After a tough two days at the French Olympic Sailing Week Skandia Team GBR remain in contention

British sailors stayed in the chase after a tough second day at the French Olympic Sailing Week in Hyeres. However, it was not all easy street for the Team GBR sailors. While Paul Goodison in the Laser class and 2.4mR Paralympic sailor Helena Lucas top their respective fleets, Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes slip to third in the tough 49er fleet.

Olympic Laser Champion Paul Goodison and 2.4mR Paralympic sailor Helena Lucas gave solid performances amid the tricky and shifty easterly conditions at this fourth leg of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, with two other Skandia Team GBR boats currently poised in the top three.

Goodison, making his international comeback after a post-Beijing break, picked up a race win and a sixth from his two races yesterday (20 April) to hand him the yellow jersey, with Nick Thompson elevated up eighth with two second places. Lucas scored 3,1,5 in the 2.4mR event to see her take the top spot with Megan Pascoe in third with a consistent 4,4,4.

It is tight at the top of the 49er fleet, with Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes remaining inside the top three following the skiff class’s four races yesterday. After a shaky 12th in their opening race, they then picked up two fifths and a sixth to see them in third overall, just four points off the lead. Team GBR teammates Chris Draper and Peter Greenhalgh – sailing as a new partnership – are just one point behind them in fourth.

“We haven’t got a goal for this event,” said Greenhalgh. “Just to finish it and get better along the way, so so far, so good! We’re just learning the whole Olympic sailing thing again really as we’ve been a bit out of practice.”

World Champions Nic Asher and Elliot Willis picked up to fourth overall in the 470 men’s event with development squad duo Jonny Moss and Ben Muskett continuing to enjoy an impressive run, finishing the second day in tenth overall. Fellow development squad sailors Hannah Mills and Katrina Hughes are the British effort in the 470 women’s event – in fifth overall.

The British Finn sailors endured another day of mixed fortunes – Ed Wright slipped to sixth with scores of 29,10 while Palma World Cup winner Giles Scott improved to 11th overall with 2,8 from his two races. Andrew Mills picked up a race win in the first race of the day but rounded the second day off in 10th following a 26th in the second race.

In the RS:X windsurfing events, Nick Dempsey is in fourth overall, while Bryony Shaw’s 16,6 sees her in tenth place.

For a full list of results, click here .