Britannia rules the waves as Giles Scott retains Finn title and men's 49er crew claim gold

 Giles Scott made it double sailing gold for Team GB in the space of a dramatic hour in Enoshima Yacht Harbour after recovering from a nightmare start to follow Iain Percy and Sir Ben Ainslie to secure Britain's sixth successive triumph in the heavyweight Finn class.

Scott, who had already established a clear lead before the medal race, feared that he made an infringement at the start and so, rather than risk being recalled, willingly turned full circle to leave himself with a mountain to climb over the rest of the race.

Fletcher and Bithell’s victory was also among the most dramatic medal races in Olympic history, with the British pair leapfrogging defending champions and two-time America’s Cup winners, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, of New Zealand.

Fletcher and Bithell had begun the final 49er medal race four points adrift of the New Zealanders, who are widely regarded as the world’s best sailors, meaning that they needed to finish two places ahead of their rivals to take gold. They began superbly and surged into a clear lead after the first two turns, ahead of New Zealand who, crucially, had also fallen behind the Germany crew.