Olympics: Sailors Justin Liu and Denise Lim off to creditable start in Nacra 17

Justin Liu of Singapore and Denise Lim of Singapore compete during the 2016 Rio Olympics. PHOTO: REUTERS
Justin Liu (left) and Denise Lim speaking to Minister Tan Chuan-Jin at the 2016 Rio Olympics. ST PHOTO: MAY CHEN
Justin Liu and Denise Lim speaking to Minister Tan Chuan-Jin at the 2016 Rio Olympics. ST PHOTO: MAY CHEN

Rio de Janeiro - Singapore's multi-hull Nacra 17 sailors Justin Liu and Denise Lim got their Olympic debuts off to a creditable start on Wednesday.

The pair came in just behind Swiss pair Matias Buhler and Nathalie Brugger after a photo finish in the first race and are now sixth overall after two races in the 20-strong fleet.

Said Liu: "Racing was good! We had a great first race! We were seventh on the second leg upwind mark, but made some mistakes that were quite costly."

Racing under the famed Pao de Acucar, the Sugarloaf Mountain, winds were shifty and unpredictable.

Added Liu: "Conditions were really tricky... The wind was coming around the mountain so it was really shifty and the wind pressure was up and down.

"In the first race we managed to catch a number of boats by being in the right pressure lanes. We're quite happy with the day. Our first race couldn't have gone any better... and puts us in a good position going forward."

Double-handed dinghy 470 sailors Jovina Choo and Amanda Ng also began their event and are 19th out of 20 in the fleet. They were 18th in their first race and 17th in the second.

In the men's Laser event, Colin Cheng slipped further as he now lies 18th in the 46-strong fleet. Elizabeth Yin is 25th out of 37 sailors in the women's Laser Radial. Cheng and Yin will take an off day next while windsurfers Leonard Ong and Audrey Yong resume action.

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