History made at the Laser Radial Worlds

Alison Young has written her name into the sailing history books, becoming the first British woman to win a World Championship title in a solo Olympic dinghy class.

London Olympian Young, whose previous World Championship best was fourth in 2012, claimed an emphatic last race victory over USA’s Paige Railey to seal Laser Radial World Championship glory in Vallarta, Mexico, on Wednesday (20 April) and provide a huge boost to her Rio preparations with 107 days to go until the 2016 Opening Ceremony.

After a hard-fought regatta where the overall lead changed daily, it all came down to just a single point in the end.  The 28-year-old Young held her nerve to take her third race win of the week in the 13th and final race of the regatta, relegating erstwhile leader Railey into the silver medal position by the narrowest of margins.

“It was pretty tense in that last race!” admitted Young, who finished fifth at her Olympic debut in 2012 and is already selected for Rio.  “I managed to lead all the way round and I was lucky to have done enough overall.

“I’ve sailed pretty consistently through the week and it’s been super-tight racing all the way through.  Going into today, four or five people could have won the Championships, which is the nature of Laser racing. 

“It’s really pleasing to have stayed consistent and kept executing towards what we’ve been working on, and for it all to come through in the end.”

Following just behind was USA’s Paige Railey who sailed a solid regatta, not finishing lower than ninth throughout the week.

This is Railey’s fifth career Worlds podium finish, having won Gold in 2005, and bronze in 2010, 2011, and 2013.

“I’m very proud of my results,” said Railey, a Rolex World Sailor of the Year and US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. “I showed consistency, and didn’t do anything drastic. This was a huge step in my career. I am looking forward to the [Olympic] Games.”

With an 8,4,5 in the final three races, Denmark’s Anne-Marie Rindom took home the bronze leapfrogging Netherlands’ Marit Bouwmeester who could only manage a disappointing 17, 19, 3 finish to her Worlds challenge.

See the event website for results, photos, and video:
http://www.laserworlds2016.org/index.php/competitors-2/laser-radial-women