Australian Sailing Squad’s Jake Lilley (QLD) has moved up into the top ten of the 2019 Finn Gold Cup after three strong races on the fourth day of the Finn class world championships, currently underway in Melbourne. With two more days to go, the Rio Olympian moved up three spots into ninth place overall. 
 
After racing was cancelled on Wednesday due to the lack of wind, Lilley made the most of the three races scheduled on Thursday to post his first top ten race results of the regatta, finishing a strong sixth place in the first race of the day, followed by two eighth places.
 
Following a cool change overnight, temperatures had dropped down from 40C to 22C and with winds picking up considerably from Wednesday’s dead calm to a pretty stable breeze of 13-17 knots with all three scheduled races completed giving sailors plenty of opportunity to move up the leader board and consolidate positions. 

“Yesterday was more of a day for snorkeling but today we got out on the water and had three really classic Melbourne races with a nice big southerly and rolling waves and you can’t ask for much more than that,” Lilley said. 
 
“It definitely was the best day of the event so far and I think I’m just starting to click a gear up each day and hopefully do the same again tomorrow. I think we’ve developed robust systems and processes and its obviously working and each day we can put it in another gear. I think we have another one for tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it,” Lilley added. 
 
Fellow Australian Sailing Squad’s and Melbourne local Oliver Tweddell (VIC) also had a strong start to the day, rounding the first top mark in the first race in fifth, but later dropped back to finish the race in 23rd. Another 15th and 35th saw him drop into 24th overall. 

Three more races of the opening series are scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, with Melbourne’s weather forecast predicting another record-breaking heat day. 
 
“Perfect. We are known for our summer heat so it will be good to show it off,” Lilley laughed. 
 
“The Olympic venue is hot and it’s going to be hot here tomorrow so it’s a good preparation and you gotta be able to deal with that,” Lilley added in reference to most of the Tokyo 2020 Finn class contenders currently racing in Melbourne.

“Come the Olympics next year being able to deal with conditions like these will be important and obviously it will be important with three races tomorrow, how you handle that and the recovery work you’ve put in up to this point is going to be important.
 
In other top-40 Australian results Lachlan Gilham (WA) is ranked 34th, while Lewis Brake (QLD) moved up into 38th and with Jock Calvert (TAS) following in 39th. 
 
A fleet of 60 Finns from 23 nations are competing to win the 2019 Finn world championship with the 10 race opening series continuing on Friday. Another three races are scheduled on the penultimate day from 13:00 and with 43C forecast. The final race and top-ten medal race is scheduled for Saturday 21 December.

In overall results, Josh Junior, from New Zealand, maintains his lead to take a 13-point lead into the final day of the opening series. Rio Olympic champion Giles Scott from Britain is up to second while defending world champion Zsombor Berecz from Hungary is up to third.

RACE 5
In the first race of the day, Britain’s Ed Wright took home the win, after leading at both top mark roundings. Overall leader, Junior, placed second ahead of Jonathan Lobert from France in third. Alican Kaynar from Turkey followed in fourth with Berecz in fifth.
 
RACE 6
Race 6 got underway first time with an individual recall for Turkey’s Alican Kaynar who led throughout the whole race but was OCS’d at the finish line. As a consequence, Berecz took the win after moving into second place before the second top mark rounding. Junior again moved up into the top three on the last downwind to finish third ahead of Lobert. Scott followed in fifth.
 
RACE 7
In the final race of the day Scott made his move and took the lead at the second top mark rounding to take his first race win of the regatta and move up to second overall. Andy Maloney finished the day with a second place ahead of Berecz in third.
 
Racing continues on Friday for the penultimate day of the event with another three races schedules and with 45C forecast.
 
Results after 7 races
1 NZL 24 Josh JUNIOR 
2 GBR 41 Giles SCOTT 
3 HUN 40 Zsombor BERECZ 
4 NED 89 Nicholas HEINER 
5 NZL 61 Andy MALONEY 
6 CRO 10 Nenad BUGARIN 
7 ESP 26 Joan CARDONA MÉNDEZ 
8 CAN 18 Tom RAMSHAW 
9 AUS 1 Jake LILLEY 
10 SUI 1 Nils THEUNINCK 

Australian Sailing Squad Results
Jake Lilley (QLD): (19), 14, 16, 11, 6, 8, 8 –9
Oliver Tweddell (VIC): 22, 17, 24, 15, 23, 15, (35) –24
 
Other top-40 Australian Results
Lachlan Gilham (WA): 31, 20, 34, 24, 34, 32, (38) – 34
Lewis Brake (QLD): 55, 40, 43, (46), 34, 29, 34, 36 – 38
Jock Calvert (TAS): 41, 38, 25, (44), 40, 40, 42 - 39
  
All results: http://sailingresults.net/?ID=80280

ABOUT THE 2019 FINN GOLD CUP
The 2019 Finn Gold Cup is being held at the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, on Port Philip, in Melbourne, Australia, one of the host clubs for the 1956 Olympic Games.  It is the world championship for the Olympic Finn Class. 

It is the fourth time that the state of Victoria has hosted the prestigious Finn Gold Cup after 1995, 1999 and 2008, which is more than any other location in the event's 64-year history. It is the start to Melbourne’s 2020 Summer of Sailing with Port Phillip hosting a series of Olympic class World Championships over the coming months.

More than 60 sailors from 22 nations are competing for the famous Finn Gold Cup over 11 races from Monday 16 to Saturday 21 December.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE 2019 FINN GOLD CUP

VENUE
The 2019 Finn Gold Cup is being hosted by the Royal Brighton Yacht Club in Melbourne, Australia.
 
SCHEDULE
Monday 16 December – Friday 20 December / 10 Races Scheduled
Saturday 21 December / Medal Race and Final Race
Saturday 21 December / Closing Ceremony & Prize Giving

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event through the Finn Class Social Media Channels
Hashtags for the event are: #finngoldcup #finnclass
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFinnClass/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finnclass/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Finn_Classhttps://twitter.com/Finn_Class
 
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Daily highlights will be produced by Beau Outteridge Productions and available on the Finn Class 
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/thefinnchannel 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFinnClass/
  
For more information see https://2019.finngoldcup.org and https://www.finnclass.org

Photo credit: Robert Deaves