Australia’s reigning Olympic Laser champion Tom Burton has roared back into contention with two wins on day three of the World Cup Series regatta at Hyeres in France, and 49er crew David Gilmour and Joel Turner have hit the lead in their class on a day of light winds and hard work.

Gilmour and Turner extracted everything they could from the variable 5-7 knot breeze in the only 49er race possible to come second in Race 6 and leapfrog the overnight leaders from Poland. The national 49er champions now head the 40-boat fleet by 15 net points from Spaniards Diego Botin le Chever and Iago Lopez Marra, who came ninth at the Rio Games.

In the women’s 49er class, the 49erFX, Australian pairs Amelia Stabback and Ella Clark, and Natasha Bryant and Annie Wilmot, each remain in the top 10.

The biggest mover of the day was Burton. Australia’s Laser contingent has struggled to make an impact at this regatta, however Burton’s perfect results overnight saw the world No.2 rise from 11th to 5th and only six net points behind leader Jean Baptiste Bernaz of France among a crowd of the biggest names in Laser sailing. All three Olympic medallists and the current world champion are in the top seven after six races and are separated by only 16 points.

Results were less encouraging for four-time 470 world champions and 2017 winners at Hyeres, Mat Belcher and Will Ryan, who came a discarded 24th in the only race of the day to stay in sixth place, 19 net points off the lead.

Rio silver medallists Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin grabbed a 2 in Race 5 of the Nacra 17 series, but a 14 and 21 in the remaining two races put them back to 15th.

The 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 will have their final fleet races on Friday before their Medal Races on Saturday. The remaining fleets complete their series on Saturday with Medal Races on Sunday.

Medal Races will be streamed live on World Sailing’s YouTube channel

HOW TO FOLLOW:

Local website - www.swc.ffvoile.fr

World Sailing - www.sailing.org/world-cup-series

FULL RESULTS HERE

AUSSIES IN ACTION:

LASER:

Tom Burton - 3, 26, (41), 15,1, 1 - 5th

Finn Alexander - 20, (45), 4, 20, 16, 35 – 17th

Matt Wearn - 15, 25, 10, (49), 18, 39 – 21st

Luke Elliott - 33, 29, (55), 50, 34, 3 – 33rd

Mitch Kennedy – (DNF), 6, 35, 63, 63, 12 – 42nd

Dan Self - 58, 44, (60), 56, 23, 33 - 55th

LASER RADIAL:

Paige Caldecoat - 33, 60, 30, (62), 43, 50 – 50th

49ER:

David Gilmour/Joel Turner - 2, 2, (27), 1, 13, 2 – 1st

Lachy Gilmour/Ryan Donaldson - 13, 24, (26), 26, 20, 26 - 30th

Kurt Hansen/Harry Morton - (36), 31, 23, 30, 12, 25 - 35th

49ERFX:

Amelia Stabback/Ella Clark - 2, 8, 17, 10, 20, 10, (25) – 8th

Natasha Bryant/Annie Wilmot - 7, 18, 20, 1, 11, 11, (22) - 9th

470W:

Nia Jerwood/Monique de Vries - 12, (30), 20, 28, 23 – 27th

470:

Mat Belcher/Will Ryan – 8, 5, 6, 10, (24) - 6th

Chris Charlwood/Josh Dawson - 17, 23, 15, (35), 20 – 22nd

FINN:

Jake Lilley - 3, 7, 3, 19, (20), 8 - 6th

Oliver Tweddell – (35), 24, 8, 23, 26, 16 - 24th

Jock Calvert - 12, 17, 28, 37, 36, (39) - 30th

Lewis Brake - 22, 38, 33, 32, (UFD), 34 – 35th

NACRA 17:

Jason Waterhouse/Lisa Darmanin – 16, (BFD), 12, 13, 2, 14, 21 – 15th

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