WEYMOUTH’S stars are poised for podium positions as they enter the final day’s medal races at the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta.

Birthday boy and RS:X World Champion Nick Dempsey slipped from first to second position in the men’s windsurfing fleet on the penultimate day of the event.

Dempsey, 30, of Wyke Regis, will be battling for gold in today’s double points races at the fifth annual Sail for Gold, which is also the seventh and final instalment of this year’s International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Sailing World Cup.

In the women’s windsurfing class, former Weymouth schoolgirl Bryony Shaw has pulled herself up into the bronze medal position.

The Beijing Olympic bronze medallist is just two points behind French windsurfer Charline Picon, who is in second place, while Spanish sailor Blanca Manchon is leading the fleet.

Weymouth world champion Laser dinghy sailor Paul Goodison is in second place going into today’s final racing, behind Australia’s Tom Slingsby.

Giles Scott, of Wyke Regis has maintained his lead in the Finn heavyweight dinghy class after shaking up the shook pecking order on Thursday.

The 23-year-old former Finn Junior world champion is 22 points ahead of British sailing legend and triple Olympic gold medal winner Ben Ainslie who has made his return to competitive Olympic sailing for the first time in two years.

Iain Percy and Sherborne’s Andrew Simpson are in sixth place in the Star event, while Portland’s Simon Hiscocks ended his return to the 49er fleet in 29th place – achieving his goal of being within the top 30 in the world.

Hiscocks, 37, who claimed silver at Sydney and bronze in the Athens Games, has come out of retirement to team up with up-and-coming sailor Ollie Spens-ley-Corfield, 20, of Portsmouth and is also hosting a stand for his shocksailing.com boat business at the site’s regatta village.

In the Paralympic classes, where racing ended yesterday, SKUD World Champions Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell of Portland have claimed silver.

Heavy rain and 12mph winds are forecast for today’s Spectator Day at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

The prizegiving will be held at 4pm.

Find out more at the website skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk/