Percy and Simpson top leaderboard (From Dorset Echo)

Percy and Simpson top leaderboard

8:15am Tuesday 13th December 2011 in News

OLYMPIC champions and defending world title-holders Iain Percy and Sherborne’s Andrew Simpson retained their early lead at the Perth Sailing World Championships with another solid display in the Star keelboat class.

Percy and Simpson, who were crowned 2010 world champions almost 23 months ago when the class World Championships were held in Rio de Janeiro, topped the leaderboard after their first day of racing on Sunday, and by the end of yesterday they had extended to a 12-point lead after four races held off Fremantle.

The Beijing Olympic champions picked up five and four from their two races, with helmsman Percy admitting it was a physically tough day.

He said: “We had a good day. We weren’t going very well but we hung in and fought hard. My body’s a bit bruised and battered for it but we managed to get a couple of counters, so that’s good.”

As with a number of their Skandia Team GBR team-mates, Percy and Simpson have already gained selection for the 2012 Olym-pics. They still have one eye on retaining their world title out in Perth, but are using the event as part of their Games preparation as well.

Percy added: “It’s the first proper test for our new boat – there’s still a bit of work to do.”

Skandia Team GBR’s crews had a good opening day in the 470 women’s class, with Penny Clark and Portland’s Katrina Hughes sitting in third overall and Wey-mouth’s Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark in eighth after two races.

Penny Clark and Hughes led the first race from start to finish, and finished two minutes ahead of the second-placed Russian boat, before going on to pick up a 10th in the second race of the day.

Mills and Saskia Clark, the pair selected to represent Great Britain at the Olympics next summer, were equally happy with their opening day.

Yesterday also saw the first day of World Championship action for the 49er class. Skandia Team GBR’s sailors had a mixed opening day. After three races, Dave Evans and Ed Powys are poised in eighth, John Pink and Rick Peacock ninth and Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign 13th after two good opening races followed by a tough third outing.

There is concern, however, for Ben Rhodes who sustained a back injury during the second race of the day, and made what his helmsman Morrison described as a “Herculean effort” to finish the day’s scheduled racing.

Poole’s Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Kate Macgregor have now won nine of their 11 repechage matches to keep on track for the women’s match racing quarter-finals, while Weymouth’s Nick Dempsey had a day he would rather forget in the RS:X men’s windsurfing event with results of eight and 16 to open his regatta.

Nick Thompson is seventh overall and Paul Goodison 18th after two races in the Laser fleet.

* For the latest news and information from the Skandia Team GBR British Sailing team at the Perth Worlds visit skandiateamgbr.com or follow on Twitter via @SkandiaTeamGBR