Adriana Penruddocke remains in the hunt for a podium finish at the inaugural Junior Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia.

The 21-year-old sailor sits in fourth position, just four points adrift of third placed Luciana Cardozo of Argentina, heading into the final two races of the six-race series in the women’s Laser Radial class today.

Penruddocke posted identical finishes of fourth in the two races contested in 15-20 knot breezes yesterday for the second straight day.

“Today didn’t go to plan at all, firstly sailing in location B on a shifty course but more of a persistent shifts kind of day,” she told The Royal Gazette.

“The first race was going well with me in third until the last downwind where I didn’t play my angles quite as well like the others.

“The second race I had a really bad start but was able to come back a little bit. Rounded the top in fifth and then climbed up to fourth.”

Penruddocke believes she could have done better in the races contested so far.

“This may not seem that bad with two fourth place finishes, but it could have been much better,” she added. “Sometimes things don’t go to plan and you just have to come back stronger for tomorrow.

“The main thing is that I’m learning from my mistakes and this has really helped me throughout each race.”

Kanttida Rose, of the United States, holds a two-point advantage at the top of the standings over Uruguay’s Dolores Fraschini.

Meanwhile, Penruddocke’s compatriot Benn Smith moved up one spot from eighth to seventh in the men’s Laser Radial dinghy standings.

“Today was an okay day,” said Smith, who finished sixth in yesterday’s two races. “Both races I started a lot better than yesterday, which was a positive.

“Conditions were a little bit flatter than yesterday. But since we were on a different course area the breeze was not only shiftier but was a lot more puffy, which really played into how you attack the downwind. You had to keep your eyes open, look behind you and really had to look for the puffs.”

Smith has targeted a top five finish having seen his medal hopes virtually dashed.

“Hopefully tomorrow I can make it up to top five,” he added.

“Hopefully tomorrow we can get some good racing in and it’s probably going to be the same wind.”

Chile’s Clemente Lacamara and Argentina’s Juan Cardozo are tied for first at the top of the standings. Leandre Boucher, of the United States, sits alone in third, five-points adrift of the leaders.