Brett Beyer, six-time World Champion. Photo: -- Craig Coulton / © C & C Images  .  

Day 6 racing at the Laser Masters Worlds, sponsored by Crowne Plaza, where the prize giving dinner will be held this evening, got underway with the Standard fleets shortly after 10.00am in light flicky south and south-easterly winds on the course off Terrigal.

Brett Beyer (AUS) was the first winner announced today, successfully defending his 2007 World Championship crown in the Standard Apprentice Master finishing the final day with a win and a second place. “I’m very happy. There wasn’t much wind, maybe 10-12 knots, and the racing was very close as usual,” said Beyer on winning an unsurpassed sixth Apprentice world title.

Beyer finished the nine-race series on 10 points, remarkably finishing only once outside a top two results. In the two races sailed today, the Sydney sailor scored a win and a second. Rohan Lord (NZL) placed second on 20 points after his third and fourth places this afternoon, while Finish sailor Jyrki Taiminen was third on 22 points.

Orlando Gledhill (GBR) missed out on a podium finish, despite winning the final race, finishing the series on 29 points for fourth place. The Brit was runner-up to Beyer in the last two World’s.

“My closest competition came from Rohan, Jyrki and Orlando. It was hard to spot the marks today,” the 41 year-old Sports Scientist said.

Was it a tough win? “Well, this is my best scorecard, so I guess that makes it look easier than it was. It was hard close racing, so the scorecard is a bit deceptive,” said Beyer who trains hard throughout the year on top of undertaking Olympic coaching duties for Singapore, which qualified for the Beijing Olympics at the Laser World’s sailed last week. Beyer was justifiably proud.

“I am happy with my series; it was close all the way through and a lot of fun. The racing was especially close with Brett and Rohan,” said Taiminen, who went on to explain: “I haven’t done a World's for three years. The first one I finished sixth, then fifth, then fourth. Now I am third, so next time I should be second,” he laughed.