SAILING: Tom Burton (NSW) claimed Australia’s first medal of the ISAF Sailing World Championships – a silver – in the Laser class on Thursday (18 September).  In other Australian results, defending World Champions Mat Belcher and Will Ryan took the lead in the Men’s 470 fleet in Santander, Spain, while Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen moved into third in the 49er class.   
 
The Laser was the only medal race for Australia today and after a week of consistent results, Burton went into Thursday’s top ten, double point medal race ranked first, but with the narrowest of leads after missing out on a few points across the week’s racing.  Only two points separated Burton from Nick Thompson (GB) in second and the gap to Dutch sailor Nicolas Heiner in third and to fourth place was tight before going into Thursday’s final race.  This made for a nail-biting finale, which took place in heavy breeze and tricky conditions of 20-25 knots in Santander harbour.
 
After three consecutive regatta victories in highly competitive fields this year, including gold medals at the ISAF Sailing World Cups in both Mallorca and Hyeres before winning on Rio 2016 Olympic waters at the first test event, Aquece Rio International Sailing Regatta 2014 in August, Burton had his eyes set on gold in Santander.
 
But it was the Netherlands’ Nicolas Heiner who took a convincing medal race victory, and with it the World Championship title.
 
It is the best World Championship result for Burton thus far and after the initial disappointment and a seventh place in the medal race the 24-year old was happy with silver.
 
"We had pretty tricky conditions, very wavy, pretty breezy, and half way through that race it looked like I was coming fourth overall so to come away with second I’m reasonably happy.  My best result at the Worlds thus far has been a fifth place, so I’m pretty happy with Silver” said Burton after racing.
 
"I was coming here to win and I was on track up until today.  I definitely could have sailed better today.  Coming last around the top mark after a short upwind leg, definitely wasn't ideal to win a world title.  Halfway through the race I thought I was sitting fourth overall.  I put everything on the line, trying to claw back.  Down the last run I thought I was back in the bronze medal position, which was better than fourth, but right near the finish Nick (Thomson - GBR) nearly capsized and I passed him and ended up with silver."
 
“Looking at the whole regatta, I'm really happy with the way I was sailing, consistency-wise.  This is a step towards 2016 and we keep moving forward.  I won the Rio test event a couple weeks ago, so definitely the goal is to go to the Olympics and bring home a gold medal.”
 
Finishing in the top 23 countries also means Australia has qualified the Laser for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
 
It was the first medal race day at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships with the next Australian medal chances to be decided on Saturday, 20 September 2014 – including the Men’s 470 medal race.

For more details race-by-race visit the Australian Sailing Team's website >>>

Schedule of Racing:
12-18 September, Laser and Laser Radial Australia already secured Rio 2016 quota places in the Laser >>
13-19 September, RS:X Men and RS:X Women
14-20 September, 470 Men and 470 Women
15-21 September, 49er, 49erFX, Finn and Nacra 17
 
2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships Australian Sailing Team & Squad Standings as of Thursday, 18th September 2014:
 
Laser (Men's One Person Dinghy) – Final Results
2nd        Tom Burton (NSW) – AST (5, 3, 8, 2, 8, 4, 6, 7, 14)
17th      Ashley Brunning (NSW) – ASS (11, 30, 50 BFD, 1, 14, 10, 15, 14)
18th      Ryan Palk (QLD) – ASS (5, 9, 13, 1, 27, 26, 46, 22)
19th      Luke Elliott (WA) – ASS (20, 3, 15, 27, 26, 7, 28, 9)
28th      Matthew Wearn (WA) – AST (7, 2, 10, 29, 35, 38, 40, 1)
51st      Mitchell Kennedy (QLD) – ASS (21, 8, 17, 18, 4)
61st      Jeremy O’Connell (VIC) – ASS (43, 5, 17, 31, 9)
Racing: 12-18 September
 
Laser Radial (Women's One Person Dinghy) – Final Results
39th      Krystal Weir (VIC) – ASS (43, 22, 13, 25, 55, 15.5, 20)
72nd     Anna Philip (VIC) – Youth Bridging (23, 25, 47, 30)
110th    Ashley Stoddart (QLD) – ASS (49, 46, 46, 53)
Racing: 12-18 September
 
470M (Men’s Two Person Dinghy)
1st        Mathew Belcher (QLD) & Will Ryan (QLD) – AST (6, 5, 4.3 RDG, 2, 1, 1)
21st         Alexander Conway & Patrick Conway (4, 10, 17, 17, 23, 18)
32nd     Matt Crawford (NSW) & Rob Crawford (NSW) – ASS (34, 10, 15, 16, 22, 19)
53rd      Angus Galloway (QLD) & Tim Hannah (NSW) – ASS (30, 13, 24, 22, 22)
Olympic Qualifying:  top 13 countries
Racing: 14-20 September
 
470W (Women's Two Person Dinghy)
26th      Carrie Smith (WA) & Jaime Ryan (QLD) – ASS (8, 22, 5, 15, 28 RET, 23, 26, 12)
35th      Sasha Ryan (QLD) & Amelia Catt (TAS) – ASS (13, 12, 15, 16, 5, 2)
47th      Lucy Shepherd & Emma Barton (TAS - TIS) (24, 25, 25, 11)

49er (Men's Skiff - 49er)
6th        Nathan Outteridge (NSW)  & Iain Jensen (NSW) – AST (16, 4, 9, 19, 1, 3, 1, 13, 3)
10th      David Gilmour (WA) & Rhys Mara (NSW) – ASS (16, 3, 19, 4, 1, 19, 11, 5, 19)
26th      Will Phillips (VIC) & Jasper (Fang) Warren (WA) – ASS (24, 16, 38, 15, 2, 1, 10)
30th      Steve Thomas (WA) & Sam Phillips (VIC) – ASS (31, 2, 33, 27, 14, 2, 5)
52nd     Joel Turner (QLD) & Lewis Brake (QLD) – ASS (20, 17, 23, 41UFD, 16, 29 DNF, 29 DNF)
 
49erFX (Women's Skiff)
10th      Tessa Parkinson & Chelsea Hall (13, 17, 22, 2, 3)
11th      Tess Lloyd (VIC/ASS) & Caitlin Elks (WA/AST) – (13, 8, 6, 7, 5)
24th      Olivia Price (NSW/AST) & Eliza Solly (VIC/ASS) – (29 BFD, 18, 12, 7, 7)
Olympic Qualifying: top 10 countries
Racing: 15-21 September
 
Nacra17 (Mixed Multihull)
7th        Darren Bundock (NSW) & Nina Curtis (NSW) – AST (8, 6, 5, 5, 2)
15th      Jason Waterhouse (NSW) & Lisa Darmanin (NSW) – AST (6, 9, 7, 9, 6)
19th      Pip Pietromonaco (VIC) & James Wierzbowski (VIC) – ASS (5, 11, 10, 12, 6)
24th      Euan McNicol (NSW/ASS) & Lucinda Whitty (NSW/AST) – (21, 13, 4, 10, 16)
Olympic Qualifying: top 10
countries
Racing: 15-21 September
 
Finn (Men's One Person Dinghy - Heavyweight)
13th      Jake Lilley (QLD) – ASS (6, 40 DNF, 5, 4, 15, 13)
23rd      Oliver Tweddell (VIC) – ASS (1, 9, 7, 22, 31, 31)
69th      Joe McMillan (NSW) – Non AST/ASS (29, 32, 36, 34, 33, 31)
Olympic Qualifying: top 12
countries
Racing: 15-21 September
 
RS:X (Women's Windsurfer)
36th      Joanna Sterling (QLD) – ASS (12, 18, 23, 17, 23, 7, 11, 8, 3)
Olympic Qualifying: top 13 countries

Racing: 13-19 September

Links
Event Website - http://www.santander2014.com/
ISAF Microsite - http://www.sailing.org/events/isafworlds/index.php
Rio 2016 Olympic Qualification System -
http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/Santander2014ISAFWorldsQualificationSystem-[14745].pdf
 
Results
All results are available here.

Australian Sailing