Mendleblatt and Fatih pull ahead

US team takes the lead at the Star Sailors League Finals in Nassau

Today brought another great day’s sailing in the Bahamas for the Star Sailors League Finals 2014.

The action was dominated by Americans Mark Mendelblatt and Brian Fatih, who snatched the leader from Scheidt/Prada two-thirds of the way through qualifying.

Spectators were treated to three races, in great wind, featuring great competition between the 20 teams invited to this top-level event.

15 to 20 knots of wind set the tone for the first race of day two of the Star Sailors League Finals. After an excellent start, Mendelblatt and Fatih held onto their lead for the duration. Leg 1 brought lively sparring all the way to mark between the Germans Johannes Polgar and Markus Koy, Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada, and Torben Grael and Guillerme de Almeida. The Americans rounded the windward mark first, followed by Polgar and Koy. Scheidt and Prada missed the first turn at the top buoy, losing four positions in a very close race.

On Leg 2, Mendelblatt and Fatih extended their lead. In the end the first 10 across the line were Mendelblatt, Polgar, Loof, Kusznierewicz, Grael, Negri, Scheidt, Stanjek, Rohart and Gapsic with provisional overall leadership of the regatta going to the Americans.

The fleet stayed tight in the second race of the day with excitement at every mark. Negri and Lambertenghi led around the top mark, as Papathanasiou and Tsotras bore away to avoid a collision. Melleby and Strube were forced to carry out a penalty turn just before the first downwind, but recovered to finish 13th. The Italians and France's Rohart and Ponsot sparred for first place downwind, with just 20 metres between them. After a poor start, Scheidt and Prada clawed their way back into the top four on the final leg, battling hard with Rohart and Ponsot and Gaspic and Sitic. Gaspic and Sitic stayed in the top five overall to finish fourth. Junior and Pritchard started the final leg in sixth and hung on in the top 10 overall, while Mendelblatt and Fatih held a 150 metres lead at the line to take their second win of the day moving them into the overall lead.

In Race 6, the wind picked up and the current intensified. Loof and Ekstrom started behind everyone else, but then zeroed in on the top five after the second leg. Grael and Almeida had a great start, but could only finish in ninth. Three of the four Brazilian teams worried the leaders throughout. However Zarif and Boening challenged early on, this time securing third behind Mendelblatt and Fatih and Scheidt and Prada. After a fine start, Polgar and Koy took the lead at the second buoy and held it to the end. Adrenaline was high for the five leaders who pulled away in the final legs. Szabo and Natucci followed in sixth - their best performance yet.

At the end of Day 2, the provisional rankings are topped by Mendelblatt and Fatih, a comfortable 10 points ahead of Scheidt/Prada and 13 in front of Polgar/Koy. Tomorrow evening, winner excluded, the crews ranked from 2nd to 11th will go forward to the final phases of the event. The winner from the quaifiying races will get a bye for the first race. Up to three races may still be competed in the eliminators, but right now, there are six teams separated by less than 10 points.

Three races are scheduled for tomorrow with the first warning signal at 1100 local time with fierce competition.

Top 10 results after six races with one discard:

1. Mendelblatt/Fatih (USA) - (1+[10]+3+1+1+2)
2. Scheidt/Prada (BRA) - 18 pp ([7]+1+2+7+4+4)
3. Polgar/Koy (GER) - 21 pp ([9]+3+6+2+13+1)
4. Loof/Ekstrom (SWE) - 22 pp (4+[12]+4+3+6+5)
5. Rohart/Ponsot (FRA) - 29 pp (6+2+[13]+9+2+10)
6. Negri/Lambertenghi (ITA) - 29 pp (5+5+[10]+6+5+8)
7. Kusznierewicz/Zycki (POL) - 36 pp (10+8+[12]+4+7+7)
8. Zarif/Boening (BRA) - 37 pp (15+7+1+[17]+11+3)
9. Scott/Milne (ENG) - 39 pp ([13]+4+5+11+8+11)
10. Gaspic/Sitic (CRO) - 46 pp ([14]+14+7+10+3+12)