By Robert Deaves Wins for Wright and Tweddell on tricky Hyeres opener Day one Sailing World Cup 2013 The 2010 World Champion, Ed Wright (GBR), leads the Finn fleet at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres after a tricky opening day. After posting a 17th in the first race he came back to win the second race of the day. Oliver Tweddell (AUS) won the opening race, while the best performance of the day was from one of New Zealand's emerging Finn stars, Josh Junior (NZL) who posted a 2, 7 to end the day in fourth, just behind Giorgio Poggi (ITA). Again there is a new scoring format being trialled at this last Sailing World Cup event in the 2012-3 series. Sailors must count their positions from the qualification series (5 races) over the first two days into the final series (six races) where there will be a gold/silver fleet split. The two double-points, non-discardable medal races will be held next Saturday. Confused? Ed Wright commented, “Although it's nice to win the race today with the new scoring, overall it pretty much counts to nothing. I am just happy it's a training regatta for me. I am a sailor and I don't even understand it, so good luck to the public.” The opening day tested sailors and organisers alike with light patchy winds causing early postponements and mixing the fleet up on the water. The fleet of 68 Finns in Hyeres includes some more sailors not present in Palma as well as more new faces. The first race was won by Oliver Tweddell from Josh Junior and Thomas Le Breton (FRA). Tweddell said, “The conditions were extremely tricky today, very shifty and big pressure patches across the course. I managed to get a good clean start in race one and popped out to the right with some nice pressure, then was able to play the shifts from there.” “I had a nice battle with Caleb [Paine(USA)] for most of the race, but it was great to come back to racing with a win after pulling out of Palma with a tendon injury. I'm pleased with my racing today, although I am taking it one day at a time, and I am hoping to be able to finish the regatta without aggravating my injury.” Unfortunately Paine was one of the over eager sailors scored BFD after the first race went to a black flag start. The difficult conditions took their toll on some big names. Palma winner Giles Scott (GBR) was down in 29th while Ed Wright was back in 17th. Wright got it right in the next race though leading round from Giorgio Poggi and Bruno Prada (BRA). Poggi commented, “The racing today was pretty difficult, with 4-6 knots and big areas of lull. During the second upwind of the first race there was a big left shift, which was very difficult to read.” “In the second race I started on the pin and went straight out. Only Ed Wright could tack on my bow and we rounded the mark first and second, and after that we kept control over the fleet.” Wright, who is sailing his first major Finn event since Sail for Gold last year said, “It's good to be back Finn racing. I have been working on my fitness over the winter but that did not come in to play today. It was head out the boat and the shift fairy had to be with you. It was wacky racing. I hope the wind improves.” While under the new scoring format the discard comes in after the second race which distorts the scenery somewhat, the best score over both races today was Josh Junior. “The racing today was extremely close, it was very easy to make some big losses, as the wind and pressure were all over the show. The start line didn’t seem to be able to fit all the boats along it, so it was going to be crucial to get good starts and I did. I couldn’t really believe it after how bad they were in Palma. I didn’t sail perfectly but I did enough to get two good results and I am really happy with my two races today and am looking forward to tomorrow.” Three races are now scheduled for the Finn on Tuesday from 13.00 to conclude the qualification series. The forecast suggests more light winds. Results after two races 1 GBR 11 Edward Wright 0.00 2 AUS 261 Oliver Tweddell 0.00 3 ITA 11 Giorgio Poggi 2.00 4 NZL 24 Josh Junior 2.00 5 BRA 1 Bruno Prada 3.00 6 FRA 29 Thomas Le Breton 3.00 7 GBR 41 Giles Scott 4.00 8 NED 842 Pieter-Jan Postma 4.00 9 GER 64 Lennart Luttkus 5.00 10 CZE 5 Ondrej Teply 5.00 Consistent Zbogar takes lead on day two in Hyeres Day two Sailing World Cup 2013 Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) was the best Finn sailor on the second day at the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Hyeres and moves into a 10 point lead at the top of the fleet from Giles Scott (GBR) and Pieter-Jan Postma (NED). Race wins went to Oliver Tweddell, Zbogar and Andrew Mills (GBR). Light winds dogged the regatta for the second day running. Though the bulk of the fleets were subject to an early postponement to wait for the wind the Finns started on time at 13.00 in about 6 knots that built slightly during the day, with a light chop and a few knots of current making things tight and tactical. Three races were scheduled to complete the opening qualification series. The first race of the day again went to yesterday’s race 1 winner, Oliver Tweddell. He said, “I got a great start at the pin end, and headed out to the left hand side where there was more pressure and a nice left shift. I managed to take this all the way to the top and extend on the downwind, but lost a lot to Andrew Mills on the last upwind. It was a nail biting run to the finish, and I just managed to beat him to the line.” Tweddell crossed the finish line first ahead of Mills, Aleksey Selivanov (RUS), Giles Scott (GBR) and Filippo Baldassari (ITA). First over the line in race four was the best performer on Monday, Josh Junior (NZL), however he was black flagged at the start, giving the race win to Vasilij Zbogar, with Caleb Paine (USA) in second and Vujasinovic Milan (CRO) in third. Paine followed this up with a fourth in the final race of the day to rise to ninth overall, a great recovery after starting his regatta yesterday with a black flag and a 23rd. Junior said, “I had a good day today picking up a 9th and 11th plus a black flag. I actually won that race so that was really cool. The wind was light again today, but not so shifty. I have been trying really hard to get good starts. Obviously I fired the trigger a little early today, but these things happen.” In fact much of the fleet is picking up high scores. Yesterday's leader Ed Wright (GBR) placed 35th and 24th before finally getting something right to place seventh in the third and last race of the day to just stay inside the top 10. Another of the favourites is London2012 bronze medalist Jonathan Lobert (FRA), but he is down in 13th after a tough series so far. “It is not easy and very patchy on the water. But some guys managed to be on top many times. Tomorrow the final series starts I will start with a 13th in my pocket, and now I have six races to get back in the game. Everything is still open so we will see at the end of the week.” Race 5 was won by Andrew Mills (GBR), who had the second best day of any of the sailors. Zbogar completed an excellent day with a second while Berecz Zsombor (HUN) rounded out the top three. Mills said, “It was a big left hand track all day, which made the race win relatively easy once leading. The hard part was coming off the line in good pressure, which was sometimes more good luck then judgement. It should be interesting tomorrow with good breeze forecast for the next few days.” On the modified scoring system Tweddell commented, “I think so far up to this point in the regatta the scoring system works out okay, I think a few people will be upset about their points advantages getting cut for the Gold/Silver split, but I guess it depends on what side of it you are. It definitely takes away from the consistent sailor.” The fleet is now split into gold and silver starts for the three-day, six race final series before the top 10 go into Saturday’s two medal races. Results after five races 1 SLO 573 Vasilij ZBOGAR 15.00 2 GBR 41 Giles SCOTT 25.00 3 NED 842 Pieter Jan POSTMA 28.00 4 NZL 24 Josh JUNIOR 29.00 5 NZL 16 Andrew MURDOCH 32.00 6 FIN 218 Tapio NIRKKO 37.00 7 GBR 85 Andrew MILLS 38.00 8 AUS 261 Tweddell OLIVER 47.00 9 USA 6 Caleb PAINE 48.00 10 GBR 11 Edward WRIGHT 48.00 Full results: http://sof.ffvoile.net/results/finn.htm Postma prospers in breezy Hyeres Day three Sailing World Cup 2013 A change in wind wrought many changes on the Finn class on day three at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres.