WEYMOUTH sailor Giles Scott claimed Britain’s only gold out of a total of eight medals at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta.

The 23-year-old Scott, who is now living in Wyke Regis, ended team-mate Ben Ainslie’s six-year unbeaten run in the Olympic Finn class.

Scott went into the final medal race for the heavyweight dinghy class with a 16.4 point lead over the triple Olympic gold medallist Ainslie but Portland Harbour’s dying breeze made for a close finale on Saturday.

Scott finished eighth in the 10-boat medal race, which was enough to hand him victory on the Olympic waters, while Ainslie, competing in his first Finn event since the Beijing Games, ended in fourth overall.

Skandia Team GBR’s Scott admitted that beating the Sailing legend was ‘massive’ but added: “Winning alone here is worth so much because proving you can win in Weymouth is huge in terms of Olympic selection.

He added: “It’s a long road ahead and it won’t be easy to gain selection but this week has absolutely helped with the confidence.”

Weymouth’s Olympic and World Champion Paul Goodison added another silver to the two already earned by the Portland Paralympic sailors Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell in the Skud class and their counterparts in the Sonar.

Goodison was disappointed to have been beaten by Australian Tom Slingsby and said he is looking forward to the Laser World Championship event at Hayling Island in two weeks’ time.

Weymouth RS: X windsurfer Nick Dempsey took bronze after a risky starting strategy lost him ground in the closely-fought medal race. Portugal’s Joao Rodrigues claimed gold, with Dutchman Dorian van Rijsselberge in silver.

Dempsey said: “I’ve learnt a lot this week and am now looking forward to the Worlds in Denmark in just two weeks’ time.”

Beijing bronze medallist and former Weymouth schoolgirl Bryony Shaw finished third in the RS:X women’s fleet after a tough fight for a podium spot.

The Australian team dominated this year’s Sail for Gold with four gold medal wins, followed by the French team with three golds and the Dutch with two.

The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, the 2012 Olympic venue, threw everything at the competitors this week – wind, rain, calms and sunshine.

The record entry of 975 sailors from 57 nations spread across 712 boats in 13 classes will go home having learned to expect the unexpected in August 2012.