TODAY'S RS:X windsurfing medal races brought drama and mixed emotions for Britain’s windsurfers as they rounded off their World Championships in Santander.

Both Nick Dempsey, from Weymouth, and Bryony Shaw ended in fifth place, with both taking fifth in the final races.

While Dempsey was content to have improved one place in the final race and finished as high as it was mathematically possible to, Shaw was devastated to have slipped back, having been in a medal position part way through the race.

Dempsey’s RS:X final was the first to take place on the Duna course in front of the crowds. A wind shift right before the race start forced three sailors – two French and a Greek – to jump the gun and also left Dempsey with a poor start.

“The wind shifted as we all approached the line and all of a sudden we couldn’t cross. I was closest to the pin so I couldn’t actually get over the start line,” Dempsey explained.

“The three above me had to go early to actually get over so it was full on from the start. I approached the windward mark in last and I thought “this is going to be a long race”, but I stuck with it and took two of the best in the world.

“It is normally us three racing at the front so it was strange us three racing out at the back, but it was good fun racing there and it was fortunate that those top three were over the line.”

With medal racing assured for British crews in both the 470 men and 470 women’s fleets today, Great Britain has secured its country qualification berths in both events for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Weymouth-based Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark head into the 10-boat women’s final in bronze medal position.

In the men’s event, Portland’s Luke Patience and Elliot Willis head into their medal race showdown in fourth place.

Giles Scott, also based on the island, continued his impressive form in the Finn fleet to extend his lead by 20 points with two more fleet races to go before Sunday’s medal race.

In the 49erFX event, Wey-mouth-based Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth endured a tough four-race day, to see them in sixth place overall.