PARALYMPIC 2.4mR keelboat champion Helena Lucas is not just taking on international rivals at this week’s World Championships in Dorset – but also her coach.

Lucas’ coach, the Sydney 2000 49er silver medallist Ian Barker, is among the 80 able-bodied and disabled sailors from 12 countries, competing at the International 2.4m World Championships at Poole Yacht Club.

Other big British names taking part include Portland sailing stars Megan Pascoe and John Robertson.

Lucas got the home flags flying as she moved to the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage.

She picked up her second race win of the regatta, following a thrilling tactical battle with British Sailing Team team-mate, Pascoe, to complement the third and fourth places she also scored from Wednesday’s three races, to hold a three-point lead over six-time world champion, Stellan Berlin, with six races to go.

GBR and SWE are the sail numbers dominating the top five placings with Barker, in third, reigning world champion Peter Andersson fourth and Pascoe in fifth.

With six races completed, all 75 competitors can now discard their worst score of the regatta.

While Lucas and Barker shared a race win apiece, victory in the other race of the day went to Canada’s two-time Paralympian, Bruce Millar, the next president-elect of the International 2.4mR class.

Barker, who is racing in Lucas’ London 2012 boat, said competing in the 2.4 had made him realise how hard it is to get the start line bearings in a boat that is so close to the water.

He added: “The OCS was due to disorientation before the start, when you see the amount of waves and boats and everything else.

“I’ve sailed these boats before a fair bit but never in a start with so many other boats, and the amount of chop they kick up when it’s windy is unbelievable. It’s like being on a bucking bronco.”

Racing at the 2.4mR World Championships is scheduled to end tomorrow.

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