The biggest party in Qingdao last night was that enjoyed by British sailors celebrating a haul of five gold medals and a silver at the Olympic sailing test event.

 

 

French Tornado sailors Xavier Revil and Christophe Espagnon perform for spectators on their returning course.

 

Though they were sailing almost half a globe away from home, Britain's good fortune continued yesterday when the team bagged another two golds in the Laser and Yngling classes during the last medal races.

 

"Our ideal goal was to win three medals with at least one gold at this regatta," British team leader Stephen Park said.

 

A huge British cheer squad, among them yesterday's gilded competitors, cheered on their Laser and Yngling sailors as they stood on the podium to sing additional renditions of national anthem God Save the Queen.

 

The other gold contested yesterday went to US Laser Radial sailor Anna Tunnicliffe.

 

Consistent performances during the race series gave her an unassailable lead going into the final medal race.

 

Although Tunnicliffe came in last in the medal race, her 11-point cushion going into the race was enough for her to hold on to gold. Her only rival for gold was Jo Aleh and the American never allowed the Kiwi out of her sight.

 

"I went into today's race with my primary goal being to slow Jo Aleh down as much as possible, and I succeeded in doing that," said Tunnicleffe. "My start did not go as well as I would have hoped, but Jo had a slow start as well. I worked up behind her, and started forcing her to tack out. I forced Jo to sail at a slow pace, and she had no momentum at all during the first upwind."

 

Her opponents had high praise for Tunnicleffe.

 

"Anna is a good sailor and she sailed extremely well to win that gold. She deserves it," said Radial bronze medalist Evi Van Acker from Belgium.

 

Briton Paul Goodison, Laser race gold medalist in last year's Olympic test event, won his gold yesterday with just a one-point buffer ahead of Swede Rasmus Myrgren, who led the Laser class throughout most of the racing.

 

"I was bit disappointed about the result," the Swede said.

 

"I needed the Brazilian sailor to be in front of him (Goodison), but he finally managed to surpass the Brazilian (ninth in the medal race)."

 

Goodison finished seventh in the ten-crew medal race.

 

British Yngling gold winners Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson would never have won with such ease had the US team not been disqualified for crossing the starting line too early.

 

Before yesterday, the US sat one point ahead of the British, but the Americans could only look on from the marina while praying others would eclipse the British and help them to a bronze.

 

But lady luck favored the British.

 

The top silver and bronze in the Yngling class went to the Dutch and Russian teams.

 

Three Chinese women in the Yngling class were the only Chinese sailors who qualified for the last medal race day.

 

The trio finished fifth yesterday to bring their ranking to sixth overall, just one point behind their targeted position.

 

"We were very satisfied with our performance and cooperation today, and we will try to bring ourselves closer to our final goal of winning an Olympic medal in the following year," said Chinese Yngling skipper Song Xiaqun.

 

(China Daily August 24, 2007)