Martin Speller in laser standard rig action (00733553)

MARTIN SPELLER certainly saved the best for last as he took a win in the final race of the laser standard sailing event yesterday.

With Jersey finishing eighth overall in the team event it had been somewhat of a disappointing week for the sailors who admitted that the light winds didn’t suit them.

However, there was cause for celebration on the final night as Speller romped home to the win when a shrewd tactical decision paid off as he explained: ‘The wind was going to the right so I tacked over and started that side,’ he said.

‘The few people that did the same didn’t stay there for long, they tacked back and I was in second position at the mark and then on a run I went a bit higher than the rest of the fleet. From then on I was just trying to keep everyone behind me.

‘It was nice to finish the week with a bullet as that makes up for some of the races where it didn’t go so well – we all just wish there had been a bit more wind now as we all did well in the last race.’

There was a consistent improvement throughout the whole team in the last race as Jeff Speller had his best finish of the week for seventh so he, having earlier finished 17th in the first race, took 17th overall behind brother Martin’s 13th.

In the laser radial event it was a similar story as David Carter and David Putt enjoyed the stronger winds in the last race for sixth and eighth, respectively, with Carter securing 11th overall and Putt 16th.

Team manager Simon Le Huray admitted it would have been nicer to finish higher up in the team event but said: ‘It’s been a great week and Martin’s win in the last race was excellent.

‘He beat a guy who reached the final selection for the Finland Olympic team so it just shows the quality of the guys who were here.’