Hopes are fading fast for the likes of Toh Liying and Deborah Ong. Photo: Getty Images

SINGAPORE’S 470 sailors had an unexpected rest day yesterday, after poor winds forced a postponement of races at the Olympic venue in Qingdao.

Erratic winds and speeds hovering at just four knots forced the orgnaisers to suspend the races at 4pm. Singapore are competing in four of the 11 classes — the men’s and women’s 470, the Laser Standard and women’s Laser Radial.

All four classes must complete at least six of their 10 scheduled races, with the top 10 teams advancing into their respective one-off medal races.

Singapore, regarded as an outsider, remain in contention for the medal races in the men’s
470 on Monday and the women’s Laser Radial on Tuesday. After Wednesday’s races,
Xu Yuanzhen and Terence Koh are 19th out of 29 boats in the men’s 470, while Lo Man Yi
is 21st out of 28 boats in the women’s Laser Radial. But hopes are fading fast for the women’s 470 pair of Toh Liying and Deborah Ong, who are last out of 19 boats, and Koh Seng Leong, who is 41st out of 43 in the Laser Standard.

Wind conditions are expected to improve, reaching 10 knots today and 14 knots tomorrow.

With four races left for the 470s and seven for both Lasers, the concern now is not to let
yesterday’s break disrupt their rhythm and concentration. “When you have a break like this, it’s easy to drop your focus, and it has happened to sailors before,” said team manager Mark Robinson in a telephone interview from Qingdao.

“So the team briefings will be about keeping up the rhythm to making sure it doesn’t drop.

“They’ll also have to keep on the right side of the wind and chip away at a couple of boats per leg.”