11:25 AM Tue 22 Dec 2009 GMT
Yachting Queensland have continued to invest wisely with the high performance sailing program dominating the class results in finals of the International Sail Melbourne regatta over the past weekend.
The State yachting team jointly coached by Beijing Olympic Yngling class mentor Adrian Finglas and the talented Yachting Queensland resident coach Ben Callard mastered some tricky sailing conditions on Melbourne's Port Philip Bay to complete a best ever medal haul at the important international regatta.
Gold Coast 470 dinghy skipper Mathew Belcher now racing with Sydney's 2008 Olympic Gold Medallist Malcolm Page led the medal charge winning seven heats to firm their grip for rep honours at the 2012 Olympic regatta in London.
Belcher and Page were in a class of their own discarding one of their heat wins as their worst performance as required under the scoring system.
This was another outstanding result for Belcher and Page who are a 'new look' crew being prepared by principal Australian Olympic coach Victor Kovalenko to defend the Gold Medal won by Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page in China.
Angus Galloway and Andrew Gough again proved why they are regarded as the most consistent performers in the 420 dinghy class adding the Sail Melbourne title to their impressive season which includes the Queensland and New South Wales open championships plus the Sail Sydney and now Sail Melbourne title.
Their Queensland team mates Sasha and Jaime Ryan finished all open class heats in the top seven and topped this consistency to claim the best all female crew result and third overall in the open series while Eloise Brake and Ashley Warlow clinched their career best result with the Bronze medal in the female series.
North Queensland skipper Duncan Macgregor won the Scud class from 2008 Paralympics Silver medallist Dan Fitzgibbon while teenage female skipper Ella Evans won the 4.7 Laser dinghy Gold Medal just ahead of the teenage Gold Coast helmsman Josh Franklin.
Queensland sailors added to the 'Gold Rush' when Southport Yacht Clubs Adam Lahey and Troy Ruston won Silver in the 29er Skiffs while Sunshine Coast Laser Radial skipper kept his Australian Youth championship prospects alive with another promising result.
The normally modest nature of Coach Adrian Finglas was temporarily replaced with personal pride when he commented on the Queensland team achievements.
'This overall team result is the best ever at Sail Melbourne' he said.
by Ian Grant
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