INTO THE FINAL STRETCH: Olympic Laser coach Brett Beyer ponders tactics with Elizabeth Yin at the Women's Laser Radial World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand.

SINGAPORE’S sailors are well in the hunt at the Women’s Laser Radial World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand, as they battle to book a spot for the country in the event at Beijing’s Olympic Games in August.

The Republic already have a representative each in the 470 and Laser Standard men’s Olympic competitions, and Elizabeth Yin and Lo Man Yi are doing their best to match the feat, after both qualified for the gold fleet final yesterday. Including hosts China, 20 countries
have already qualified for the Laser Radial Olympic event and there are six slots left.

Among the countries fighting for honours in the final qualifying session in Auckland are 23 nations, including Singapore, that are vying to qualify for the Games.

Victoria Junior College student, Elizabeth, 17, took advantage of the light wind conditions off North Shore City’s Takapuna Beach and finished Race 4 and 5 in 5th and 19th spot, espectively.

She is ranked No 32 in the overall standings, with team-mate Lo, 20, 49th in the 116-strong fleet. The top 58 countries will go up against each other today in the gold fleet, with the other half doing battle in the silver fleet.

Thirteen of the 58 countries with hopes of qualifying for the Summer Games are in the mix in
the gold fleet, and eight are currently ahead of Singapore (represented by the Republic’s highest placed sailor Elizabeth) — Sweden, Russia, Paraguay, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Ireland and Denmark.

SingaporeSailing’s team manager Peter Logan is confident that the sailors will be able to rise to the challenge.

“This is only Elizabeth’s first Laser Radial open World Championship and she’s really performed beyond expectations, said Logan, speaking from Auckland yesterday.

“She put in an incredibly good performance today … it was good, simple sailing and a clean race.”

There will be two races today and another two in the final round tomorrow and Logan said: “I think we have a very good chance of qualifying. They’ll need to finish at least in the top two-thirds of the group. It’ll be tough, but the girls are sailing better than expected.

“The winds are expected to be light over the next two days so there’s not a lot of opportunity for
big manoeuvres and a mistake could cost them dearly. Like in the qualifying round, it’s about sailing mistake- free and having clean races in the final.”

2006 laser 4.7 world champion Victoria Chan, 17, had to settle for a place in the silver fleet after finishing the qualifying round in 65th position.