Third world title for Giles Scott
It looks like Ben Ainslie has a very worthy successor in the Olympic Finn class
November 28, 2015
It looks like Ben Ainslie has a very worthy successor in the Olympic Finn class. Undefeated since April 2013, Giles Scott (see Who is Giles Scott?) has just won his third world title in New Zealand. Not only did he win, he did it in emphatic style, taking the championship with a day to spare.
Giles Scott celebrates his third Finn world championship victory. Photo Robert Deaves/Finn class.
How Giles Scott won in New Zealand
A dominant Giles Scott extended his winning streak to 25-months at the Finn Gold Cup in Takapuna, New Zealand, on Saturday November 28, 2015, defending his World Championship crown with a day and two races to spare. Scott now becomes one of only six sailors in the 60-year history of the Finn Worlds to claim a hat-trick of victories, with Ben Ainslie, whose Olympic title Scott is hoping to keep in British hands next year, the only man with more Gold Cup wins.
The 28-year-old Scott went into the penultimate day of racing on the Hauraki Gulf with an imposing 52-point lead, needing only one result within the top 18 from the day’s two races to secure an early victory. Looking comfortable from the first gun, Scott’s second place in the first race of the day was enough to wrap up the win ahead of both the final fleet race and Sunday’s double-points medal race. In spite of that fact, there was no let up from the Portland-based sailor, who posted another second place in Saturday’s second race to take an overwhelming 54-point lead over France’s Olympic bronze medallist Jonathan Lobert into the final day of competition.
Giles Scott on his impressive victory
“I have been really pleased with my year and the way I’ve been sailing,” Scott said modestly. “The last couple of months have been tricky to manage because we’ve been testing these new boats that have just come out, so to be able to come here and show good form and win with a couple of races to go is great and I couldn’t really ask for more than that.
“I’ve sailed a good, consistent week and it’s come good early, which is great. I was trying to stay risk-free where possible and fortunately the racing panned out in a manner that rewarded that,” continued Scott, who adds this 2015 Worlds victory to his successes in the 2011 and 2014 editions.
“I think that’s a trait of the Gold Cup with racing in such huge fleets. You can get it right by taking a lot of leverage but you can also get it massively wrong. The majority of the fleet showed that with some high scores there. Being able to stay away from that was key to the week. Winning here wasn’t like the shock emotion I had at the Test Event where the points were so close. It was more of a gradual thing, but I’ll take winning in that manner every time. It’s certainly the way to win a Championship!”
Scott’s not only has his sights on Rio glory next year but also in making a further dent towards his America’s Cup boss Ainslie’s six-win Finn Gold Cup record. “This event holds a huge amount of history and heritage to it and it’s certainly a regatta that everyone wants to win. To be lucky enough to win it three times is great. There’s another one before the Games next year so hopefully it’s not my last Gold Cup win!”
The coach's view
British Sailing Team Finn coach Matt Howard paid tribute to his charge, but as he and Scott both admit, they’re not a finished product yet. “You get asked a lot about what sets these kind of people apart. For me, the biggest thing with Giles is that he’s just a very good learner. Ultimately how well you learn, how you move forward, how you get better and learn to sail the boat, pick up new techniques and learn from your mistakes, is what sets apart the great from the good.
“Giles is very, very good at learning. The work rate and the effort and commitment he puts in is second to none. We work extremely hard and we will continue to do so despite the extent of this victory here.” Howard added: “I’ve got a list of things for Giles to work on, but I couldn’t possibly share it this close to the Olympics!”
boats.com YJA Yachtsman of the Year
Giles Scott has been shortlisted for the boats.com YJA Yachtsman of the Year Awards, the winner of that prestigious accolade is due to be announced, but Scott faces some stiff competition. Read Yachtsman of the Year shortlist announced.
