In the Finn class, Sam Kerner also made a move, winning both races to take over first place from Brian Ledbetter in a battle of heavy wind sailors. Also moving were two-time Olympic medalists Mark Reynolds and Hal Haenel, who won the day's first race and finished third in the second, taking over third place. The separation of the fleet usually happens when it gets a little windier,'' said Reynolds, who also won the Star worlds last fall and finished second at this year's world championships. This is a little better than we were yesterday, and we're still in it. Vince Brun and Magnus Liljedahl also had a good day, getting a third and fourth, meaning only eight points separate the top four boats, three points less than what separates the fourth place boat from fifth place.
Boats get one point for winning a race, two for second, three for third, etc.
After discarding their worst three finishes at the end of the regatta, the boat with the lowest overall score is the winner - and gets to go to the Olympics. I just love the competition. Indeed, they didn't take long to show the rest of the fleet how to really sail in the breeze. But on the reach, or off-wind mark, Reynolds got an overlap and sneaked inside Cayard and Joe Londrigan and extended his lead further on the second reach leg. Then the race became for second place, and Cayard was able to hold off Brun and Kostecki heading upwind, pushing the other two boats down so Kostecki couldn't take third place - putting another boat between himself and the leader, gaining another point.