By Paul Osborne

All three Paralympic class title were awarded today as all but two races were cancelled on the penultimate day of the ISAF Sailing World Cup ©Walter Cooper/US SailingJanuary 31 - As the wind, or lack of it, continued to frustrate athletes on the penultimate day of the 2014 International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Sailing World Cup in Miami, all but two of the 13 Olympic and three Paralympic races were cancelled at Biscayne Bay.


The winners of the three Paralympic classes for disabled sailors were therefore sealed by the results up to Thursday.

This meant titles for British pair Megan Pascoe in the 2.4mR and Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell in the SKUD 1 and France's Bruno Jourdren, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont Vicary in the sonar.

The 2.4mR fleet was sent out and even managed to start at a race before any trace of wind finally disappeared from their course area, sealing Pascoe's second consecutive Miami World Cup title.

Megan Pascoe won her second successive Miami World Cup title with victory in the 2.4mR event ©Walter Cooper/US Sailing 2014Megan Pascoe won her second successive Miami World Cup title with victory in the 2.4mR event ©Walter Cooper/US Sailing 2014


"We had quite nice wind to start with - it was about six knots, as the beat progressed it was going more and more left, the pressure was becoming incredibly patchy," 27-year-old Pascoe said.

"But going down the run it just went incredibly soggy - I was lucky enough to have had a good beat and was ahead of Helena and Allan, which is what I had to be, so even if the race had finished I was confident I'd still be in the position where I am, but the race wasn't going to finish.

"We were definitely going to be timed out on that one.

"It's a very, very good way to start off the year.

"Last year here was a bit more tricky - I wasn't quite leading going into the last day and I had to have a few things go my way - but this week has steadily gone my way.

"Everything's been really fast and I'm really, really happy."

Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell finally secured gold in the SKUD 18 event at the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Miami after finishes from second to fifth in four previous attempts ©Walter Cooper/US Sailing 2014Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell finally secured gold in the SKUD 18 event at the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Miami after finishes from second to fifth in four previous attempts
©Walter Cooper/US Sailing 2014



The British world number one pairing of Rickham and Birrell finally got their hands on the ISAF Sailing World Cup gold medal with victory in the SKUD 18 event.

The reigning five-time world champions have competed in Miami on four previous occasions, finished second, third, fourth and fifth in each of their last visits.

The London 2012 bronze medallists will now be hoping to add Paralympic gold to their ever-growing trophy cabinet as they prepare for Rio 2016.

"We're super excited to be effectively kicking off our road to Rio with a win," said Rickham.

"Speed was going well.

"Our starting was clearly not good, but did have some good speed and were working our way through the gears.

"It was just good to be back in the boat and remembering stuff.

"It's funny how after three months you forget a lot quite quickly.

"It was nice to have a moderately relaxed regatta, manage to get control and then Niki threw in a few little tactical gems and we were off.

"There's only one title left that we want, and we'll do everything in our capacity now to make it happen."

The British trio of Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas had to settle for silver after Frenchmen Bruno Jourdren, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont Vicary secured gold in the sonar event ©Walter Cooper/US Sailing 2014British trio John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas had to settle for silver after Frenchmen Bruno Jourdren, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont Vicary secured gold in the sonar event ©Walter Cooper/US Sailing 2014



The French world number two trio of Jourdren, Flageul and Vimont Vicary claimed gold in the sonar event following a succession of consistent performances across the week.

The trio came into the event as reigning world champions following their victory in Kinsale, Ireland, last August.

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