I would agree with you, second verticle water shot is not nearly as appealing as the first. In this second shot the color balance is good, however the extra sky takes away from the image. I also find the building on the right edge to be very distracting.
I forgot to mention earlier that of your people shots, the children in the stadium appeal to me the most. I can get a feeling of place and some emotion from the two children. To me it is still missing something, then again perhaps I am looking for too much.