Ensuing a solid performance on Thursday, China continued its strong charge at the Qingdao International Regatta on Friday.

 

Chinese sailors continued their solid performance in RS:X Men with 1-2 finish overall. The only change was the position shift. Fang Zhennan came out fourth and first in Friday's two races, securing a top place. While He Feng dropped to second. Their team mate Wang Aichen ranked sixth overall.

 

Lukasz Grodzicki of Poland, winner of 2006 ISAF Youth World Champs, held the third position.

 

"Today is good. But I made a mistake at the start in race 2. The wind today is shifty which influences my performance. Of course the weather is the same for every athlete. It's fair," Fang Zhennan said.

 

 

"The Chinese athletes got the leading position because they knew the place very well. I think they trained here a lot. That's the reason. Everyone moved the fleets to the right side just like the first race and only Chinese guys went to the left," Grodzickisaid.

 

"It was worthy for them. That's why they are first and second. Next time I will talk to them which side to sail."

 

In RS:X Women, overall leader Faustine Merret of France faced a strong challenge in Friday's first race from three Chinese sailors Yin Jian, ChenPeina and Sun Limei. Sun finally finished in third place, two ahead of Merret. Nevertheless in the second race, Merret bounced back to hold firm the overall lead, followed by Sun Limei and Malgorzata Bialecka of Poland. Yin and Chen took fourth and fifth overall finishes.

 

Merret said, "I am satisfied with my results today. Although in the first round today I missed my start, because I was trying to fire at the start line at top speed, I was pumping too late and I knew it. Fortunately I caught back a few places. In the second round I got a good start and I didn't make any mistake. I had a good feeling in that race and I came in first."

 

In Yngling class, China's trio Song Xiaqun, Li Xiaoni and Zhang Chuanshuang dropped to third place overall.

 

Mandy Mulder, Brechtje Van Derwerf and Janneke Hin of the Netherlands won their third bullet, setting up an eleven-point lead over second placed Helena Lucas, Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor of Britain.

 

Mulder said, "In the first race we were third and then in the second race we got first. We just kept paying attention and it definitely paid off."

 

In Laser Radial, China's newly-crowned world champion Xu Lijia dropped from ninth place overall to tenth. Top three positions went to Paige Railey of the US, Penny Clark of Britain and Jo Aleh of New Zealand.

 

"The first race I got OCS and in the second race I got third. Good day! I am happy to be the first now! For the regatta I am very disappointed over the first race. But from the Chinese sailing consistency, I keep in my case how to sail back. Now pretty much pressure on me comes from myself," Railey said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2006)