British Olympic sailors look towards the medal races at Keil Week

Yesterday was the last round before the medal round at Keil Week 2009 – the penultimate round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Series – and Skandia Team GBR are in a strong position.

Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson (GBR) head the Star leader board after four races. With a bullet and two seconds for the day, they lead the US team of Mark Mendelblatt and Mark Strube by two points.

In the Finn fleet, Briton Ed Wright is in third on 24 points. Deniss Karpak (EST) leads on countback from Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO), who are both on 20 points.

British Olympic gold medallist Paul Goodison tops the Laser standings with five bullets. Goodison is four points clear (with the drop taken into account) of New Zealand’s Michael Bullot, who was BDF in race 5. It was bad luck for Brit Nick Thompson, however, who was DSQ in race 5 – dropping him to fifth place.

In the 2.4mR event, Megan Pascoe is in fifth on 50 points, well behind the leader Heiko Kroger (GER). American Paige Railey leads the Laser Radial Women’s event, where Charlotte Dobson (GBR) is in fourth on countback from Anna Tunnicliffe-Funk (USA).

Croatians Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic lead the Men’s 470 class. Britons Neil Marsden and Ian Dobson are locked in battle with fellow countrymen Nick Asher and Elliot Willis. Marsden and Dobson are in third on countback. The 470 class is a strong one for Team GBR – Jonny McGovern and Chris Birrell are sitting in sixth place, whilst James Rusden and Rob Partridge are in tenth.

In the Women’s Match racing event, the quarterfinals took place yesterday. Going through to the semis in the top two positions are Katie Spithill (AUS) and Nick Souter (AUS). Also through are Renee Groenveld (NED) and Julie Bossard (FRA). Bossard, Silke Hahlbrock, Genevieve Tulloch and Lucy MacGregor (GBR) all posted three wins but Bossard took the semi-final spot. ISAF World Cup Standings leader Lucy MacGregor (GBR) ended the event in fifth.

For a full list of results in all Olympic classes, click here .