Yachting: Titles elude boardsailors

Tom Ashley finished sixth at the RS:X Men's world championships. Photo / Doug Sherring

Kiwi yachties Tom Ashley and Jon-Paul Tobin missed the podium at the RS:X Men's world championships just concluded in Denmark.

Ashley, who was within arms reach of the title going into the final race, finished sixth and Tobin finished eighth.

The title went to Pole Poitr Myzska, the silver to his teammate Przemslaw Miarczynski and Israel's Nimrod Mashiah took the bronze medal.

Ashley, who returned to competition this year after a year-long break, said he was disappointed with the outcome and that the race was disastrous.

"It was very shifty and gusty, and I spent most of the race between first and fourth although the lead changed many times."

"Unfortunately the water was full of seaweed, and I hooked a huge piece of weed on my fin near the beginning of the last downwind which I couldn't remove. I ended up falling from fourth to ninth by the time the race finished. I finished sixth overall."

"I learned a lot during the competition and I still feel that this result is OK after taking a year off. Overall it seems like I'm on track for 2012, which is the real target."

Takapuna Boating Club sailor Tobin was eighth overall.

- NZPA