Scott finishes as top Brit at Laser World Championship
by Myrrh Walker, RYA 20 Sep 2006 16:29 BST
Laser sailor Giles Scott was the best Brit today (Wednesday 20 September) at the Laser World Championships, Jeju, Korea, at what was a very testing regatta.
Skandia Team GBR’s Scott, the 2005 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Champion, joined 131 competitors at the eight day event that only saw seven races completed in unstable conditions with fickle winds, choppy waves and the presence of Typhoon Shanshan.
Huntingdon’s Scott had a strong start to the event in his favoured big-breeze conditions and posted an impressive three first place finishes in the seven race series, yet the 19 year-old was unable to maintain his form through the event which was ultimately won by Australian sailor, Michael Blackburn.
Scott entered the final race in third overall with a slim lead over the nearest competitors. In the final race, Scott escaped from a bad start to be 15th at the top mark but got becalmed on the last run to finish 29th, a result that he was able to discard but that forced him to count an earlier 23rd dropping him out of the top 10 and into seventh overall.
European Champion and recent winner of the Qingdao Olympic Test event, Paul Goodison was also competing in the event. Goodison, ranked in the world first in the world, ended the event just behind Scott in eighth overall.
Also flying the Skandia Team GBR flag were brothers Mark Powell and Stephen Powell and Mark Howard, all finishing deep in the fleet.
Overall Results:
1. Michael Blackburn, AUS, (1,2,3,2,4,4,(36))
2. Tom Slingsby, AUS, (1,1,1,1,(23),17)
3. Rasmus Myrgen, SWE, (8,3,8,5,8,(13),1)
GBR (Gold Fleet)
7. Giles Scott (11,1,1,1,23,12,(29)
8. Paul Goodison (9,15,12,6,7,2,(34))
30. Nick Thompson (20,4,4,9, (47),36,33)
34. Mark Howard (31,17,4,19,35,(61))
46. Mark Powell (13,16,29,24,44,40,(57))
49. Stephen Powell (36,(60),10,32,37,45,11)
50. James Gray (19,15,27,27,39,47,(61))
60. Dan Ward (27,27,33,29,(54),46,54)
Complete results can be found on www.laserinternational.org/W2006/Results/results_index.htm