British sailors win gold in Miami ISAF World Cup event

Lucy Macgregor's match-racing crew lost to the Americans in the final

British sailors claimed two golds in a total of six medals at the second World Cup event of the year in Miami.

Finn sailor Ed Wright and Laser racer Nick Thompson won their classes, while match-racing trio Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Ally Martin took silver.

Giles Scott also won silver in the Finn class, as did John Robertson's Paralympic Sonar crew, and Alison Young took bronze in the Laser Radial.

"I'm really happy, it's a great start to the year," said Wright.

Britain's 2009 World Cup champion, who sails in the same class as three-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie, went into the final day with a virtually unassailable lead, with only Scott able to prevent him from defending his title.

Wright's fourth-placed finish was enough to secure gold as Scott defended his silver medal position from American Zach Railey and Gasper Vincec of Slovenia.

"I wish it would have been a gold," said Scott. "I feel as if I let Ed get away a bit during the regatta, which I wish I hadn't done, but silver's obviously the next best so I'll have to settle for that.

We rounded the mark, gybed and then just stopped - we were really, really slow and just couldn't get the boat to accelerate

GB match-racer Annie Lush

"The medal race was nice and tight - I was surprised that Zach decided to sail for me instead of Gasper, but I felt I dealt with him well and ended up doing enough."

Thompson secured his gold with a day to spare, but Macgregor's Elliot 6m match-racing team lost in the final to the USA's British-born skipper Anna Tunnicliffe.

The Britons had not dropped a match all week and won the first two races in the final, but an umpiring decision at the windward mark in race three went against them and Tunnicliffe pounced to win the next two to level the tie.

In the decider, Macgregor was four boat lengths clear at the final windward mark but then slowed as drifting rope wrapped around the keel, allowing the Americans to pass and win by half a boat length.

"We rounded the mark, gybed and then just stopped - we were really, really slow and just couldn't get the boat to accelerate," said Lush.

"Anna was a tough opponent and was sailing really well in the conditions today, so credit to her.

"I can't say for sure whether we'd have won but it's unusual for someone to gain that much ground downwind.

"It's a frustrating finish with silver after we've had such a good week. We were faced with new conditions today, light and choppy, which Anna handled better - but we'll come away with some things to work on."

In other classes, Britain's Nic Asher and Elliot Willis came fourth in the men's 470, while Nick Dempsey was also fourth in the RS:X windsurfing and Bryony Shaw fifth in the women's RS:X.

"After such a strong week and a fantastic battle in the match-racing final, it was disappointing for Lucy's team that they didn't come away with gold, but Anna Tunnicliffe sailed really well," said Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Olympic Manager Stephen Park.

"In the single-handed classes we've had some outstanding performances - Nick Thompson picked up a huge lead in the Laser fleet with Ed Wright also dominant in the Finn, so in terms of our performance overall in those classes we're in pretty good shape.

"Alison Young has shown great promise in the Radial - she's made a big jump this week to win her first ever World Cup medal so I'm really pleased for her and hopefully it's a sign of more things to come."