Britain's sailors take seven medals

(onEdition)

Britain’s Olympic sailors gave notice of continuing success in the build-up to 2012, taking seven medals in the finals of the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta in Weymouth today.

Over 700 competitors had tested the racecourses in a week that saw everything from near-gales to flat calms. Five of the 10 classes were decided without medal races in yesterday’s light air.

Gold went to the reigning Olympic champions Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson in the Star, and to Nic Asher and Elliot Willis in the 470, where Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell also took silver. Silvers also went to Ed Wright in the Finn, 2008 bronze medallist windsurfer Bryony Shaw, and the match race trio of Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Allie Martin. The 470 pair of Pippa Wilson and Saskia Clark won bronze.

Unstable wind in Cartagena meant only one race could be sailed to wrap up both the Murcia Trophy and the Audi MedCup season, both won by Emirates Team New Zealand. Only second place overall was left to be decided and it went to the American 2008 champion, Terry Hutchinson in Quantum who held off the Swedish yacht Artemis, with Paul Cayard as tactician. The GP42 title went to Islas Canarias.