The race for gold in the Sonar came down to the wire, quite literally, at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center on Saturday, September 13.
Germany's Jens Kroker, Robert Prem and Siegmund Mainka won gold by maintaining a steady fifth place during the last race, but the drama centered on the French Sonar team of Bruno Jourdren, Herve Larhant and Nicolas Vimont-Vicary.
The French led by just one point going into the eleventh and final race, but lost the gold when their jib ripped on the forestay, a wire cable that holds up the mast. The French team did not finish the race but held on to silver.
Disheartened skipper Jourdren said, "We ripped our jib in half on the first run by mistake. I'm so angry that it happened. We were in sixth at the time and were winning the regatta. It is painful. After knowing we still won the silver, I am much relieved."
The Australian team of Colin Harrison, Russell Boaden and Graeme Martin won bronze, thanks to a comeback during Race 10, when they moved from 10th to fifth.
The racing was so close that Norway's Jostein Stordahl, Per Eugen Kristiansen and Aleksander Wang-Hansen finished one point away from a medal and Israel's Dror Cohen, Arnon Efrati and Benny Vexler, the defending gold medalists, finished two points short.
Great Britain's John Robertson, Stephen Thomas and Hannah Stodel posted their best day of the regatta with first and second place finishes. Their 41 point haul tied with the Greek team of Vasileios Christoforou, Theodoros Alexas and Nikolaos Paterakis.
(BOCOG September 13, 2008)