TWO bullets – race wins – provided a spectacular finale for Portland sailor Megan Pascoe at the Miami World Cup regatta.
The 2.4mR keelboat contender claimed gold after putting on a dominant show on the waters of Biscayne Bay, while Weymouth's Nick Dempsey achieved silver in the RS:X windsurfing event.
Pascoe (pictured above) bounced back from an early disqualification at the start of the week for crossing the starting line early and achieved six second place finishes before Friday’s two wins.
She finished three points ahead of Canada's Allan Leibel, who took the silver medal, while Bruce Millar, also of Canada, secured the bronze.
Pascoe, whose goal is to represent Great Britain at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, was fourth last year in Miami and third in the 2.4 mR World Championships last September.
The 26-year-old from Underhill told the Echo: “The event finally came together on Friday. Finishing with two bullets was amazing.
“I made it look easy in the results but it was anything but on the water.
“Thanks to Bruce, Bjornar and Alan for some great racing.
“Miami played well this week with some great breeze and temperature. Thanks also to my coach Rob Wilson. His help and knowledge was definitely part of this one.”
Pascoe added: “I'm really confident for the rest of the year and I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead.
“The support I have been getting from back home is really cool.
“My Facebook and Twitter seemed to be packed every day. I’m home for a week next and then I’m off to Spain with the Sonar team to do some fitness work.
“Then it is back to the training, ready for the Princess Sofia regatta in March.”
Pascoe is also looking forward to the 2013 International 2.4 mR Open World Championship, held at Poole Yacht Club, Dorset from September 6 to 14.
The Miami World Cup was the second of four stops on the 2012-2013 Inter-national Sailing Federation (ISAF) Sailing World Cup series.
It saw a new format of racing trialled in the men’s and women’s RS:X events, which involved semi-final and final round races on Friday.
Israel’s Maayan Davidovich and Spain’s Ivan Pastor both captured gold in their respective winner-takes-all final races. Double Olympic medallist Dempsey (below), the defending ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami Champion, finished second to claim silver, while Olympic gold medallist Dorian van Rijsselberge took bronze.
Dempsey’s protege Elliot Carney finished sixth overall.
In the women’s event, Finland’s Olympic silver medallist Tuuli Petaja-Siren finished second to take silver behind Davidovich. Bronze went to Spain's Blanca Manchon.
Weymouth’s Olympic bronze medallist Bryony Shaw claimed fourth place while her training partner Izzy Hamilton finished sixth.
Their next big event will be the RS:X World Championships, held in Buzios, Brazil, from February 28 to March 7.
For a full list of Miami results visit mocr.ussailing.org
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