An exciting second day of the 2021 ILCA 6 World Championship more than made up for yesterday’s lack of wind as the fleet finally made their way out onto the water at Barceló Resort Mussanah. Sailors in the Women’s category all found racing difficult in blustery conditions, leading to inconsistency in the placings for each race. The leaderboard remains incredibly close with 17.5 points separating second and tenth place. In the Men’s category, Oman’s Almoutasim Al Farsi holds a narrow lead after two wins and a second place after the first three races.

 

Nik Pletikos of Slovenia is one point behind in second after winning the opening race and finishing second in the third race. Umut Eyriparmark of Turkey is currently in third, a further three points back, despite being forced to retire in the final race of the day. AbdulMalik Al Hinai and Ali Al Saadi of Oman are fourth and fifth respectively and remain close to the leaders ahead of the second day of racing.

 

Julia Büsselberg of Germany, winner of the 2021 ILCA Europa Cup in Germany earlier this year, leads the way after recovering from a difficult first race to claim second in the next race and end the day with a win. Vasileia Karachaliou of Greece is in second after recovering well from a tough start to end the day strongly, and Finland’s Monika Mikkola is in third, another who toiled in the wind today. Fourth is Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champion and World Sailor of the Year nominee, Anne-Marie Rindom of Denmark, with Louis Cervera of France finishing the day in fifth place as part of a very congested fleet.

 

Hamed Al Yahmadi, ILCA 6 World Championship project manager, said, “The competition delivered today. Wind was strong today, perfect for high-speed sailing and great manoeuvrability. We saw the lead change several times in both men’s and women’s races, an indicator of the conditions and quality of the competitors. The championship is finely-poised and we will see what tomorrow brings. If the quality is as high as today, we are set for a superb day of sailing.”

 

Almoutasim Al Farsi, current leader of the men’s category, said, “In the three races today I won two and also finished second in the first race of the day. It was a difficult start with quick sailors throughout the fleet, but we are all relieved to be able to sail after yesterday. I am in a good position after today’s races and will try my best to maintain this form tomorrow.”

 

Anne-Marie Rindom of Denmark, said, “Today we had three races to make up for yesterday and the conditions were tricky. It was very hard to maintain consistency and remain at the top but I had a good day. My schedule since the Olympics has been very hectic, I had a break but I am back in the Laser now and it’s good to be back sailing in Oman.”

 

The action continues tomorrow with three more races in each category. The event is supported by national carrier Oman Air, OQ and the Barceló Mussanah Resort as official partners, and Be’ah as environmental supporter. The National Mineral Water Company Salsabeel Water provided all essential water supplies for the event while the Royal Navy of Oman provided medical support throughout.