Patience makes a virtue of world silver medal

Scotland’s Luke Patience with crew Stuart Bithell sailed to a second World Championships silver medal inside three years and, in so doing, stake a strong claim to Britain’s 470 class berth at next years Olympics.

After being overlooked in the challenge for selection to August’s London Prepares Pre Olympic Test regatta in Weymouth in favour of double Olympic silver medallist Nick Rogers, who sails with Patience’s former crew, the Helensburgh helm vowed to let their sailing at these ISAF world championships be their biggest statement.

Yesterday they proved that they have the composure, talent and maturity to win an Olympic medal when they led the ten-boat double points medal race from start to finish.

Patience and Bithell finished 12 points behind the Australian pair, which included Olympic gold medal winning crew Mat Belcher, but Patience is convinced that they have what it takes to win Olympic gold in Weymouth next year.

“We are so happy,” he said. “It has been a marathon four months. Our sailing has been based around this regatta for the last four months, training and in the gym working so hard.

“That has all been about here. So to be on the podium after such a long period training is great,” said Patience.

He is Scotland’s only success story of this massive Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships. Laser Radial helm Charlotte Dobson had a miserable second half to the regatta. The Helensburgh sailor, who started out in sailing at the same time and in the same area as Patience, finished 20th overall, while her Olympic selection rival Ali Young finished seventh.

Patience and Bithell’s medal was the first of three medals for Skandia Team GBR yesterday. With Ben Ainslie eliminated from the medal race by an international jury penalty following an altercation with the driver of a TV boat and a cameraman, Giles Scott added the Finn Gold Cup – the world title – to the European title, ensuring the title stays with Britain for the seventh time in ten years. Ed Wright, who won the World title in San Francisco last year, took bronze.