Sailing

Ben Ainslie was yesterday confirmed as world champion in the Laser class in the World Sailing Championships off Melbourne.

He took the title with a race to spare, winning six of the 140 boat fleet's 12 races, finishing with a four-point margin over Olympic gold medallist Robert Scheidt (Brazil).

Meanwhile, in the Finn class, Iain Percy lies second overall.

In the Europe World Championships, Scotland's Shirley Robertson is third in her flight, while her compatriots, Ian and Andy Budgen, found the breezy final races tough going, capsizing in their first race, but they rallied in the second race to finish a worthwhile third and managed to qualify for the final series in twelfth place.