Paralympic Games: Robertson bullish as Sonar crew hit stride

IT WAS a case of what might have been for John Robertson and his crew as they produced their best day on Weymouth’s water yesterday to stay in contention for a Paralympic sailing medal at London 2012.

Robertson and his crew of Hannah Stodel and Stephen Thomas lie fifth overall in the Sonar class on 45 points, three points behind bronze medal 
position that is currently held by Norway.

But it could have been so much better for the trio who would be sitting in bronze medal position themselves if not for a four-point penalty 
incurred on Tuesday evening at the end of racing.

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Separating those two teams in fourth are the French but it is the Brits who appear to be finding their form at the crucial stage of proceedings.

After two fourth-place finishes in the first two races 
yesterday Robertson and Co. 
really hit their stride in the third and final race.

Having led for the entirety the British trio looked all set to claim their first outright win at London 2012 but were pipped on the line by the Norwegian boat of Aleksander Wang-Hansen, Marie Solberg and Per Eugen Kristiansen and forced to settle for second.

“We just had to do what we do and try to be a bit more punchy,” said Robertson.

“The standard is really high in the fleet, which is really good and nice to see.

“We really had to make it count and we did. It’s so shifty out there with the places changing all the time so it’s just a case of chipping away and hanging in there really.”

ParalympicsGB have never in their history claimed a sailing medal but, with Helena Lucas guaranteed at least a silver, 
in the single-person keelboat and Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell a bronze in the 2-person event, Robertson, Stodel and Thomas will go into today’s final race hoping not 
to be left out of the podium 
celebrations.

“We have never had a regatta where it has been so close 
at the top of the leaderboard,” 
he added.

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“It’s all too tight to try anything fancy or to try and match race five boats or whatever it is, we’ve just got to go out there and do what we do.

“Nothing is decided until we cross that finish line on the last race. We will just keep working hard, sailing hard and, hopefully, that result will come.”