Brazil’s Giovana Ribeiro leads the female sailors at the Optimist South American Championship after a strong day in light winds, as Argentina’s Tomás Calvo extends his lead in Punta del Este.
Giovana Ribeiro likes it light. On the second day of the 54th Optimist South American Championship, the breeze in Maldonado Bay settled between six and eight knots, and the Brazilian finished third and second to move into the top three overall and take the lead among the female sailors.
“I really enjoyed today’s racing because the wind was lighter, which is the kind of conditions I prefer,” Ribeiro said. “At the beginning, the wind was quite strong, but it gradually dropped and we were able to race. In these lighter conditions, you have to be very careful and always try to keep the boat moving as fast as possible. For the remaining races, I hope to maintain my position, and hopefully the stronger winds forecast won’t arrive.”
At the top of the standings, Argentina’s Tomás Calvo added two more race wins on Wednesday. With three victories from four races, he leads on three net points, ahead of his compatriot Tomás Molinari and Ribeiro.
Hosted by Yacht Club Punta del Este, the championship has brought together 180 young sailors from 12 nations. After a difficult opening day of light winds and strong currents, Wednesday brought sunshine, calmer seas and a much weaker current, and the race committee completed two more races. With four races sailed, the first discard came into effect and reshaped the leaderboard.
Brazil had a strong day across the fleet. Helena Echenique is second among the female sailors, Felipe Miguez finished second in both races, and Pedro Crespo won both of his.
Overall standings after four races: 1. Tomás Calvo (ARG) 3 points; 2. Tomás Molinari (ARG) 7; 3. Giovana Ribeiro (BRA) 10.
The championship features up to ten fleet races over four racing days, along with a dedicated day of team racing. It ends on Saturday, 31 October, with the final results and the awards ceremony.
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