Princess Sofia Trophy: British pair Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell claim gold
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Neither Dylan Fletcher or Stuart Bithell had previously won the event
British duo Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell claimed 49er gold at the Princess Sofia Trophy with a day to spare after building an unassailable lead before Saturday's medal race.
Olympian Fletcher and London 2012 silver medallist Bithell finished inside the top five in nine of 12 races as they dominated the Palma regatta.
It's the first time either sailor has won at the event in Majorca.
"It hasn't really sunk in just how much that means," said 31-year-old Fletcher.
"We had a tricky year last year and we worked hard over the winter, so to come back here and have everything firing like we want it feels pretty good."
Their competition includes Rio 2016 gold medallists Blair Tuke and Peter Burling of New Zealand, yet despite the double points on offer in Saturday's medal race, the overall result now cannot be affected.
Fletcher added: "To win with a day to spare and beat the Olympic champions is amazing."
‘We need each other to win Olympic gold’
Meanwhile in the women's 470, British pair Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre are guaranteed at least a bronze medal before Saturday's final race.
