Percy and Simpson win Star Gold

Conditions windy and wavy in Qingdao for the final Medal Races in the Star and Tornado

There were once again windy, wavy and rainy Weymouth-style conditions in Qingdao for the final two Medal Races of the sailing competition for the Tornado and Star fleets. Conditions were similar to the Medal Races for the Finn, Yngling and 49er Medal Races making for spectacular viewing in the Tornados and some outstanding racing in the Stars.

Tornado Medal Race

In the Tornado fleet, Fernando Echavarri and Anton Paz (ESP) and Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby (AUS) were in the fight for Gold with Spain leading by three points going into this race. Behind them, the Bronze was realistically going to be a battle between Santiago Lange and Carlos Espinola (ARG), Johannes Polgar and Florian Spalteholz (GER) and possibly Oskar Johannson and Kevin Stittle (CAN).

The right was obviously favoured off the start as most of the fleet elected to start on port, trying hard to get out to the right hand side. The only exception was the Greek duo Iordanis Paschalides and Konstantinos Trigonis who roared down the line and off to the left on starboard.

Spain had a fantastic start, coming out of the blocks at speed and with clear air. The Australians did not fair so well and were forced to tack out to the left.

With one side clearly favoured the beat was a clear drag race to get out right and to the starboard layline as fast as possible. Leigh McMillan and Will Howden (GBR) were the furthest right of the bunch having started on port at the committee boat end. Australia were now coming back in from the left hand side and looking in very bad shape as they approached the rest of the fleet.

At the first cross for the Brits, they were behind the Spanish as they came across on starboard, below the layline. Coming into the mark for the first time the Spanish were leading followed by the Brits, Canada, Italy and Germany.

The Italians gybed straight around the mark as did the Australians who rounded back in tenth position, while the rest of the fleet elected to go out right (looking downwind). The Brits went past the Spanish, who looked as though they were sailing a conservative downwind leg, protecting their Gold Medal position.

There was disaster for the Germans who capsized as they pushed too hard downwind in the wavy conditions, effectively ending their shot at the Bronze Medal. At the leeward gate the Brits had managed to gain the lead with Canada second, Spain third, the Netherlands fourth while the Australians had caught up to fifth and were now getting into contention in the fight for Gold.

Most of the fleet went round the right hand mark (looking upwind) and went blasting out to the right hand side of the course, which was such a favourite on the beat. The Canadians were now in the fight for Bronze, needing to go into the lead to stand a chance at third place overall.

At the final top mark, the Brits had extended their lead, followed by the Canadians then a big gap back to the Dutch. However, the fight was further back in the fleet where the Spanish had lost a place and rounded in fourth position with the Australians round in fifth.

The run was tactically a very simple affair with most teams focussing on keeping their boat upright in the very wavy conditions. Realistically the Australians needed something to go very wrong for the Spanish as the leg had very little overtaking opportunities.

Across the finish line it was the Brits who crossed in first position, followed by the Canadians. The Dutch remained in third but the Spanish took fourth, which handed them the last ever Tornado Gold Medal. With Australias crossing in fifth they took the Silver Medal with Argentina crossing sixth, enough for Santi Lange and Carlos Espinola to take their second Olympic bronze.

Star Medal Race - Gold for Great Britain again!

Going into today’s final medal race for the Stars it was tight at the top with Britain’s Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson in the Silver position, just two points off the Swedish series leaders Freddie Loof. Bronze was being held by Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada (BRA) 12 points away from Percy/Simpson. Thus with the medal race scoring double points the Brits had to finish ahead of the Swedes to secure Gold while the Brazilians would have to be six places ahead of the Brits to get into Silver and seven places ahead of the Swedes as well to obtain Gold.

So what would the British strategy be? Go on the attack and attempt to sail the Swedes off the course? In this respect Percy and Simpson had more match racing experience having both competed in the America’s Cup last year with +39. Plus there was some precedent. In Athens in the final race for the Finns, Percy had been in a similar situation with Loof and had gone on to take his first Gold medal.

Or would they sail their own race and rely on their boat speed in the bigger conditions? Taking place after the Tornados, it continued to be overcast, rainy and with a solid southeasterly breeze into the high teens, conditions generally in which the Brits have proved strong.

With a strong current taking the boats over the line, Percy did not attempt to take up his usual position at the pin, instead lurking behind the committee boat with the Swedes tucked up to weather just behind. In the seconds prior to the start Percy was able to lock the Swedes out but while the Swedes got a second tier start, about six seconds late for the line, they were immediately able to tack and head out to the favoured right with Diego Negri and Luigi Viale (ITA).

Percy and Simpson were going to tack to cover – weren’t they? WEREN’T THEY? No, instead the Brit duo seemed confident being in the middle of the course, to weather of the rest of the boats heading out to the left where Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada were digging furthest out on starboard having won the pin at the start. The Portugese and Germans saw the right was paying and bailed from the left to get a piece of it. But still Percy and Simpson stood on.

When the Brits did tack back the right had clearly paid up the opening half of the beat and they crossed astern of the Swiss, Portugese and most importantly the Swedes. At this point it was not looking good. When Scheidt ventured back from the left approaching the weather mark he was ahead and it was looking as though the Brits might be down to the bronze position.

Despite coming into the weather mark caught up with the starboard layline mid-fleet traffic, the Brits did well and were able to get the inside berth on the Swedes, while being in sixth place, they were suddenly into the Gold spot.

On the run the crews did all they could to make maximum use of the nice waves to surf their ancient keelboats downwind. Looking downwind the Brits sailed deep, with the Swedes taking a lane between them and the Brazilian leaders, who were furthest right.

Both the Brits and Swedes did well on the run, pulling up to second and third at the leeward gate, rounding the LH mark (looking upwind) behind Scheidt and Prada. However Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau (FRA) rounded inside the Swedes pushing the Swedes down another place.

At this point Percy and Simpson were in a strong position heading out to the left with the Swedes behind and leeward and unable to tack. The Brits once again continued out to the left and continued, until they and the Swedes were the only boats left on the left side of the course. At this point the concern was that with everyone once again favouring the right side they might see Gold slip through their fingers if Scheidt and Prada won and they finished at the back of the fleet.

Fortunately Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Dominik Życki (POL) saved the day, doing well at the latter half of the beat and moved into first place followed by Flavio Marazzi and Enrico DeMaria (SUI) with the Brazilians down to fifth. Phew! Gold medal place still being held by the Brits, with the Swedes still safely astern of them. The Brits rounded the top mark for the second and final time in 7th place with the Swedes last.

At the weather mark the Swedes gybe set but once again Percy and Simpson felt confident enough to allow the Swedes to do their own thing, leaving spectators on the edge of their seats as to the outcome with a big split developing between the boats.

Once again the crews were working the Stars as they surged downwind on the waves. The Poles held on to their first place at the finish line. They were followed 13 seconds later by the Swiss. Then 14 seconds later by Scheidt and Prada. And then a gaggle of boats approaching the line simultaneously… Thankfully in this photo finish the Brits arrived in fifth, just one second ahead of the Portugese, three seconds ahead of the Kiwis and five in front of the Italians. The Swedes crossed the line in last position…

Massive cheers went up from the British as Percy and Simpson punched the air – Percy winning his second Gold after what has been a very mixed year on his second Star campaign, Simpson winning his first Olympic medal, and a gold one at that, after more than a decade of hanging on to the coattails of Percy and Ben Ainslie as they gained Olympic glory while he was left on the bench. With the Swedes last Scheidt and Prada moved up to Silver leaving the Swedes in Bronze, a sad result for Loof and Ekstrom having proved so dominant all week.

“It was unbelievable,” commented Percy shortly after finishing. “It is so special to do it with this fellow.”

And he added: “I am so glad it is all great. It is f*****g great to be on top again.” After Bryony Shaw’s outburst after her bronze medal win yesterday we suspect a memo will be going around shortly…

Simpson added: “I am shocked and over the moon we are first. Sailing with Iain and Ben, to do this today after this week and this year we’ve had. There are no words to describe how we feel. Sailing with this guy here who is just incredible at sailing... It is amazing. We had to pull it back from the brink. It was a tough race.”

And so Team GBR have scored their fourth Olympic Gold medal in what has been their most successful Games ever.