Britain’s Laser Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie capped a fine performance by taking eighth in the last race to take the Athens, Greece-based Finn Gold Cup.

Ainslie, aged 25, was by far the fastest upwind as well as the most consistent of all of the 90 competitors. His eighth place today meant that he had finished eighth or higher in every race of the series. The presence and guidance of his experienced coach, David Howlett, was another essential factor for this success, not least for his knowledge of the Athenian weather conditions which he gained in the early 1980s when sailing alongside the Finn Olympic medallists Elias Hatzipavlis and Tassos Boudouris in the Saronic Gulf.

Only one of today’s two scheduled races were competed – the second was cancelled after the Coastguard advised that the weather would prove too dangerous.

The top nine countries to qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics, subject to ISAF approval and protests, were Great Britain, Poland, Croatia, Spain, Belgium, Germany, France, Brazil and Ireland.

The closing ceremony will take place tonight at 2100 EST in the Olympiakos FC facilities.