2.4mR Worlds Bronze for Sailor Megan
Skandia Team GBR’s Megan Pascoe takes the bronze in Porto San Giorgio, Italy.
Skandia Team GBR’s Megan Pascoe hailed “the best result of my career so far” after claiming bronze at the 2012 2.4 Metre World Championships in Porto San Giorgio on Italy’s east coast on Saturday (22 September).
The Portland-based 26-year-old shone in the biggest ever 2.4mR Open class Worlds fleet of 90 boats, with men and women, able-bodied and disabled, competing on equal terms over four days of racing in the Adriatic Sea.
Pascoe, who grew up in Ardingly, West Sussex, had previously won a medal of the same colour at the 2010 IFDS Disabled Sailing Combined World Championships in Medemblik (NED). But she admits her latest success eclipsed even that result as she guaranteed her place on the podium with races to spare.
She said: “I’m very happy; it all seemed to happen right for me. This was my 10th Open Worlds and it has taken me a long time to get to this point. It is the best result of my career so far. It is a tougher fleet than the disabled Worlds and although there were a few big names missing, having competed at the Paralympics, there were still a number of past Open World Championship medallists inside the top 15. The competition was incredibly hard.”
Pascoe’s series didn’t get off to the best start as she picked up an OCS in race one. But although admitting she beat herself up about that start she was pleased with her reaction and consistency in the races that followed, which included a win in race six.
She continued: “The first three days were quite light and it really led to a mix up in the fleet with people getting 14th and 15th places and then a first. Consistency was going to be critical and the fact I ended up counting only top 10 scores is what did it for me. I was pleased with how I dealt with the OCS mentally and that was my only really bad start.
“When you’re sailing in such a big fleet getting off that start line in a good place is really important. You are much better off playing with 20 boats then getting stuck down in the 40s, when it starts to get really difficult. Even if my start wasn’t great I always felt I had the speed to do well in a good fleet. It was really tight in the top 10 for the first three days but I was really pleased it came good for me.”
Skandia Team GBR Performance Squad sailor Pascoe was one of six British sailors who are part of the RYA’s Paralympic pathway that competed in Italy, with 20-year-old Will Street – a Skandia Team GBR Transition Squad sailor – finishing a hugely-creditable 23rd overall.
Paralympic Transition Squad sailors Carol Dugdale (47th), Craig Wood (54th), Luke Sinnott (63rd) and Steve Palmer (65th) also turned in encouraging performances in the early days of their Paralympic classes sailing careers. Servicemen Craig, Luke and Steve are being supported in their ambition to become sailing Paralympians by Help for Heroes as they continue their Ministry of Defence-guided rehabilitation at Headley Court in Surrey.
Stephen Park, RYA Olympic Manager, said: “It is fantastic to see Megan pick up where our Paralympic sailors left off; on the podium. It has been a memorable month for Paralympic sailing in this country and Megan’s latest success continues to gives us great encouragement for the future.
"It is also pleasing to see that Will Street and the guys in the Paralympic Transition Squad are getting to experience regular top quality racing opportunities. As we have seen from our Olympic Programme, healthy competition breeds elite success and it is fantastic that we now have a squad of enthusiastic sailors committed to trying to make the step up to Paralympic performance level.”
For full results from the 2012 2.4 Metre World Championships click here
For the latest news from Skandia Team GBR – the British Sailing Team in the Olympic and Paralympic Classes – visit www.skandiateamgbr.com