Sailing: Sydney a learning experience for Star crew

For relative new boys Gavin Brady and Jamie Gale, the Olympic Star yachting regatta was essentially a learning experience.

That part of their sailing education ended today with placing of ninth overall in the 16-boat fleet at the Sydney Games, after a ninth in their final race.

"We came here with an outside chance of a medal, but we really came to learn a lot to carry us on to next time," he said.

"If I come off the water in four years' time without a medal, I'll probably be a bit more disappointed, but we can take a lot out of what we've done this time."

Before Sydney, the United States-based pair had been in only four Star regattas, all of them this year, although their last outing resulted in an upset win in the North American championships.

The race results on their opening day of the Olympics - a last followed by a win - were an indication of how the week would go.

Yesterday, they had sailed themselves right back into medal contention but in the day's final race were on the wrong end of a wind shift and found the door closed shut on them.

"I guess our scores have been a little bit up and down and that caught us in the end," Brady said.

"But we've been in the class for only a short time. We hope to continue and this is a start for us. Every day we go out racing, we're learning."

Brady said Athens 2004 was on the cards, but a lot would also depend on what classes were chosen for the next Olympics.

The Star, a double-handed keelboat, was originally dropped from the Sydney Games and reinstated by the International Sailing Federation only after heated complaints.

In the meantime, Brady, who was with the America One syndicate at last summer's America's Cup, is looking at being part of another campaign for the Auld Mug.

Gale will prepare for the Volvo Round-the-World Race with the German entry Illbruck-Pinta.

The Star gold went to Americans Mark Reynolds and Magnus Liljedahl, who pipped Britons Ian Walker and Mark Covell by a point. It was Reynolds' second Olympic title, after winning the class in 1992.

Another British sailor, Iain Percy, claimed gold in the Finn class, even though his two results today were his worst of the event.

New Zealander Clifton Webb also had his two lowest placings of the week and finished 16th overall.

The Soling title went down to the wire, with Denmark, skippered by Jesper Bank, winning the final against Germany 4-3, with the last race decided right on the finish line.

It was Bank's second Olympic title, but German skipper Jochen Schuemann missed out on a record-equalling fourth sailing gold.

Britain's three golds and two silvers made them the most successful nation at the Olympic regatta.

In all, 14 of the 69 countries at the sailing venue won medals, with New Zealand's two bronzes through boardsailors Barbara Kendall and Aaron McIntosh putting them 11th.

- NZPA