2019 Hempel World Cup Series Miami: Aussies close first World Cup of 2019 with two medals

2019 Hempel World Cup Series Miami © Sailing Energy / World Sailing

Olympic gold medallist Tom Burton has added a bronze medal to Australia's tally of medals at the first World Cup event of 2019 in Miami, Florida this morning. Burton's bronze in the Laser follows the gold medal won by Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin in Nacra 17 class yesterday.

"I had a pretty nice plan today. I followed it closely and had a nice race." Burton commented after the final medal race.

It has been a testing week for Burton, who also won the Miami event last year. This year's regatta was marked by light winds meaning some long days on the water for the 101-strong Laser fleet.

After mixed results earlier in the week, Burton was able to use his experience to steady and rounded out the week with a third in the medal race to secure the bronze medal. The race was again run in light winds which made things tricky for competitors.

"The winds were very light today, but much more solid and consistent than the rest of the week so it was nice to have a solid last race to finish a very tricky week." Burton said.

2019 Hempel World Cup Series Miami - photo © Sailing Energy / World Sailing

Burton's bronze followed the gold medal won by the Aussies in the Nacra 17 yesterday, where Waterhouse and Darmanin won the medal race to take gold narrowly from the Brazilian team of Samuel Albrecht and Gabriela Nicolino de Sá.

In more good news for the Aussies, Laser Radial sailor Zoe Thomson finished 14th in the Laser Radial class, her best result in international competition on foreign waters.

The Australian Sailing Team will next appear in action at the Princess Sofia Trophy in Palma, Spain from the 30th March to the 6th April with the 49er, 49erFX, Finn and Nacra 17 teams competing.

You can watch a replay of all medal races on World Sailing TV.

Australian Results:

Nacra 17

• Jason Waterhouse/ Lisa Darmanin (14), 1, 4, 8, 2, 4, 1, 4, 7, 4, 5, 8, 2 1st
• Paul Darmanin / Lucy Copeland (16), 5, 11, 10, 3, 2, 8, 5, 2, 5, 2, 15, 20 5th

• David Gilmour/ Lachy Gilmour 13, (43) BFD, 13, 4, 8, 15, 18, 25, 22, 18 13th
• Joel Turner/Tom Needham 9, 9, 30, (40), 33, 4, 33, 14, 21, 26 24th

• Natasha Bryant/ Annie Wilmot 11, 5, 17, 11, 17, 3, (22), 10, 3, 10 5th
• Amelia Stabback/ Caitlin Elks 13, 2, 23, 25, 8, 12, (26), 11, 19 14th
• Tess Lloyd/Jaime Ryan 22, (26), 10, 19, 11, 15, 10, 13, 18 16th

• Matt Wearn 5, 4, 15, 17, 9, 26, 27, 29, 16, 8, (40) 11th
• Tom Burton 2, 12, 4, 15, (43), 23, 3, 17, 7, 3, 29, 6 3rd
• Finn Alexander 19, (52) BFD, 5, 11, 20, 33, 23, 43, 25, 5, 34 29th

• Zoe Thomson 2, 6, 29, (42), 18, 17, 37, 40, 9, 3 14th

• Jake Lilley 10, 4, (16), 3, 15, 16, (23), 13 14th

Full results from each class can be found here.