Sailing: Britons enjoy a clean sweep

(First Edition)

BRITISH competitors excelled on the third day of the Laser European Championships in Hayling Bay yesterday. Britain took the top three places in the first flight of 40 boats, had a second place in the second flight, and also won the third, writes Stuart Alexander.

The officer in charge of starting the flights, Roger Palmer, was getting increasingly fed up with people crossing the line before the gun, despite a black flag warning of disqualification.

Instead of dismissing the offenders and re-starting the rest, he did not tell 25 competitors that they were out of the race until after they had gone twice round the trapezoidal one-hour course.

Simon Bowes-Cole, with two third places and an eighth, retained equal second place overall. He is still within striking distance of the leader, Francesco Bruni, of Italy.