USA and Argentina keep leads at 470 European Championships

(BEIJING, June 13) -- Despite a strong fourth day of competition from Japan's Kondo Ai and Kamata Naoko that vaulted the pair three spots up the leaderboard, Americans Amanda Clark and Sarah Mergenthaler held on to their lead in the women's side of the ISAF Grade C1 470 European Championships. The winner will be decided on Saturday.

Clark and Mergenthaler's lead is now just one point. Kondo and Kamata, currently ranked No. 2 in the world finished second in the two races of the day, moving into the second spot. Sylvia Vogl and Carolina Flatscher of Austria have fallen from second to third place; Emmanuelle Rol and Anne-Sophie Thilo from Switzerland are currently fourth.

Javier Conte and Juan de la Fuente lead the men's championship by nine-points, buoyed by consistent scoring despite a 19th place finish in the ninth race. Gideon Kliger and Udi Gal of Israel are second and Nic Asher and Elliot Willis of Great Britain are just three points back in third.