Australian Sailing Team at World Cup Series Hyères Day 5: Burton fights back to secure bronze

Laser sailor Tom Burton - 2018 World Cup Series Hyères - Day 5 © Richard Langdon / Sailing Energy

Laser sailor Tom Burton has guaranteed Australia a bronze medal, but 49er crew David Gilmour and Joel Turner will leave Hyeres with a valuable lesson after an error in the decisive race left them in fourth place overall at the World Cup Series Regatta in the south of France.

Gilmour and Turner were on track for a podium finish - possibly gold - after a solid week of racing but received an OCS, or On Course Side, for an illegal start in the Medal race, which put them out of the running.

There was better news for Burton, who grabbed a 13 and a win to ensure third place on the penultimate day. Burton, the Rio gold medallist, battled back from a slow start to the regatta to score three bullets in 10 races to be 21 points clear of the chasing pack.

In the 470, Mat Belcher and Will Ryan scored a 15 and 1, which was not enough to prevent Anton Dahlberg and Fredrik Bergstrom of Sweden from claiming the gold medal before Medal Racing tonight (AEST).

The Australians, who won this title last year, are in second place, three net points ahead of New Zealanders Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox.

Natasha Bryant and Annie Wilmot competed in their first World Cup Medal Race last night, scoring a 16, which put them in 10th place overall in the 39-boat 49erFX fleet.

No racing was possible in the Finn before tonight's Medal Race, with Jake Lilley in fifth place.

Nia Jerwood and Monique de Vries ended their regatta with an encouraging 6 to finish 23rd in the 470W, while Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin, the Rio Nacra 17 silver medallists, completed their campaign with a 10 in the Medal Race.

Medal Races will be streamed live on World Sailing's YouTube channel.

Aussies in action:

Laser:

Tom Burton - 3, 26, (41), 15,1, 1, 12, 31, 13, 1 – 3rd
Matt Wearn - 15, 25, 10, (49), 18, 39, 7, 1, 15, 6 – 9th
Finn Alexander - 20, 45, 4, 20, 16, 35, 13, (56), 29, 2 – 13th
Luke Elliott - 33, 29, 55, 50, 34, 3, 41, 36, 27, (BFD) – 39th
Mitch Kennedy – (DNF), 6, 35, 63, 63, 12, 3, 11, 48, DSQ – 40th
Dan Self - 58, 44, 60, 56, 23, 33, (65), 52, 50, 52 - 59th

Laser radial:

Paige Caldecoat - 33, 60, 30, (62), 43, 49, 54, 58, 48, 41 – 59th

49er:

David Gilmour/Joel Turner - 2, 2, (27), 1, 13, 2, 20, BFD – 4th
Lachy Gilmour/Ryan Donaldson - 13, 24, (26), 26, 20, 26, 16 - 27th
Kurt Hansen/Harry Morton - (36), 31, 23, 30, 12, 25, 29 - 35th

49erFX:

Natasha Bryant/Annie Wilmot - 7, 18, 20, 1, 11, 11, (22), 17, 2, 9, 19, 16 - 10th
Amelia Stabback/Ella Clark - 2, 8, 17, 10, 20, 10, 25, 22, 12, (32), 25 – 14th

470W:

Nia Jerwood/Monique de Vries - 12, (30), 20, 28, 23, 20, 7, 25, 6 – 23rd

470:

Mat Belcher/Will Ryan – 8, 5, 6, 10, (24), 1, 1, 15, 1 – 2nd
Chris Charlwood/Josh Dawson - 17, 23, 15, (35), 20, 25, 28, 31, 33 – 31st

Finn:

Jake Lilley - 3, 7, 3, 19, (20), 8, 2, 13 - 5th
Oliver Tweddell – 35, 24, 8, 23, 26, 16, 36, (37) - 28th
Jock Calvert - 12, 17, 28, 37, 36, (39), 31, 32 – 32nd
Lewis Brake - 22, 38, 33, 32, (UFD), 34, 28, 34 – 36th

Nacra 17:

Jason Waterhouse/Lisa Darmanin – 16, (BFD), 12, 13, 2, 14, 21, 4, UFD, 2, 4, 10 – 10th