British sailing stands on top of the world in two of the Olympic classes at the Cadiz world championship, with Ben Ainslie winning the Finn class and the other gold medal coming in the 49er class where Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks (pictured left) won with a day to spare.

Going into the last day in the Finn class, double Olympic medallist, Ainslie, needed to finish within five places of Spanish sailor Rafael Trujillo to secure the victory. In a nail-biting race, Ainslie rounded the first mark of the course in the early 20s with the Spaniard amongst the top five which would give him the championship.

From there on came a dramatic fight back by Ainslie as he carved his way through the fleet moving into seventh by the second lap and into third by the start of the last leg. The fight ended with Trujillo finishing one boat ahead of Ainslie but the world championship was secured. With victory in Cadiz, Ainslie secured his selection to Team GB for Athens next year where he will attempt to take his third Olympic medal. The other success in the Finn class came with Ainslie’s long time training partner Andrew Simpson’s who put in an incredible performance to take the bronze medal.

Ainslie said: “I’m delighted to retain the world title. Finn Gold Cup’s don’t come along everyday so I’m very happy.” He continued, “Everything is aimed towards Athens and trying to win a gold medal there. It’s gone well over the last two years and there are a lot of good sailors in the class who are still going to keep moving forwards so it will be a battle next year.”

With one world title in the bag it was the two-man 49er dinghy that produced the next gold medal for Britain, which was secured with a day to spare by Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks. Having sailed an immaculate series they wrapped up the event in style going one better than their silver medal last year. Fellow British sailors Paul Brotherton and Mark Asquith finished the day in second place overall and with two races left today they will be keen to protect this position. The selectors will meet after racing to decide the way forward for the selection to Team GB in this class.

A delighted Draper commented: “We felt we could win but never dreamed we would win it like this.”

The Tornado crew of Leigh McMillan and Mark Bulkeley have confirmed a gold or silver medal going into the final race. They have a fight on between themselves and Olympic silver medallist Darren Bundock of Australia who, sailing with John Forbes, will be going for his fourth world title.

Results

Laser (day five) – Gold fleet

1, Robert Scheidt, BRA ((4),1,4,1,1,2,6,3,3,3) 22 pts

2, Gustavo Lima, POR (1,1,(3),2,1,1,8,1,6,9) 24 pts

3, Michael Blackburn, AUS (5,1,5,1,1,11,2,10,13,(27)) 49 pts

GBR

12, Ed Wright (1,7,5,7,11,7,5,8,29,(32)) 80 pts

17, Mark James Howard (11,6,7,12,10,8,3,23,14,(25)) 94 pts

25, Paul Goodison (15,11,5,3,2,21,32,13,(DNC),17) 119 pts

40, Jim Taylor (2,(20),14,14,5,20,42,41,26,31) 173 pts

43, Andrew Commander (17,6,24,4,18,7,40,(42),36,36) 188 pts

Tornado (day five)

1, Darren Bundock/John Forbes, AUS (2,1,2,14,(15),1,1,11,1) 33 pts

2, Leigh McMillan/Mark Bulkeley, GBR (1,7,1,(12),2,3,2,10,11) 37 pts

3, Santiago Lange/Carlos Espinola, ARG (11,15,9,1,8,6,6,2,8) 51 pts

other GBR

10, Hugh Styles/Adam May (9,5,12,11,6,32,(OCS),6,12) 93 pts

18, Rob Wilson/Martin Sellars (29,36,15,29,28,14,22,(RDG 24,7),4) 165.7 pts

36, Ian Barker/Dan Newman (43,29,5,27,35,30,26,(DNC),DNC) 268 pts

58, Andrew Walsh/Edward Barney (59,64,45,52,27,(67),55,49,47) 398 pts

470 Women (day five)

1, Sofia Bekatorou/Emilia Tsoulfa, GRE (1,1,2,1,1,2,1,4,(OCS),8) 21 pts

2, Ingrid Petitjean/Nadege Douroux, FRA (3,2,2,(14),10,8,5,14,2,4) 50 pts

3, Jenny Armstrong/Belinda Stowell, AUS (7,9,1,5,1,(19),6,2,19,1) 51 pts

GBR

7, Christina Bassadone/Katherine Hopson (4,4,3,(OCS),2,4,21,5,18,5) 66 pts

15, Josie Gibson/Sue Parkin (5,8,12,2,9,13,17,3,20,(21)) 589 pts

18, Helena Lucas/Jenny Heeley (7,9,17,5,8,15,(20),16,4,16) 97 pts

470 Men (day five) – Gold fleet

1, Gabrio Zandona/Andrea Trani, ITA (1,1,2,2,1,(20),8,7,5,15) 42 pts

2, Gustavo Doreste/Dimas Wood, ESP (6,2,4,5,1,2,(19),11,1,10) 42 pts

3, Nathan Wilmot/Malcolm Page, AUS (2,12,1,7,12,5,6,1,(13),1) 47 pts

GBR

8, Nick Rogers/Joe Glanfield (10,10,9,7,1,3,(34),16,2,12) 70 pts

28, Graham Vials/Bevis Field (20,20,6,16,7,3,16,(29),18,18) 124 pts

49er (day five) – Gold fleet

1, Chris Draper/Simon Hiscocks, GBR (3,2,2,1,4,2,2,2,2,(6),1,2,6,(7)) 29 pts

2, Paul Brotherton/Mark Asquith, GBR ((9),7,7,5,4,8,1,4,RDG 5,2,2,(9),1,9,2) 55.2 pts

3, Marcus Baur/Max Groy, GER (3,2,7,2,1,5,(16),3,3,13,8,(21),3,11) 61 ptsother GBR

6, Alister Richardson/Peter Greenhalgh (1,14, (DNC),6,4,4,2,1,1,(15),10,7,14,1) 65 pts

7, Stephen Morrison/Ben Rhodes (1,8,(11),6,6,11,6,4,4,(16),6,6,11,3) 72 pts

Finn – Final results

1, Ben Ainslie, GBR (3,5,7,8,(19),4,1,2,1,10,3) 44 pts

2, Rafael Trujillo, ESP (9,8,1,5,5,10,(19),1,6,1,2) 48 pts

3, Andrew Simpson, GBR ((32),14,9,1,1,3,3,4,8,8,24) 75 pts

GBR

16, Charlie Cumbley (7,12,23,(47),29,20,28,10,11,27,22) 189 pts

21, Dave Mellor ((51),16,20,6,17,35,11,22,13,30,27) 197 pts

33, Matt Howard (44,38,62,40,36,19,9,24,22,(OCS),41) 335 pts

39, Edward Greig ((57),36,41,38,39,32,29,57,30,28,32) 371 pts

Star – Gold fleet, final results

1, Xavier Rohart/Pascal Rambeau, FRA (1,2,5,2,3,1,4,1,2,(DNC)) 21 pts

2, Fredrik Loof/Anders Ekstrom, SWE (3,6,2,3,2,3,1,(DNF),1,7) 28 pts

3, Iain Percy/Steve Mitchell, GBR (13,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,19,23) 42 pts

Mistral Men – Gold fleet, final results

1, Przemek Miarczynski, POL (1,1,1,8,1,1,1,1,1,6,(DNC)) 22 pts

2, Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, GRE (4,3,2,(OCS),1,21,5,4,3,3,7) 53 pts

3, Gal Fridman, ISR (3,4,1,(DSQ),7,10,4,12,5,2,9) 57 pts

GBR

6, Nick Dempsey ((14),7,4,6,4,3,11,6,19,9,1) 65 pts

31, Dominic Tidey (16,12,7,19,3,6,(51),44,23,34,47) 211 pts

54, Leo McCallin (20,24,22,33,(50),27,34,48,42,45,37) 331 pts

Mistral Women – final results

1, Lee Korsitz, ISR (1,4,3,6,1,(32),2,2,14,5,17) 55 pts

2, Barbara Kendall, NZL (2,1,12,5,11,9,4,1,10,1,(27)) 56 pts

3, Faustine Merret, FRA (3,(27),10,1,6,6,5,9,2,17,4) 63 pts

GBR

11, Natasha Sturges (18,(21),18,15,10,7,10,16,1,19,8) 122 pts

31, Bryony Shaw (23,44,28,34,46,42,22,13,8,31,(OCS)) 291 pts

Yngling – final results

1, Hannah Swett/Joan Touchette/Melissa Purdy, USA ((16),12,2,7,1,10,4,1,1,12,4) 54 pts

2, Ulrike Schuemann/Wibke Buelle/Winnie Lippert, GER (15,(27),1,1,13,2,2,10,4,1,12) 61 pts

3, Dorte O Jensen/Helle Jespersen/Rachel Kiel, DEN (1,5,7,17,(32),6,5,15,7,2,2) 67 pts

GBR

7, Shirley Robertson/Sarah Webb/Sarah Ayton ((37),18,5,10,2,3,1,18,3,21,17) 98 pts

12, Cathy Foster/Jane Norris/Annie Lush (22,23,10,5,10,(28),3,7,20,11,21) 132 pts

39, Dominica Lyndsey/Lucy Burn/Vicky Symmers (40,39,29,34,OCS,41,(DNC),DNC,40,27,27) 361 pts

Europe – Gold fleet, final results

1, Siren Sundby, NOR (1,1,3,5,2,3,14,1,23,1,(DNC)) 54 pts

2, Sari Multala, FIN (1,1,2,1,33,(53),1,15,1,6,1) 62 pts

3, Mary Gaillard, USA (9,4,3,7,5,8,21,(33),5,9,10) 81 pts

GBR

26, Laura Baldwin (29,30,23,25,29,10,20,(43),22,12,13) 213 pts

55, Nicky Muller (9,31,20,18,54,47,34,55,34,44,(54)) 345 pts