DAY 4
The fourth day of racing at the African Laser and Laser Championship in Algiers turned out to be the biggest day so far. The wind speed increased to a sparkling 11 knots in the middle of the afternoon, 3 races were completed, a champion was decided in the Men’s fleet and decisions about Olympic qualification became more clear with Seychelles winning one of the men’s Olympic places. The decision to sail a third race took advantage of the great sailing conditions instead of taking a chance with a difficult forecast for the last day.
Co-incidently it also meant that with only one race to be sailed on the final day the results permutations became easier to calculate in advance.
Sailing without the need to country qualify for the Olympics Youssef Akrout TUN enjoyed a pressure free week and scoring another wins to end the week with a perfect maximum score and the African title. Behind him the race was full on for the remaining places. The experience and speed of Allan Julie came through in the stronger wind as he scored a third followed by 2 second places to move himself into second overall ahead of his fellow countryman Rodney Govinden.
With only one point between 4th and 5th and a further point between 5th and 6th the battle for the remaining men’s place between Ahmed Ragab EGY, Idris Bouhadda ALG and Manuel Lelo ANG is extremely close and will depend on starting, tactics and wind strength.
In the women’s fleet the fight for overall honours and the two women’s country places is between the top three sailors, Imene Cherif Sahraoui ALG, Khouloud Mansi EGY and Ines Gmati TUN equally separated by point and well ahead of the chasing pack. With more first places than her two rivals Gmati lost the opportunity to take advantage of her speed in the stronger wind when she started too early in the third race of the day and was disqualified.
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 15pts
- Khouloud Mansi EGY 16pts
- Ines GMATI TUN 17pts
- Noha Akil ALG 35pts
- Alison Hoareau SEY 39pts
- Olvya Bakry EGY 45pts
- Nada Bassossi TUN 49 pts
- Maoia Mabyaia MOZ 52 pts
Mens Laser
- Youssef Akrout TUN 8pts
- Allan Julie SEY 27pts
- Rodney Govinden SEY 30pts
- Ahmed Ragab EGY 37pts
- Idris Bouhadda ALG 38pts
- Manuel Lelo ANG 39pts
- Sherif Moustafa EGY 45pts
- Wassim Ziani ALG 46pts
- Seif Dhaouadi TUN 60pts
- Halife Mpondi TAN 77pts