Medal Race Day 3: Dutch prosper from Austrian capsize

Annemiek Bekkering and Annette Deutz won a dramatic 49er FX Medal Race at the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus 2018 on Saturday after Austria pair of Tanja Frank and Lorena Abicht capsized in a huge wind shift. 

The 49er FX was an unexpected third gold for the Netherlands – they have already won both the men’s and women’s RS:X before the medal races - who are leading the World Championships medal table. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, the patron of the event and himself a keen sailor, chose the most dramatic day to visit and was on hand to give out the medals. 

In the 49er Medal Race,40 minutes before, the men had enjoyed steady 11-13 knot southerlies and the Croatian brothers, Šime & Mihovil Fantela made sure there were no surprises for the gold - the battle for silver was another matter entirely - as they controlled their opponents from start to finish.