Exmouth pair back in golden form

Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes headed the British team medal table at the Medemblik regatta in The Netherlands, the last major Olympic sailing event ahead of the Games in China.

The Exmouth pair took gold in a return to top form in the 49er class, in which they were world champions last year. In the absence of Ben Ainslie, Ed Wright took bronze in the Finn singlehander to add to the bronze won by the current world champions and Olympic gold medallists Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, now joined by Pippa Wilson, in the Yngling.

Christina Bassadone and Saskia Clarke took fourth in the 470 dinghy but a costly error in the final race pushed Leigh McMillan and Will Howden from third to seventh in the Tornado catamaran.

With the first three already across the line in the Artemis Transat Race from Plymouth to Boston - Loick Peyron, Armel le Cleac'h and Yann Elies - Samantha Davies was holding on to an increasingly safe-looking fifth place in Roxy with 300 miles to run. Dee Caffari, eighth of the remaining nine of 13 starters, was 100 miles further back.

In the 40-foot class, Giovanni Soldini was again stretching his lead with 550 miles remaining to Marblehead. The three chasing him, including fourth-placed Miranda Merron, were being slowed by lighter winds.