Nick Thompson 'over the moon'- Womens Match Race Worlds – Fastnet Race

by . on 9 Jul 2015 2015 Laser World Championship - British sailing star Nick Thompson admitted he was 'over the moon' to have finally sealed World Championship gold, winning with a race to spare as the seven-day regatta drew to a close in Kingston, Canada.

Thompson becomes the first British Laser World Champion since Paul Goodison (2009) to claim the coveted world crown in the highly competitive men’s single-handed class, having won two silvers and two bronze medals from previous editions (2009, 2014 bronze; 2010, 2011 silver).

The 29-year-old Lymington sailor was determined to complete the medal set, and claimed victory in style, counting nine results inside the top seven from the 13 races staged at the site of the 1976 Olympic sailing regatta.

ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship - The opening day in Middelfart, Denmark offered truly challenging conditions for the competitors as well as the race management team. Gusts approaching 30 knots swept down the course, leaving broaching boats, freely flying kites and wet and exhausted sailors behind.

Meldgaard and Le Berre both scored 8 - 0 to lead the way, and after an action-packed day Meldgaard said, 'Even with one reef in the main and a smaller jib replacing the genoa, the Match 28's we're racing here are quite overpowered. We lost control a couple of times, but excellent crew work got us back on track again.'

The racing in Middelfart continues with the round-robin on Thursday and Friday, while the weekend will see the exciting knock-out rounds to crown the World Champions.

See day 1 images HERE! and more pictures HERE!

One reason the Rolex Fastnet Race is the world's biggest offshore yacht race - at present 390 boats are entered - was the decision of the Royal Ocean Racing Club to include non-IRC offshore classes: Volvo Ocean 65, the Class40, IMOCA 60, Multihulls, the latter three have their origins or being most popular in France.

The IMOCA 60s' participation this year will be particularly special as it will be the first time some of the newest generation boats destined for next year's Vendée Globe will line up. Of the 13 IMOCA 60s racing, four are new, built to the latest iteration of the IMOCA rule requiring one design masts and keels.

Get afloat with RYA - RYA is proud to be official stakeholder of Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Portsmouth from 23 -26 July. If you’re going to the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) event in Portsmouth this month, make sure you visit the RYA stand for everything you need to get afloat this summer.

Fancy experiencing what it’s like to be the next Ben Ainslie? Wear a harness and clip onto the RYA’s unique trapeze rig or test your strength and take on the Lewmar winch grinder challenge.


And read more sailing news at Sail-World.com including 49er European Championships, SB20 World Championships, Transatlantic Race and more.

Good Sailing
Dan Ibsen
Sail-World UK editor