SAILING By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE : EXMOUTH sailors Steve Morrison and Ben Rhodes have made up for the disappointment of losing their 49er class world crown by clinching a ticket to the Olympics.

SAILING By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE : EXMOUTH sailors Steve Morrison and Ben Rhodes have made up for the disappointment of losing their 49er class world crown by clinching a ticket to the Olympics.

The duo, defending the world title they won in Cascais, Portugal in July last year, held the title going into this year's World Championships, sailed in Melbourne, Australia, last week.

This time, racing for Skandia Team GBR, they finished in the silver medal position behind the home pairing of Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin, following a week of windy conditions off the Sorrento Couta Sailing Club.

Morrison and Rhodes - whose official selection to Team GB for the Beijing Games was announced by the British Olympic Committee during the championships - went into the final day of racing tied on points at the top of the leaderboard with the Australian duo and just one point ahead of the third-placed Ukrainian team.

The final race was sailed in 15-18 knot gusty winds on choppy waters at the front of the host venue. Morrison and Rhodes were hot on the heels of on their Australian rivals round the first turning mark, just three boat lengths behind them.

But Outteridge and Austin managed to edge away on the second lap, with a third place in