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New Zealand’s Paralympic sailing crew of Richard Dodson, Andrew May and Chris Sharp claimed a race win on day one of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and lie 2nd overall after the opening day of the six-day regatta.
Racing in the three-person keelboat event featuring 14 boats from 14 nations, Dodson, May and Sharp returned an 8th in race one and then claimed the win in race two. The kiwis are locked on nine points with Greece and Germany.
Rio turned on the sunshine and a ten-knot breeze for the first day of racing.
“In the build-up to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Sailing Competition the sky has been a dull shade of grey, but the minute the first day of racing started, the stereotypical Rio de Janeiro sunshine came out with a 10 knot wind to boot. It was a glorious opening session of sailing,” writes Richard Aspland in Rio for World Sailing.
Australia’s Colin Harrison, Russell Boaden and Jonathan Harris were the top performers in the Sonar winning the opening race and crossing in 2nd behind the kiwis in race two. They end day one with the overall lead, six points clear of the trio of next-best crews.
Racing in Rio resumes tomorrow with the Sonar teams set to sail another two races.
Rio 2016 Paralympic Games
Sonar Event top five
1st AUS Colin Harrison, Russell Boaden and Jonathan Harris – 3 points
2nd NZL Richard Dodson, Andrew May and Chris Sharp – 9 points
3rd GRE Vasilis Christoforou, Anargyros Notaroglou and Thodoris Alexas – 9 points
4th GER Lasse Klötzing, Siegmund Mainka and Jens Kroker – 9 points
5th CAN Paul Tingley, Logan Campbell and Scott Lutes – 10 points
Full results here: http://www.sailing.org/paralympics/rio2016/results/index.php
Rio 2016 Sonar Schedule
Monday 12 Sept – 2 races
Tuesday 13 Sept – 2 races
Wednesday 14 Sept – 2 races
Thursday 15 Sept – 2 races
Friday 16 Sept – 2 races
Saturday 17 Sept – 1 race
More here: http://www.sailing.org/paralympics/rio2016
Image © Richard Langdon
