2011 Mobility Cup final day

12:18 PM Sat 3 Sep 2011 GMT

'Pierre Richard, bow 101 on his way to victory - Rotary Mobility Cup' Ed Clay Click Here to view large photo

Pierre Richard saved the best for last, winning the final two races in Gold Fleet competition in the 2011 Mobility Cup to surge ahead of Quebec compatriot Marc Villeneuve.

Richard never finished worse than second across eight races as a Quebec quartet blew away the field. He said intense training at the Association Quebecoise de Voile Adaptee near Montreal was ideal preparation for the
event on Hamilton Harbour.

'We practiced two or three times a week, two or three hours each time, and helped each other in a team effort,' said Richard.

Villeneuve had jumped ahead of Richard Thursday at the event hosted by The Royal Hamilton Yacht Club and the Burlington Sailing & Boating Club.

Fellow AQVA members Hafsa Chaar and Rene Dallaire finished third and fourth.

The sailing featured shifting winds, eight-to 12-knot winds and rain held off until the regatta wound up.

Genevieve Wickham of Sailability/Royal Perth Yacht Club of Perth, Australia, who led the Access Liberty Fleet all week, sank to seventh in the second last race on the final day, a result she could discard, and concluded with a second to post a commanding 14-point margin over Carwile LeRoy of BAADS/SBYC of San Francisco.

And Calgary's Sara Cooper finished first on the Silver Fleet's final race to prevail over American Rob Klein of
Falmouth, MA. She won five of seven races overall.

The 21st Mobility Cup features almost 60 disabled athletes from Australia, the Netherlands, the U.K., U.S.A and Canada.

by John Kernaghan