A fourth race win for Olympic gold medallist Iain Percy and crew Steve Mitchell ensured they maintained their position at the top of the 83-boat Star fleet on the third day of their world championships in Cadiz.

One race was sailed in breeze ranging from 12-17 knots in order for the class to finish off their qualification series. Team Percy Mitchell sailed a good race and took an early lead, which they maintained until the finish.

After six races they lead the fleet by three points from Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau of France, with the 2000 Olympic Finn class bronze medallist Fredrik Loof of Sweden third.

Sydney team mate and fellow Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie is making good progress in the Finn class. After scoring a seventh and an eighth place in yesterday’s races he has managed to move up into third place overall and is tied on even points with second placed Rafael Trujillo of Spain. Jonas Hoegh-Christensen of Denmark currently leads the class. Fellow Team GBR sailor Andrew Simpson managed a ninth and a first place to move up to ninth place overall.

The world championship for both the 49er and the Tornado classes also got underway and British crews made a good start in both classes.

A three-two-two score line for Team GBR sailor Chris Draper sailing with the 2000 Olympic silver medallist Simon Hiscocks placed them third overall in the 49er fleet, but at this early stage points are close as Pietro Sibello and Gianfranco Sibello of Italy lead the class by one point from both Andre Otto Fonseca and crew Rodrigo Linck Duarte of Brazil and Draper and Hiscocks.

Draper summed up his day: “In the first two races we were pretty much playing catch up especially in the first one after we got the first beat very wrong. With that in mind it was a good day and in the last race we had to make the decision to protect the fleet or worry about the second place boat. We covered the fleet and unfortunately one got through, but it is a good start for us”

Although Draper and Hiscocks didn’t manage a first place in the class there were plenty of British sailors that did. Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes won the first race in their group placing them thirteenth overall and Alister Richardson and Peter Greenhalgh also won their first race although had bad fortune when their mast broke in the second race when they were lying in a top five position. Paul Brotherton and Mark Asquith are currently lying 19th overall.

In the Tornado class, Leigh McMillan and Mark Bulkeley went out firing on all cylinders winning their first race in the 70-boat Tornado class, which they followed up with a seventh place, putting them third overall after two races. Team mates Hugh Styles and Adam May are currently placed fifth overall.

The Yngling class also saw British sailors move up the ranks. Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson sailing with Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb scored her first race win of the championship to move up to fifth place overall, and fellow Brits Cathy Foster, Annie Lush and Jane Norris are currently lying 10th with three races left to go.

The Europe fleet concluded their championship and Siren Sundby of Norway was crowned the new world champion with a race to spare. A 26th place finish for British sailor Laura Baldwin saw her qualify Great Britain in the Europe class for the 2004 Olympics although at this stage it is unsure as to whether any of the Europe sailors will meet the criteria to compete at the Games.

Today sees the penultimate day of racing in the Yngling class as well as racing in the Mistral, Finn, Tornado, Star, 49er, Laser and 470 classes.

Results (provisional)

Laser (day one)

1, Gustavo Lima, POR (1,1) 2 pts

2, Robert Scheidt, BRA (4,1) 5 pts

3, Ali Kemel Tukekci, TUR (2,3) 5 pts

GBR

9, Ed Wright (1,7) 8 pts

23, Mark Howard (12,6) 18 pts

36, Tim Hulse (3,18) 21 pts

38, Dan Holman (14,7) 21 pts

40, Jim Taylor (2,20) 22 pts

46, Andrew Commander (17,6) 23 pts

50, Paul Goodison (15,11) 26 pts

62, Mark Powell (19,13) 32 pts

66, James Green (12,23) 35 pts

Tornado (day one)

1, Darren Bundock/John Forbes, AUS (2,1) 3 pts

2, Yann Guichard/Christophe Espagnon, FRA (3,4) 7 pts

3, Leigh McMillan/Mark Bulkeley, GBR (1,7) 8 pts

other GBR

5, Hugh Styles/Adam May (9,5) 14 pts

32, Rob Wilson/Martin Sellars (29,36) 65 pts

38, Ian Barker/Dan Newman (43,29) 72 pts

60, Leo Farrow/Tristan Lamb (60,60) 120 pts

62, Andrew Walsh/Edward Barney (59,64) 123 pts

470 Women (day one)

1, Sofia Bekatorou/Emilia Tsoulfa, GRE (1,1) 2 pts

2, Lisa Westerhof/Margriet Matthijsse, NED (2,1) 3 pts

3, Ingrid Petitjean/Nadege Douroux, FRA (3,2) 5 pts

GBR

6, Christina Bassadone/Katherine Hopson (4,4) 8 pts

11, Josie Gibson/Sue Parkin (5,8) 13 pts

14, Helena Lucas/Jenny Heeley (7,10) 17 pts

470 Men (day one)

1, Gabrio Zandona/Andrea Trani, ITA (1,1) 2 pts

2, Daeyoung Kim/Sungahn Jung, KOR (1,2) 3 pts

3, Mathew Belcher/Daniel Belcher, AUS (5,1) 6 pts

GBR

27, Nick Rogers/Joe Glandfield (10,10) 20 pts

34, Mark Plummer/Oliver Hawkley (14,11) 25 pts

47, Nic Asher/Elliot Willis (18,13) 31 pts

62, Graham Vials/Bevis Field (20,20) 40 pts

71, John Pink/John Gimson (29,18) 47 pts

91, Neil Marsden/Graham Nelson (29,30) 59 pts

49er

1, Pietro Sibello/Gianfranco Sibello, ITA (2,2,2) 6 pts

2, Andre Otto Fonseca/Rodrigo Linck Duarte, BRA (1,3,3) 7 pts

3, Chris Draper/Simon Hiscocks, GBR (3,2,2) 7 pts

GBR

13, Stephen Morrison/Ben Rhodes (1,8,11) 20 pts

19, Paul Brotherton/Mark Asquith (9,7,8) 24 pts

42, Alister Richardson/Peter Greenhalgh (1,14, DNC) 46 pts

56, Ben Mcgrane/Jonathan Clegg (20,16,22) 58 pts

73, Andrew Rice/Nicholas Murphy (DNC,16,DNC) 78 pts

Finn (day two)

1, Jonas Hoegh-Christensen, DEN (4,3,6,2) 15 pts

2, Rafael Trujillo, ESP (9,8,1,5) 23 pts

3, Ben Ainslie, GBR (3,5,7,8) 23 pts

GBR

9, Andrew Simpson (32,14,9,1) 56 pts

19, Charlie Cumbley (7,12,24,47) 90 pts

21, Dave Mellor (51,16,21,6) 94 pts

45, Edward Greig (57,36,42,38) 173 pts

49, Matt Howard (44,38,63,40) 185 pts

Star (after day three)

1, Iain Percy/Steve Mitchell, GBR ((13),1,1,2,1,1) 6 pts

2, Xavier Rohart/Pascal Rambeau, FRA (1,2,(5),2,3,1) 9 pts

3, Fredrik Loof/Anders Ekstrom, SWE (3,(6),2,3,2,3) 13 pts

GBR

46, Jez Fanstone/Luke Chapman (19,20,12,24,21,(25)) 96 pts

Mistral Men (after day three)

1, Przemek Miarczynski, POL (1,1,1,(8),1,1) 5 pts

2, Julien Bontemps, FRA (1,2,7,3,2,(16)) 15 pts

3, Joao Rodrigues, POR (4,3,3,1,4,(11)) 15 pts

GBR

5, Nick Dempsey ((14),7,4,6,4,3) 24 pts

14, Dominic Tidey ((16),12,7,19,3,6) 44 pts

55, Leo McCallin (20,24,22,33,(58),27) 126 pts

73, Richard Potter ((45),32,38,32,43,17) 162 pts

82, Peter Bird (42,(47),45,47,10,43) 187 pts

85, Toby Monk (29,41,(43),43,40,39) 192 pts

91, Douglas Etheridge (43,(50),38,39,41,46) 207 pts

97, Gavin Rogers (45,42,47,42,44,(53)) 220 pts

105, Paul Sibley (49,49,53,49,48,(54)) 248 pts

Mistral Women (after day three)

1, Lee Korsitz, ISR (1,4,3,6,1,(32)) 15 pts

2, Allison Shreeve, AUS ((24),14,4,2,2,1) 23 pts

3, Faustine Merret, FRA (3,(27),10,1,6,6) 26 pts

GBR

13, Natasha Sturges (18,(21),18,15,10,7) 68 pts

39, Bryony Shaw (23,44,28,34,(46),42) 171 pts

Yngling (after day four)

1, Hannah Swett/Joan Touchette/Melissa Purdy, USA ((16),12,2,7,1,10,4,1) 37 pts

2, Ulrike Schuemann/Wibke Buelle/Winnie Lippert, GER (15,(27),1,1,13,2,2,10) 44 pts

3, Kristin Wagner/Anna Hoell/Veronika Lochbrunner, GER ((27),24,3,2,4,4,8,3) 48 pts

GBR

5, Shirley Robertson/Sarah Webb/Sarah Ayton ((37),18,5,10,2,3,1,19) 58 pts

10, Cathy Foster/Jane Norris/Annie Lush (22,23,10,5,10,(28),3,7) 80 pts

40, Dominica Lyndsey/Lucy Burn/Vicky Symmers (40,39,29,34,OCS,41,(DNC),DNC) 282 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