Sailor Giles Scott laid down a marker ahead of Rio 2016 by claiming Finn class gold with a day to spare at the Aquece Rio International Regatta.
The event is serving as the Rio Olympic Test Event and Scott showed he was more than comfortable out on the Brazilian waters.
Having won five out of the first ten fleet races, the 27-year-old European champion established an unassailable 25-point margin heading into Friday’s final medal race for the heavyweight dinghy class.
Victory also extends his unbeaten regatta run to six since he made his return to the class in September following an America’s Cup campaign and Scott believes his form bodes well for a tilt at Olympic gold.
“I’m really happy. Ultimately the next two years is all about winning races in Rio and to be able to prove that two years out [from the Games] is a big step forward,” he said.
“It allows me to have a bit of a relaxed approach to the final day, which I suppose is good and bad in some ways, but I’m looking forward to the medal race and going racing again.
“The week’s gone pretty well. It’s been a pretty windy week which was unexpected in all honesty, but it’s been great and we managed to complete a full series so it’s been a very good week."
© Sportsbeat 2014