Inconsistent conditions continue at Pan Am Games

The Pan American Games are the world’s third largest international multi-sport Games, only surpassed in size and scope by the Olympic Summer Games and the Asian Games. First held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1951, this is the third time that Canada has been the host. The 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto on July 12-19 has attracted 20 countries to compete in 10 sailing events on Lake Ontario.

(July 15, 2015) – Lake Ontario teased the Pan American Games fleet with a fresh breeze during the morning of Day Four, but despite the Race Committee’s efforts to get all competitors out to their racing areas early, much of the wind had vanished by the time the first starting signals sounded. The result was lengthy delays to racing on all courses, followed by light and tricky races in the afternoon.

Laser Radial overall leader Paige Railey (USA) successfully kept herself towards the top of the fleet all day, despite a nearly continuous reshuffling of her competitors during each race. “Today was a pretty good day on the inner harbor course, even though the conditions were a bit crazy,” said Railey. “It was still early in the series heading into today, and I’ve been pretty conservative tactically so far. The conditions have been tough, but if the points spread stays similar to how it is now, we will probably stick to the current game plan.”

Lee Parkhill (CAN) had a stellar performance on the Laser course, capitalizing on significant shifts to rally from the middle to front of the pack with a notable 1-3-2, and now sits second overall. “We rarely have the opportunity of competing at this level at home,” shared Parkhill. “I can feel their positive energy and it’s raising my game.”

SUMMARY REPORT/RESULTS
Laser Men (7 races) – Guatemala and Canada are in top two with three good races; USA dropped from the lead to fifth.
Laser Radial Women (7 races) – Another consistent day by USA in the three races and has a sizable lead.
49er FX Women (9 races) – Argentina dominated with a 1-1-2 with USA in second but pack is tight behind.
RS:X Men (7 races) – Mexico won the day with a 1-2-1 to sit in second overall.
RS:X Women (7 races) – Mexico posted 2-2-1 as they chase leader Brazil, with USA now a distant third.
Snipe Open (7 races) – Puerto Rico won both races and is pulling away from USA in third.
Hobie 16 Open (8 races) – Puerto Rico took overall lead with a 1-1-3 with USA and Mexico close behind.
Lightning Mixed (7 races) – USA posted a 3-1 and is in three-way tie for second.
Sunfish Open (7 races) – Canada posts 7-3-8 to slip to third with only five points separating top four.
J/24 Open (7 races) – Two races solid races by Argentina has them pulling away but Canada is safely in second.

The qualifying schedule on July 12-17 has 12 races for the Laser, Laser Radial, Snipe, Hobie 16, Lightning, Sunfish, and J/24, with 16 races for the 49erFX, RS:X Men, and RS:X Women. The Medal Races are on July 18 and 19.

Event website – Sailing schedule and results – Entry list by country
Canada team update – USA team update