Ben Ainslie has won the Finn class at the ISAF world championship in Cadiz and 49er sailors Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks have taken gold with a day to spare
Going into the last day in the Finn class, double Olympic medallist, Ainslie, needed to finish within five places of Spanish sailor Rafael Trujillo to secure the victory. In a nail-biting race, Ainslie rounded the first mark of the course in the early 20s with the Spaniard amongst the top five which would give him the championship.
From there on came a dramatic fight back by Ainslie as he carved his way through the fleet moving into seventh by the second lap and into third by the start of the last leg. The fight ended with Trujillo finishing one boat ahead of Ainslie but the world championship was secured. With victory in Cadiz, Ainslie secured his selection to Team GB for Athens next year where he will attempt to take his third Olympic medal. The other success in the Finn class came with Ainslie’s long time training partner Andrew Simpson’s who put in an incredible performance to take the bronze medal.
Ainslie said: “I’m delighted to retain the world title. Finn Gold Cup’s don’t come along everyday so I’m very happy.” He continued, “Everything is aimed towards Athens and trying to win a gold medal there. It’s gone well over the last two years and there are a lot of good sailors in the class who are still going to keep moving forwards so it will be a battle next year.”
With one world title in the bag it was the two-man 49er dinghy that produced the next gold medal for Britain, which was secured with a day to spare by Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks. Having sailed an immaculate series they wrapped up the event in style going one better than their silver medal last year. Fellow British sailors Paul Brotherton and Mark Asquith finished the day in second place overall and with two races left today they will be keen to protect this position. The selectors will meet after racing to decide the way forward for the selection to Team GB in this class.
A delighted Draper commented: “We felt we could win but never dreamed we would win it like this.”
The Tornado crew of Leigh McMillan and Mark Bulkeley have confirmed a gold or silver medal going into the final race. They have a fight on between themselves and Olympic silver medallist Darren Bundock of Australia who, sailing with John Forbes, will be going for his fourth world title.
Results
Laser (day five) – Gold fleet
1, Robert Scheidt, BRA ((4),1,4,1,1,2,6,3,3,3) 22 pts
2, Gustavo Lima, POR (1,1,(3),2,1,1,8,1,6,9) 24 pts
3, Michael Blackburn, AUS (5,1,5,1,1,11,2,10,13,(27)) 49 pts
GBR
12, Ed Wright (1,7,5,7,11,7,5,8,29,(32)) 80 pts
17, Mark James Howard (11,6,7,12,10,8,3,23,14,(25)) 94 pts
25, Paul Goodison (15,11,5,3,2,21,32,13,(DNC),17) 119 pts
40, Jim Taylor (2,(20),14,14,5,20,42,41,26,31) 173 pts
43, Andrew Commander (17,6,24,4,18,7,40,(42),36,36) 188 pts
Tornado (day five)
1, Darren Bundock/John Forbes, AUS (2,1,2,14,(15),1,1,11,1) 33 pts
2, Leigh McMillan/Mark Bulkeley, GBR (1,7,1,(12),2,3,2,10,11) 37 pts
3, Santiago Lange/Carlos Espinola, ARG (11,15,9,1,8,6,6,2,8) 51 pts
other GBR
10, Hugh Styles/Adam May (9,5,12,11,6,32,(OCS),6,12) 93 pts
18, Rob Wilson/Martin Sellars (29,36,15,29,28,14,22,(RDG 24,7),4) 165.7 pts
36, Ian Barker/Dan Newman (43,29,5,27,35,30,26,(DNC),DNC) 268 pts
58, Andrew Walsh/Edward Barney (59,64,45,52,27,(67),55,49,47) 398 pts
470 Women (day five)
1, Sofia Bekatorou/Emilia Tsoulfa, GRE (1,1,2,1,1,2,1,4,(OCS),8) 21 pts
2, Ingrid Petitjean/Nadege Douroux, FRA (3,2,2,(14),10,8,5,14,2,4) 50 pts
3, Jenny Armstrong/Belinda Stowell, AUS (7,9,1,5,1,(19),6,2,19,1) 51 pts
GBR
7, Christina Bassadone/Katherine Hopson (4,4,3,(OCS),2,4,21,5,18,5) 66 pts
15, Josie Gibson/Sue Parkin (5,8,12,2,9,13,17,3,20,(21)) 589 pts
18, Helena Lucas/Jenny Heeley (7,9,17,5,8,15,(20),16,4,16) 97 pts
470 Men (day five) – Gold fleet
1, Gabrio Zandona/Andrea Trani, ITA (1,1,2,2,1,(20),8,7,5,15) 42 pts
2, Gustavo Doreste/Dimas Wood, ESP (6,2,4,5,1,2,(19),11,1,10) 42 pts
3, Nathan Wilmot/Malcolm Page, AUS (2,12,1,7,12,5,6,1,(13),1) 47 pts
GBR
8, Nick Rogers/Joe Glanfield (10,10,9,7,1,3,(34),16,2,12) 70 pts
28, Graham Vials/Bevis Field (20,20,6,16,7,3,16,(29),18,18) 124 pts
49er (day five) – Gold fleet
1, Chris Draper/Simon Hiscocks, GBR (3,2,2,1,4,2,2,2,2,(6),1,2,6,(7)) 29 pts
2, Paul Brotherton/Mark Asquith, GBR ((9),7,7,5,4,8,1,4,RDG 5,2,2,(9),1,9,2) 55.2 pts
3, Marcus Baur/Max Groy, GER (3,2,7,2,1,5,(16),3,3,13,8,(21),3,11) 61 ptsother GBR
6, Alister Richardson/Peter Greenhalgh (1,14, (DNC),6,4,4,2,1,1,(15),10,7,14,1) 65 pts
7, Stephen Morrison/Ben Rhodes (1,8,(11),6,6,11,6,4,4,(16),6,6,11,3) 72 pts
Finn – Final results
1, Ben Ainslie, GBR (3,5,7,8,(19),4,1,2,1,10,3) 44 pts
2, Rafael Trujillo, ESP (9,8,1,5,5,10,(19),1,6,1,2) 48 pts
3, Andrew Simpson, GBR ((32),14,9,1,1,3,3,4,8,8,24) 75 pts
GBR
16, Charlie Cumbley (7,12,23,(47),29,20,28,10,11,27,22) 189 pts
21, Dave Mellor ((51),16,20,6,17,35,11,22,13,30,27) 197 pts
33, Matt Howard (44,38,62,40,36,19,9,24,22,(OCS),41) 335 pts
39, Edward Greig ((57),36,41,38,39,32,29,57,30,28,32) 371 pts
Star – Gold fleet, final results
1, Xavier Rohart/Pascal Rambeau, FRA (1,2,5,2,3,1,4,1,2,(DNC)) 21 pts
2, Fredrik Loof/Anders Ekstrom, SWE (3,6,2,3,2,3,1,(DNF),1,7) 28 pts
3, Iain Percy/Steve Mitchell, GBR (13,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,19,23) 42 pts
Mistral Men – Gold fleet, final results
1, Przemek Miarczynski, POL (1,1,1,8,1,1,1,1,1,6,(DNC)) 22 pts
2, Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, GRE (4,3,2,(OCS),1,21,5,4,3,3,7) 53 pts
3, Gal Fridman, ISR (3,4,1,(DSQ),7,10,4,12,5,2,9) 57 pts
GBR
6, Nick Dempsey ((14),7,4,6,4,3,11,6,19,9,1) 65 pts
31, Dominic Tidey (16,12,7,19,3,6,(51),44,23,34,47) 211 pts
54, Leo McCallin (20,24,22,33,(50),27,34,48,42,45,37) 331 pts
Mistral Women – final results
1, Lee Korsitz, ISR (1,4,3,6,1,(32),2,2,14,5,17) 55 pts
2, Barbara Kendall, NZL (2,1,12,5,11,9,4,1,10,1,(27)) 56 pts
3, Faustine Merret, FRA (3,(27),10,1,6,6,5,9,2,17,4) 63 pts
GBR
11, Natasha Sturges (18,(21),18,15,10,7,10,16,1,19,8) 122 pts
31, Bryony Shaw (23,44,28,34,46,42,22,13,8,31,(OCS)) 291 pts
Yngling – final results
1, Hannah Swett/Joan Touchette/Melissa Purdy, USA ((16),12,2,7,1,10,4,1,1,12,4) 54 pts
2, Ulrike Schuemann/Wibke Buelle/Winnie Lippert, GER (15,(27),1,1,13,2,2,10,4,1,12) 61 pts
3, Dorte O Jensen/Helle Jespersen/Rachel Kiel, DEN (1,5,7,17,(32),6,5,15,7,2,2) 67 pts
GBR
7, Shirley Robertson/Sarah Webb/Sarah Ayton ((37),18,5,10,2,3,1,18,3,21,17) 98 pts
12, Cathy Foster/Jane Norris/Annie Lush (22,23,10,5,10,(28),3,7,20,11,21) 132 pts
39, Dominica Lyndsey/Lucy Burn/Vicky Symmers (40,39,29,34,OCS,41,(DNC),DNC,40,27,27) 361 pts
Europe – Gold fleet, final results
1, Siren Sundby, NOR (1,1,3,5,2,3,14,1,23,1,(DNC)) 54 pts
2, Sari Multala, FIN (1,1,2,1,33,(53),1,15,1,6,1) 62 pts
3, Mary Gaillard, USA (9,4,3,7,5,8,21,(33),5,9,10) 81 pts
GBR
26, Laura Baldwin (29,30,23,25,29,10,20,(43),22,12,13) 213 pts
55, Nicky Muller (9,31,20,18,54,47,34,55,34,44,(54)) 345 pts