Agony for Percy & Simpson

Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson saw gold slip through their fingers in the medal race

British duo Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson suffered heartbreak in the Star class as Sweden took gold at Weymouth on Sunday.

The defending Olympic champions sailed exceptionally throughout the week and came into the medal race with an eight-point lead over Brazil's Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada.

However, it was Sweden, not Brazil, that proved Percy and Simpson's undoing as the Brits lost their crown to Fredrik Loof and Max Salminen.

Courtesy of their comfortable lead, the British pair knew fourth place or better would guarantee them gold.

But they also needed to finish sixth or higher should third-place Sweden win the medal race, which, unfortunately for Percy and Simpson, they did.

Britain entered the final leg of the race in sixth but slipped away in the last 100 metres to finish seventh, handing Loof and Salminen gold on the Nothe Course.

Strong finish

Percy and Simpson had begun the race strongly and rounded the first mark in fifth, with main pre-race rivals Scheidt and Prada eighth.

The Brazilian pair moved up to fifth at the second mark, but Percy and Simpson remained in front and crossed the mark four seconds ahead.

The Brits were having to hold their nerve to keep Scheidt and Prada at bay, but opened up a three-place gap with a marvellous turn at the third mark.

Sweden rounded the fourth mark in the lead and Great Britain in fifth, while Scheidt and Prada were ninth of the 10-boat fleet.

Percy and Simpson's attention soon turned to Sweden instead, who threatened their gold medal position.

The Brits needed to finish sixth or higher if Loof and Salminen won the medal race, but suffered on the final downwind as they agonisingly slipped from as high as fourth to finish seventh overall to mean ended up with silver.

More medals

There was better news in the women's 470 class where Saskia Clark and Hannah Mills are on course to add to Team GB's medal tally.

Clark and Mills posted a first - their second race win of the series - and a sixth place on Sunday to move five points clear of their Australian rivals.

The third-placed Dutch are a further 10 points behind with four races, plus the double-points medal race, remaining.

GB also have strong medal hopes in the men's RS:X and 49er classes after Sunday's action.

In the RS:X - windsurfing - Nick Dempsey is in the silver medal position following a ninth and second place.

However, Dorian van Rijsselberge is virtually assured of the gold medal, needing only to complete Tuesday's medal race.

In the 49er, Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes moved into bronze-medal position after finishes of 13th and third.

Australia's Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen have a strong lead at the top after a double bullet, the sport's term for a race win.

Meanwhile, Bryony Shaw, a bronze medallist in Beijing, faces a tough battle to match that effort after finishing the day seventh overall despite a race win and a fifth place.

Shaw is 11 points behind Lee-El Korzits and Tuuli Petaja in joint second heading into the medal race, another which takes place on Tuesday.

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