Rio Olympian Matt Wearn has added a world championship silver to his medal haul in the Laser class after a strong performance in Denmark.
The 22-year-old from Western Australia needed to cross two places ahead of Pavlos Kontides in the 10th and decisive race to claim gold but the Cypriot covered his every move while combating gusty squalls and then a fading breeze off Aarhus.
Wearn, the reigning European champion, had the satisfaction of securing Australia a berth in the Laser class at the Toyko Olympics in 2020.
Rio gold medallist Tom Burton was fourth in the medal race and seventh overall while all five team members finished inside the top 20 of the 165-boat fleet.
"It was always really tight on points and to win you really have to have the best regatta," Wearn said.
"You have to be sailing perfectly, you can't afford to have these little mistakes and, at the end of the day, it's the difference between a gold and silver medal.
"The big picture is the Olympics, so this is a big step in the right direction."
In the Nacra 17 class Nathan Outteridge and sister Haylee Outteridge head into Sunday's medal race in second position - a point behind the Italian combination - while Rio silver medallists Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin were sixth.
Australians will not feature in the 49erFX medal race on Saturday night (AEST), though 11th-placed Natasha Bryant and Annie Wilmot nailed a qualification place for Toyko.
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