Australian sailors Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page just missed winning a third consecutive world championship in Rizhao, China on Wednesday.

The 2004 and 2005 world champions won silver, behind Nic Asher and Elliot Willis of Great Britain, to claim the pairs fifth medal from six world championships.

Wilmot and Page were in the lead for most of the regatta, however competition was tight between the Australian and Great Britain crews with little more than one point separating them over the last two days.

The Australian’s were in the lead on the final downwind leg, however with a yellow flag issued by the jury (a penalty for “pumping”) to the Aussie duo, the British pair passed them, securing the gold medal.

“We were one point ahead going into the medal race. We started the race, with an unlimited pumping flag up. We worked hard, very hard! We managed to get to the last top mark in 2nd position, 100 metres in front of our only opposition the GBR team. Half way down the last run, we got penalised from the jury for pumping. We completed our 720 degree turned, but that left us in 8th position, behind the GBR team,” Page said.  

“The race committee had apparently dropped the pumping flag at the 1st bottom mark. However, with about 50 motor boats (average of 4 people per boat) and the yelling amongst all the sailors and boats, we did not hear the sound signal whistle,” added Page.

Head Coach for the Australian Sailing Team (AST), Victor Kovalenko commented: “We are disappointed that Malcolm and Nathan did not win the gold medal but racing in China has been a great learning curve in our preparation for 2008. In the last month, all AST members have learnt so much about tide patterns, equipment development, light wind sailing techniques and fitness regimes. We are confident the lessons learnt will transcend into great results in two years time.”

In 2006 Wilmot and Page have won the Sail Melbourne Regatta in January and then the ISAF World Sailing Games in Austria in May, both in the 470 class.

They also posted 14th place at the recent Qingdao International Regatta in China.

Wilmot and Page will now head back to Australia for a well earned rest before travelling to Hamilton Island for a Team training camp in late October.

Yachting Australia