonikLeu (10th) it is decided today whether they can still intervene in the medal fight. Schümann recommended that they keep their nerve and sail conservatively. He doesn't believe in extreme strokes or more aggressiveness at the start, combined with the risk of an early start: "You can't suddenly conjure up victories, you can only sail what you have sailed in the past four years. You have to try and do what you can hope for the mistakes of others.
For Lucas Zellmer and Felix Krabbe, the medal train in the 470 men has gone. With 14th overall, they are only fighting for a place in the top ten.
The same goes for Finn sailor Michael Fellmann, who is twelfth and will have a hard time reaching the goal he set himself to be among the top eight.
Today will be a very important day for taxwoman Kristin Wagner's "Bayern-Express". The trio, which is one of the favorites among the Ynglings, is fifth. "You have to put your hand on the medal to keep your chances," said Schümann.
Today a light to medium sea breeze is expected, which should enable all races.