Strong winds postpone Melb sailing races

Olympic hopeful Ashley Stoddart wants to win her Melbourne sailing world cup event to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

Strong winds have forced the postponement of a number of races at Melbourne's sailing world cup and Olympic hopeful Ashley Stoddart isn't happy about it.

Tied for equal-first, Stoddart is taking every chance to improve her case for selection for Rio and that means winning even in tough conditions.

"I do like when it's windy, it's a little bit more fun I think. A lot of people enjoy the wind a bit more, especially from Australia," Stoddart told AAP on Friday.

"We've learned to have to love it as little kids growing up, learned to go through the fear and then come out the other side loving it."

Stoddart recently finished 11th at the world championships in Oman to qualify Australia for a spot in the Laser Radial class in Rio but now she needs to qualify herself.

Ideally she wants to finish top six at the Mexico world championships in April to meet the Australian Sailing Team's baseline performance standards.

"I'm aiming for that baseline performance as much as I can," she said.

If she doesn't make the top six, Stoddart is hoping to finish as high as possible and crack the door open to go to Rio anyway.

The Laser Radial will hold three races on Saturday before Sunday's double points medal race.

Women's 470 Olympic hopefuls Carrie Smith and Jaime Ryan are still leading their standings after winning their first four races but finished second in one race on Friday before sailing was called off.

The world cup will continue at the Royal Melbourne Yacht Club on St Kilda beach on Saturday.


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Source: AAP



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