Bermudian sailor Owen Siese has moved up to 4th place at the Youth Olympic Games. This now puts him within three points of the medal podium after completing two more races today.
Siese was able to score another excellent 2nd place finish in race three of the regatta and an 11th place in race four in the twenty nine boat fleet.
Only eight points separate 2nd through 5th place so the regatta is still wide open for a number of countries. Netherlands Antilles' Just Van Aanholt is the clear leader at this point by a 14 point margin. Completion of the next race will allow the competitors to discard their worst race which will mix up the standings somewhat.
Following an early postponement due to monsoon like conditions, the sailors finally took to the water in 5 - 6 knot southwesterly winds. In race three Siese was 5th around the first windward mark and on the next upwind beat Siese decided to chase the favourable breeze on the starboard side of the course, risking greater adverse current.
This move paid off as he vaulted into 2nd place behind Spain’s Martin Llena as the fleet approached the top mark of the second time. Siese hit the mark as he rounded and was obligated to complete a penalty turn, which he did, losing second to Finland. Siese’s superior downwind speed and lighter physical weight allowed him to take back second place which he maintained to the finish.
There is minimal information on the YOG Twitter feed about Siese in race four since he was not in the top ten but his 11th place finish kept him "in the hunt". The light breeze and tricky currents have produced varied results for all the sailors so consistency in the top third of the fleet is paramount. Wednesday, August 19th is a day off for the sailors where they can relax and/or take in some other sports. 10 more races are scheduled.
Click Here to see the Full Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Byte Cll Boys Overall Results
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