Rob Crane, Darien’s Olympian, sailing his Laser at Weymouth this week.
SAILING
Rob Crane knew all too well that he had to have a good start, or else be finished early at the Summer Olympics Laser sailing event in Weymouth, England this week.
“In the first race I had a pretty good start in the middle,” said Crane, who finished 35th of 49 racers in plus-2:45 of the top time of 57:10, posted by Juan Ignacio Maegli Aguero of Guatamala, on Monday. “The breeze was going left and we hadn’t anticipated that and once you get behind in that fleet it is hard to get back.”
Crane was 42nd in race two of the day, plus-4:04 of Australian Tom Slingsby’s 56:25 winning time.
“I was going pretty well in the second race,” said Crane. “The wheels kind of came off on the downwind; I wasn’t going too well and I lost a lot on the runs.”
Crane was 39th going into the second day, when he upped his game creeping higher into the middle of the pack, with a long way to go still in the 10-race prelims. The medal race is Aug. 6, the top 10 get in.
In the first race of the day Tuesday, Crane finished 30th, plus-3.40 in race three, taken by Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus in 1:01.59.
And making more headway he broke into the top 30 in race four, coming in 28th.
Crane — 36th overall after two days — came in plus-4:04 of winner Kontides, taking his second straight, in 1:02:23.
