Day four of the Porsche Centre Brisbane 2026 Finn World Masters at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in Brisbane, Australia, was wiped out by powerful winds that forced race officials to abandon all sailing for the day.
Forecasts had warned of deteriorating conditions, and they proved spot on. With gusts already surpassing 20 knots by 11.00, the race committee made an early decision to scrub the schedule, giving competitors a chance to step ashore and enjoy an unexpected rest day. The call was vindicated as conditions worsened through the afternoon, with wind speeds eventually topping 30 knots on Waterloo Bay.
Despite the enforced break, the standings remain packed with tension heading into the final day. Australian Brendan Casey continues to set the pace, sitting on just five points after five completed races and holding a four-point buffer over Spain’s Rafael Trujillo in second. New Zealand’s Karl Purdie occupies third, a further seven points adrift on 16.
The discard picture adds another layer of intrigue. Both Casey and Purdie are throwing out a high-scoring result, while Trujillo’s discard is a fifth place, meaning the Spaniard has less margin to improve through the drop. A single race could theoretically decide the championship, but with two races still on the programme, the title fight looks set to go right down to the wire.
Behind the top three, Great Britain’s Lawrence Crispin sits fourth on 22 points, followed by Portugal’s Filipe Silva on 25 and Germany’s Fabian Lemmel on 28. Italy’s Marko Kolic holds seventh with 32 points, while Britain’s Nick Craig is eighth on 38. Rounding out the top ten are Australia’s Anthony Nossiter on 39 and the Netherlands’ Peter Peet on 40.
Friday serves as the concluding day of the regatta, with two races scheduled from 11.00 and a final warning signal cut-off time of 15.00. After a day spent watching whitecaps from the clubhouse, the fleet will be eager to get back on the water for what promises to be a gripping finale in Brisbane.
