Patience keeps gold medal hopes afloat

LUKE Patience has got his gold-medal bid back on track at the ISAF World Championships in Australia. The 25-year-old, alongside partner Stuart Bithell, collected four wins from the first five men’s 470 races but suffered a blip on Thursday.

A finish of 28th in race six saw them lose ground on Australian leaders Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page. And, while the home favourites posted two wins yesterday to cement their lead, Patience and Bithell’s ninth and a third kept them second. After races nine and ten today they should reach tomorrow’s medal showdown, and Patience has the Aussies in his sights.

“That was much better for us,” said Skandia TeamGBR sailor Pat-ience. “The Aussies went and got two wins and that was frustrating but there is only one way to try and control them, and that is by doing better ourselves.”

Fellow Scot Mark Andrews saved his worst day of the Finn regatta for yesterday – finishing the day’s two races way down in 27th and then 16th. Triple Olympic champion Ben Ainslie retook the lead after a first and second, with Giles Scott second overall..

Investment specialist Skandia is the principal sponsor of the British sailing team. For more information go to www.skandia-teamgbr.com.