25 August 2009

The Laser World Championships is the one major title to have eluded Olympic gold medallist Paul Goodison. But the Be Number 1 athlete hit the front in style on St Margaret’s Bay in Nova Scotia today after a frustrated fleet took to the water again after two days of enforced inactivity, due to Hurricane Bill.

With the breeze ranging from nine to 16 knots (19 to 31 kilometres per hour), the sailors enjoyed three tough, competitive races and the 31-year-old Briton has taken over first place in the gold fleet after finishing an outstanding third, first and first in the three races.

Goodison is followed by compatriot Nick Thompson in second, who is fully 16.5 points off the lead, and Michael Bullot of New Zealand in third. Croatia’s Tonci Stipanovic has dropped to fourth, with Argentinean Julio Alsogaray in fifth and David Wright, the top Canadian, in sixth.