Please select your home edition
Edition

Scott poised for finest hour in Rio Olympics

by RYA on 15 Aug 2016
Giles Scott (GBR) in Finn class on day 7 at the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition Richard Langdon/British Sailing Team
Giles Scott will sail to gold in Rio tomorrow (Tuesday 16 August). The 29-year-old from Huntingdon goes into the final Medal Race of his Olympics knowing that he simply has to complete the race to top the podium.

Four-time World Champion Scott effectively wrapped up his first Olympic title on Sunday by putting a 24-point gap between himself and Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) in silver medal position.

With the race worth double points, even if Scott was disqualified and scored the worst possible result of 22 points, he still couldn’t be beaten to gold. The race is scheduled to get underway from 5pm BST on the Pa?o de Ac?ucar (Sugarloaf) course.

It is a defining moment for the man who’s talents were honed on Grafham Water as he inherits the Finn title held by the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie, while also ensuring that the men’s heavyweight dinghy crown remains in British hands for a fifth successive Games.

Matt Howard, Scott’s coach, insists it is no more than he deserves.

He said: “It’s been three and a half years since we put together this project for the Olympics so there is a bit of relief. There’s been quite a lot of pressure on us to perform and to keep his game going, so it is just unbelievable elation.

“I had to have a word with myself on the water because he hadn’t actually finished the race and I was starting to well up and I know for a fact that he had to have a word with himself as well because he was doing the same thing! I am just over the moon with it all and it’s been a great ride.

“The Olympics is a funny old event where favourites often don’t perform it’s a lot of pressure and a lot of relief. We spend 250 days on the water a year and I think the big thing is his attention to detail is significant, every little thing, which means the work level that he puts in, and I do as well in supporting him, is huge.”



Anyone can try sailing for free at Scott’s at home club of Grafham Water SC as part of the RYA’s Sail for Gold Roadshows from 10am tomorrow.

All comers are then invited to watch the Medal Race and cheer him on with all his clubmates and members of the British Sailing Team, including Scott’s pre-Olympic training partner, Ben Cornish from 5pm.

Despite being one of the Games’ hot favourites for gold in the Rio build up, Scott remained the most level-headed man about his chances, refusing to get caught up in the hype and maintaining the unassuming attitude that has led to his success.

Matt added: “He is a really nice guy, off the water and frankly he is a nice guy on the water too. He won’t let anyone push him around but equally you very rarely find him having an incident with another boat, very rarely find him in a protest and generally his attitude is to keep his nose clean and get past people with boat speed.

“What better way to end it than with a Medal Race win, I am sure he will be trying pretty hard to get that and I think he will be enjoying the moment. It will be nice to be in a position where I don’t have to stress in a Medal Race!”

Related Articles

Next RYA Connected Webinar on 23rd June
Securing funding and finance for your club If you're interested in securing funding or finance to enable investment for capital infrastructure projects then we think you will want to know about this webinar...
Posted on 13 Jun
Celebrating 20 years of OnBoard
One of the UK's largest grassroots programs dedicated to getting children aged 8–18 out on the water OnBoard is celebrating 20 years of impact—having already introduced more than 1.3 million young people to the transformative experience of sailing and windsurfing.
Posted on 9 Jun
RYA named Official Community Impact Partner
Connecting the local community, children and groups in Portsmouth with the water. As excitement builds ahead of the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth this July, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is proud to be named the event's Official Community Impact Partner.
Posted on 7 Jun
New British Sailing Talent Academies open
Four Academy host venues announced as programme applications open up The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is proud to announce the launch of four new British Sailing Talent Academies as part of its commitment to developing the next generation of high-performance sailors.
Posted on 4 Jun
Nominations now open for the 2026 RYA Awards
Celebrate the people and organisations making a difference in our boating community The instructor who sparks confidence in new sailors. The person who quietly keeps things running behind the scenes. The young volunteer who turns up with a smile, rain or shine.
Posted on 2 Jun
RYA Southampton International Boat Show deal
Take advantage of an exclusive discounted £5 ticket Southampton International Boat Show, Britain's biggest festival of boating and watersports is back on 19th-28th September 2025 for its 56th edition and RYA members (aged 16+) can now take advantage of an exclusive discounted £5 ticket.
Posted on 31 May
Next RYA Connected Webinar tonight at 7pm!
Growing membership through non-competitive activity After a pause in April, it's time for the third in the series of webinars aimed at helping clubs boost membership and sailing participation.
Posted on 12 May
£10 off RYA adult or family membership
This spring, make it official - join the RYA community Now's the perfect time to take the next step in your boating journey. Join RYA membership today and unlock exclusive benefits designed to help you get more from life on the water.
Posted on 19 Apr
RYA launches 'The Female Futures Group'
Supporting and elevating women in sport A new wave of change is emerging in British sailing as the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) launches The Female Futures Group, dedicated to increasing female participation and unlocking new opportunities for women and girls in the sport.
Posted on 9 Apr
RYA influences MCA's changes to regulations
Interview with Niall McLeod to see how Sport and Pleasure Code of Practice affects us The RYA have been working closely with the the government to make sure that new regulations for leisure vessels are not too restrictive. It seems that any group which operates a "coded" vessel should be thankful.
Posted on 18 Mar