The second day of the High Performance Grand Prix - 29er EuroCup and National Championship mirrored the conditions of the previous day, with the fleet once again completing four races.
Racing kicked off in favorable conditions with a 13-15 knot easterly breeze for the fifth race, but the wind gradually tapered off during the remaining three races. Race officer Bence Kárpáti and his team demonstrated remarkable efficiency, making several course adjustments and changing its length as needed. Their smooth coordination allowed the starting procedures to begin within just three minutes of the previous race, ensuring the sailors were back on shore by 1:00 PM and ready for a hot-dog party lunch by 2:00 PM.
The Lange brothers, who led the standings on day one, had a more challenging day on the water. Their results were inconsistent, finishing fifth and seventh in the early races, and taking a RET (retirement) after a penalty in the seventh race. However, they bounced back in the final race with a third-place finish, keeping their chances of medaling alive.
Meanwhile, Emília Juhász and Boróka Lacza showed the most consistent performance of the day, securing a five-point lead over Mór Csekovszky and Martin Zarándy, who currently hold second place. Soma Kis-Szölgyémi and András Juhász are close behind in third, trailing by just two points. With such tight margins, the competition for the gold remains wide open among the top five or six teams.
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In the U17 fleet, the leading Czech team has built a significant advantage, accumulating less than half the points of the second-placed Slovenians, who currently hold the top spot in the women’s U17 division.
Six more races remain on the 29er course, but the forecast is not offering much optimism, with light winds predicted for the coming days. Nonetheless, similar conditions were predicted today, and racing continued smoothly.
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Tomorrow, the Nacra 15 class will also take to the water on a separate course, kicking off their final ranking competition of 2024.