Race wins for every British boat
British sailors enjoyed remarkable success in big breeze and big waves in Weymouth today as every team marched nearer the top step of the podium.
Ben Ainslie bounced back from a disappointing start to his regatta in the Finn by winning the day’s first race in which his main rival – Denmark’s Jonas Hogh-Christensen – capsized and finished eighth.
In the second race he fought hard, overtaking Hogh-Christensen metres before the leeward mark and hanging on to take third ahead of the Dane’s fourth place.
Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson also won the day’s opening race in the Star class to extend the lead over Brazilian rivals Robert Schedt and Bruno Prada to six points.
In the second race, Percy and Simpson were second, three places ahead of the Brazilians, which means they now lead the fleet by 9 points. The reigning champions have finished in the first three in every race since race one.
Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes (pictured) continued their flying progress up the 49er leaderboard by winning both races on the fourth day of their regatta.
The results lift the Exmouth pair to second overall, nine points behind the Australian leaders, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen.
Morrison and Rhodes sat 12th at the end of both the first and second days.
Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell began their regatta in the men’s 470, but avoided the dip that many of their compatriots encountered at the beginning of their regattas.
The Scotsman and the Lancastrian finished second in the first race, one place ahead of the Mat Belcher and Malcolm Page – the strong gold medal favourites from Australia.
And a dominant win in race two ensured that the Britons sit at the top of the field at the end of their first day’s racing.