Seventh for Goodison

Skandia Team GBR sailor explains Laser Worlds performance

Paul Goodison admitted he was “reasonably happy” after finishing seventh at the 2008 World Laser Standard Championships in Australia.

Goodison broke his wrist in a mountain biking accident late last year and after having a screw inserted in his wrist only sat in a boat again on January 7 having been told not to take part in any post-operation physical activity.

Australian, Tom Slingsby, was crowned 2008 World Champion at Terrigal, NSW, today, Wednesday (see report here) after the final two races of the regatta planned for the last day were abandoned due to difficult southerly winds.

Although admitting heavy winds, postponements, large swell and a disqualification for a start line infringement in race six had made for a tricky Championships, Goodison, who impressively won his comeback regatta at Sail Melbourne last month, insisted he was now just excited about the prospect of kicking on with his fitness programme in the build up to the Olympics: “Overall I was reasonably pleased with how things went," he said. "It was quite a good regatta with long races of about 1 hour 20 minutes as opposed to the normal 60 or so minutes and I was happy I was able to compete over races of that length when I had literally been sat on my backside for two-and-a-half months.

“I was disqualified from a fourth in race six and had I won the protest I would have finished the regatta in the top five when I came here not really expecting great things. This regatta was just about doing some racing for me and getting back into the swing of things, I had no great expectations.”

The Weymouth-based sailor added: “The Sail Melbourne result was a bit lucky if I’m honest; the races were only 50 minutes long and at the end of each one I was so out of breath and could hardly walk at the end of the day. Now I’m really looking forward to getting back into my fitness training and getting back on my weight loss programme for the Olympics.”

Lymington’s Nick Thompson finished just one spot behind his Skandia Team GBR teammate in eighth, posting an impressive two firsts and a third mid-way through the series into the bargain.