DAY 3
The wind was late arriving on the third day of racing at the Algerian National Sailing Centre. When it finally arrived it was the best of the week so far at 9 knots giving the opportunity for stretching legs going upwind.
In the womens Laser Radial fleet there was a significant change in the top three nations chasing the 2 Olympic country places. The 3 way competition between Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt is now separated by a single point and all to play for after the leader, Imene Cherif Sahraoui ALG scored scored 2 third places after two close races. Innes Gmati TUN increased the pressure on the Algerian by scoring two wins which moved her up to second place on a tie break with Khouloud Mansi EGY who scored 2 second places.
The mens racing saw more place changes behind series leader Youssef Akrout TUN who has already qualified his country for Rio de Janeiro at the 2014 ISAF World Championship. Akrout led out the startin the first race of the day but was caught by Ahmed Ragab from Egypt on the second upwind when Ragab went out to the layline. Ragab’s glory was short lived when Akrout re-took the lead on the last downwind leg. Behind him second overall Rodney Govinden had his worst race dropping from third to seventh on the last downwind. When asked what went wrong Govinden said “I don’t know. I had a brain lock!”
Govinden still holds on to second overall and the first of the two mens Olympic country qualifying places after finishing second to Akrout in the second race. 4 time Olympian Allan Julie finished third after an eighth in the first race which kept him in fourth overall behind Manuel Leo from Angola.
There is still a lot of potential for place changing especially if the wind strengthens over the remaining two days.
Jeff Martin
Overall Positions after 4 races with 1 discard (all competitors – entry limit of two per country):
Womens Laser Radial
- Imene Cherif Sahraoui ALG 9pts
- Ines GMATI TUN 10pts
- Khouloud Mansi EGY 10pts
- Alison Hoareau SEY 19pts
- Noha Akil ALG 23pts
- Olvya Bakry EGY 31pts
- Maoia Mabyaia MOZ 32 pts
- Nada Bassossi TUN 35 pts
Mens Laser
- Youssef Akrout TUN 5pts
- Allan Julie SEY 20pts
- Sherif Moustafa EGY 23pts
- Idris Bouhadda ALG 25pts
- Wassim Ziani ALG 26pts
- Ahmed Ragab EGY 27pts
- Seif Dhaouadi TUN 33pts
- Halife Mpondi TAN 47pts