Goodison goes for Gold at Laser Worlds

by RYA on 1 Feb 2008
With Skandia Team GBR sailors riding high in the championship events already settled in Australia, Paul Goodison will be looking to continue the golden precedent set by his teammates so far in 2008 when the World Laser Senior Standard Championships get underway in Australia next week.

Hosted by Gosford Sailing Club, the Championships run from Monday 4 February, with the first races scheduled for Wednesday 6 February, to Wednesday 13 February. Among the other top names hoping to upset Goodison's crusade are likely to include reigning world champion Australian Tom Slingsby, 2007 ISAF Worlds silver medallist Andrew Murdoch (NZL), who finished second behind the Brit at the Laser Asia Pacific Championships and Canadian Michael Leigh, first at the Sydney International Regatta in December.

Goodison returned to racing with bang following a wrist injury, as he claimed victory at the Laser Asia Pacific Championships in Melbourne earlier this month, seeing off Slingsby into the bargain. The three-time Laser European champion and along with Ainslie, one of only two sailors in the world to be unbeaten at the Olympic sailing venue in Qingdao, will be quietly confident he can get the upper hand once more.

Goodison, who has been officially selected by the British Olympic Association for Team GB in China this summer, heads the cast of no fewer than 14 sailors set to do battle on behalf of Great Britain at Terrigal.

Nick Thompson has enjoyed some noticeable results in the past few months, beating Goodison into second at the Skandia Sail For Gold regatta at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in September before finishing third at the Laser Australian Championships in December.

Meanwhile, the RYA Youth Squad proudly boasts fours sailors competing at the Senior Worlds. Eifion Mon, who recently joined brother Dyfrig in the Skandia Team GBR Development Squad while still a member of the Youth Squad, will be looking to get one over on his elder sibling at Terrigal as will reigning RYA National Youth Champion Stuart Godwin whose big brother Robert is also competing.

Great Britain entries for 2008 World Laser Senior Standard Championships:

Dan Belben, Dominic Breen-Turner, George Cooper, Sean Evans, Robert Godwin, Stuart Godwin, Paul Goodison, James Gray, Max Holloway, Dyfrig Môn, Eifion Mon, Evan Scott, Nick Thompson and Oliver Tweddell