Weymouth And Portland Sailing World Cup Wraps Up #SailingWorldCup

ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland wrapped up on Sunday with ten Medal Races deciding the podium finishers, Abu Dhabi World Cup Final qualifiers and prize money recipients.

The day started off light from a northern direction with the Nacra 17 fleet getting the first racing in. Following a short postponement whilst the wind shifted the race action got going again and culminated in some tense Medal Race action.

Brought to a worldwide audience on TV and online – watch the race action again here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ8hlJyeqxk

Finn

Giles Scott (GBR) kept Josh Junior (NZL) at bay in the Finn to extend his unbeaten run. There was just six points of separation in advance of the Medal Race and the Briton forced the Kiwi down the back of the pack in an intriguing race.

The pair were close throughout and both were penalised with penalty turns. With the pair at the rear of the fleet, Scott stayed on top of Junior to keep him at bay. Even though Junior came through in ninth compared to Scott’s tenth, it was enough for another Finn gold for Scott. Junior settled for silver with Andrew Murdoch (NZL) taking bronze.

“It feels good, I’m very relieved,” said a relaxed Scott, “It was a bit of a stressful race out there. Both Kiwis were right on my tail and I didn’t make it easy getting a yellow flag and a penalty turn.

“I thought I was in a good position up the first beat but then the jury came in and gave me a penalty, which really livened it up.

“It’s always a nice way to win to come out in a match race situation and come out on top but they can be a little bit stressful.”

Flavia Tartaglini, ITA, Women’s Windsurfer (RS:X) on day five of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
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Men’s 470

Stu McNay and Dave Hughes (USA) sealed gold in style in the Men’s 470. They took a comfortable Medal Race victory to finish 21 points ahead of Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS).

“It feels awesome and it is a good return for both of us and a great way to close it out,” commented Hughes.

McNay added, “We have been knocking on the door for a while and it is great when hard work pays off. We have been sailing a lot and working with each other a lot in this and other classes and it feels good to close out this regatta.”

The Americans have been consistently at the top of the pack throughout the week with only a 17th looking out of place from eight top five results.

Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) finished eighth in the Medal Race to take silver whilst Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis (GRE) advanced to third overall after Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO) finished tenth in the Medal Race.

Nick Dempsey, GBR, Men’s Windsurfer (RS:X) on day five of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
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Women’s 470

The last time Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) and Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) did battle in a Women’s 470 Medal Race in Weymouth and Portland it was for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Aleh and Powrie came out victorious then but the roles were reversed at the ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta. Mills and Clark stayed ahead of the Kiwis throughout the duration of the race and with their fourth, compared to the Kiwis fifth, they sealed the deal.

“I think we still feel gutted after the [Olympic] Games that we basically lost control of that race and it was a bit passive and there was no race,” commented Clark.

“We were definitely up for a fight today and having a good race and a good battle. We were strict on ourselves about what we wanted to do and we managed to pull it off.”

Aleh and Powrie were forced to make do with silver whilst bronze went the way of Tina Mrak and Veronika Macarol (SLO) following a second in the Medal Race.

Nacra 17

First up on the day, the Nacra 17 had to contend with some light breeze on a changing race course. It was a game of patience where calm heads were required.

Keeping their cool were overnight leaders Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (AUS). The Aussies kept things tight and a third was enough for gold, “It’s been a pretty tricky week. We had pretty nice breeze for the first couple of days so that was fun but there were lots of shifts and big pressure lines out there.

“Today was a little bit of a change of pace, nice and slow but still just as stressful.”

Matias Buhler and Nathalie Brugger (SUI) were ready to pounce on the Aussies if they slipped up. Waiting in the wings they came through directly behind Waterhouse and Darmanin which handed them silver.

Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis (AUS) were in top form and came through in second. This was enough to promote them up into bronze medal position after Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank (AUT), who occupied the final podium spot overnight, were on the course side at the start and penalised with 22 points added to their tally.

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Women’s RS:X

Italy’s Flavia Tartaglini won gold in the Women’s RS:X after overnight leader Isobel Hamilton (GBR) sailed the wrong course.

Instead of heading to the leeward gate in advance of the finish she missed it and went straight to the finish line. Upon noticing her error she was forced to retire which dropped her out of the medals.

For the Italian, it was pure joy and a second behind race winner Bryony Shaw (GBR) gave her gold, “It was a really tough race and we were really close with points,” commented Tartaglini.

“We were all really close so it was all about the Medal Race. It was really exciting. The four people who could win were all together around the first mark so it was a straight race between the four of us.”

With Hamilton out of the equation, Shaw’s bullet handed her a silver medal. Tuuli Petaja (FIN) came through in bronze.

Men’s RS:X

Great Britain’s Nick Dempsey rounded off a solid week of action with a third in the Medal Race to seal gold. The Briton rarely finished out of the top two throughout the week and was rightly rewarded.

“For me the event has really gone to plan. It’s been six or seven weeks since the last World Cup in Hyeres and I didn’t do so well there so I wanted to get out on the water and perform again,” commented Dempsey, silver medallist at London 2012.

Dempsey’s compatriot Tom Squires (GBR) had a medal sewn up in advance of the Medal Race with the colour to be decided. A ninth kept him in silver medal position, 18 points off Dempsey.

The battle for bronze was far from straight forward. A number of competitors had the opportunity to seize it but Cho Wonwoo (KOR) managed to get the job done with a bullet. For Mattia Camboni (ITA) it was heartbreak as he finished on the same points as the Korean, missing out via count back.

Laser Radial

The odds were heavily stacked in Marit Bouwmeester’s (NED) favour in the Laser Radial after a commanding week of racing.

She held a 15 point advantage over Evi Van Acker (BEL) and only a near disaster could have seen her knocked off her perch. She sailed well, finishing fourth which was more than enough for gold.

“It has been a really good week for me,” commented Bouwmeester. “I had some steady results and I was happy to take it in today during the Medal Race.

“I had five first places and two seconds and that was my best scorecard ever, so I am very pleased with that, that’s results wise but todays sailing was a little less brilliant and still a lot to work on.”

Van Acker took the Medal Race victory to confirm silver.

The race for bronze was little bit more tense with plenty of equations possible. Alison Young (GBR) held the spot overnight however a great performance from Anne-Marie Rindom catapulted her into bronze. Rindom’s second enabled her to remove Young who managed a seventh.

Jason Waterhous and Lisa Darmanin, AUS, Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17) on day five of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
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Laser

It was a tense finale in the Laser with toos and fros aplenty.

Anything was possible with a number of competitors mathematically in with a chance of taking the medals.

Germany’s Phillipp Buhl clinched gold in the nerve racking race. He finished in third but had Tom Burton (AUS) to thank for him taking gold after he finished in between Buhl and Matt Wearn (AUS). Wearn needed to make up one more spot to pick up gold but Burton held him off on the run to the finish ensuring he missed out by a single point, resulting in silver.

After racing Buhl said, “For myself, the discard in the second race [a 28] made it hard for me to get a medal but I managed to stay consistent through the week and in with a chance for the Medal Race. It turned out to be a gold one which is incredibly surprising.

“The World Cup in Weymouth has been better than ever of course for me. It’s been nice weather with sun and wind, and not too cold like other years. It’s been a good advert for the event and the venue.”

Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) had led overnight but struggled in the Medal Race, taking a seventh to complete the podium.

Pavlos Kontides (CYP) had work to do to push into the podium spots and could only sail his own game and rely on the results. He took the Medal Race victory but ended up three points shy of Stipanovic.

49erFX

Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) took a stylish gold in the 49erFX by taking the Medal Race victory.

The Brazilians, World #1 and 2014 ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year, trailed overnight leaders Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) heading into the Medal Race. They concentrated all their efforts on themselves, sailing their own race from the front.

Not worrying about the pack behind them they took the bullet by 39 seconds and had an anxious wait after they took the bullet. Victory was confirmed when Maloney and Meech crossed the line in ninth.

On the day Kunze said, “We could have finished anywhere from first to fourth today depending on the positions of the Medal Race. We thought we had to put about four or five boats between us and the Kiwis and we weren’t sure at the end if we had done it and we were just waiting for them to finish before we realised.

“Both us and the Kiwis had a good and pretty consistent week. We are really happy.”

Maloney and Meech picked up silver and Maloney was left frustrated after racing, “We just didn’t get the shift right today and we couldn’t stay with our competitors which was a bit of a mistake and we just let the Brazilians get away from us.

“It was a pretty nice week sailing in Weymouth, we got some pretty good races in but we had a disappointing Medal Race and we can learn lot from it.”

Spain’s Tamara Echegoyen and Berta Betanzos (ESP) completed the podium.

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark, GBR, Women’s Two Person Dinghy (470) on day five of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
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49er

Starting the day with an 18 point cushion, New Zealand’s Peter Burling and Blair Tuke had a number of options of how they could tactically approach the Medal Race.

The Kiwi’s decided that staying close to their nearest rivals was the best way to go as Burling explained, “We had a little bit to do, but we had a little bit of a points gap on second so the game plan was to try and stay close to them, and we managed to put together a relatively solid result.”

Their chosen tactics worked, and their closest rivals were fellow countrymen and training partners Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski who finished a place behind in seventh.

Burling was ‘stoked’ with the result and the gold medal, but was even happier that they had their mates standing next to them on the podium.

Taking the bullet and sealing bronze were Great Britain’s John Pink and Stuart Bithell.

Next up for the competitors is ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao which takes place from 14-20 September 2015.
Editors Notes
Video

Medal Races will be live from ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland on Sunday 14 June from 11:00 local time.
URL – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ8hlJyeqxk
Embed –

LIVE Weymouth and Portland Medal Races – Sunday 14 June

From 11:00 BST to 15:30 BST (10:00 UTC to 14:30 UTC) on Sunday 14 June, live Medal Races from ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland will be broadcast worldwide on YouTube.

In addition, the Medal Races will be live on ESPN3 in the USA, BBC Red Button and online in Great Britain, Sky in New Zealand and Neo Sports in India.

WATCH ONLINE
ISAF YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/isafchannel/
Direct URL – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ8hlJyeqxk

ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland Medal Race Broadcast Embed Code

Watch Online Via BBC Red Button
British users can watch online on http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02tc8ct

MEDAL RACE SCHEDULE – LIVE Course
11:10 – Nacra 17
11:45 – Laser Radial
12:30 – Finn
13:10 – Women’s 470
13:50 – Laser
14:30 – 49er
15:05 – 49erFX

MEDAL RACE SCHEDULE – Non-live Course
11:40 – Men’s 470
12:20 – Women’s RS:X
12:55 – Men’s RS:X
13:30 – Formula Kite

Highlights of the non-live Medal Races will be shown throughout the live show.

Changes Prove A Success At ISAF Sailing World Cup #SailingWorldCup

The ISAF Sailing World Cup is continuously striving to evolve and adapt to make the Olympic class races better for its competitors and spectators.

In Weymouth and Portland, ISAF have introduced some changes and are trialling others to ensure that the races are the best they can be through greater communication out on the water with the athletes.

Something that is being trialled is the use of radios between competitors and race officials. This has been in use already in big boat events such as the Farr 40 and Melges Class Worlds, but the trial introduction into the 470 class at the ISAF Sailing World Cup could be the first step to introducing the concept to all the Olympic classes.

Justin Liu and Denise Lim, SIN, Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17) at Day One of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
Returning to the London 2012 Olympic waters, the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland is taking place between 8-14 June with the racing conducted over five days between 10-14 June at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Medal race day on Sunday 14 June will decide the overall event winners in each class.
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The use of radios has been introduced on the request of coaches and came to fruition through ISAF’s cooperation with the Event organisers. Put into action on day two in Weymouth and Portland it has allowed the race committee to communicate better with all boats and help with the starting procedures.

Head of ISAF Sailing World Cup John Craig said, “This is an idea is to increase communications prior to racing between the race committee and athletes.

“Once the race has started it will enable all competitors in that race to know who started early which has significant impact on the tactics used in that race.

“This type of communication to competitors has been utilised significantly in other areas of the sport, particularly in big boat sailing, but it is a first time introduction to the Sailing World Cup.”

The hope for Craig and everyone involved in the Event is that this extra communication will prevent any possible confusion.

In advance of their first use, Germany’s Philipp Autenrieth thought that the introduction of radios would be a good thing saying, “It’s quite nice to have the radios, especially for general recalls, and it has worked for big boats so why not the Olympic classes.”

Philipp’s thoughts were confirmed by Australian Mat Belcher who said, “The radios were really great actually, especially pre-race. It was really good to have the information like nothing on the course, time delays and things like that.

“They said a couple of times it was all clear which was good to know I thought.

“The weight of the radios didn’t matter either and it was really clear. It was on my crew’s life jacket and he didn’t notice it really, and anything I couldn’t hear he would just relay to me.”

Belcher thought it was such a good idea that he even suggested using them for more sailor information other than just for the starting procedures, “Maybe they could even take it further, like dropping pumping flag would have been quite interesting or we are moving the mark to the right ten degrees, that kind of verbal information would have been helpful.”

Men’s Two Person Dinghy (470) Fleet at Day One of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
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The other change that has been introduced to all the classes at Weymouth and Portland are the numerical flag system for race starts.

It is quite simply a numbered flag system which gives competitors a countdown to the start of the races. An orange flag gives a three minute warning that the race officials are going to be beginning the countdown. A white flag with the number five indicates five minutes to the start, a blue with three indicates three minutes, a red two, a yellow one and finally a green to go.

Autenrieth believes the flag system has worked and is a good change from traditional flag system, “The flags are good, it definitely makes it easier for us, the public and the media.”

The public and the media were also factors in the changes being made to the Sailing World Cup. The changes aim to make the start easier to follow for everyone and will help stop confusion and will give the sailors a greater chance to focus on their tactics and race strategy which should make for stronger races.

Video

Medal Races will be live from ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland on Sunday 14 June from 11:00 local time.
URL – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ8hlJyeqxk
Embed –

Mischievous Breeze Dances Across Weymouth And Portland

It was a frustrating day for the competitors at ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland with a mischievous breeze dancing across the British waters.

Constantly changing, a sailable breeze never truly materialised. The Race Committee team on the Men’s 470 and Men’s RS:X race courses managed to get one race apiece away but the remaining classes were left frustrated with no racing.

The young French team of Guillaume Pirouelle and Valentin Sipan managed to take the Men’s 470 race victory with an astute performance. They took the lead from the off and at one point had opened up a lead in excess of two minutes.

A chasing pack closed the gap and passed the French team but they held on tight to seal the bullet. “It was quite light and shifty,” explained Pirouelle. “We didn’t know what would happen but we managed to get a few things right. We had quite a good start. We tacked immediately to take a right shift and after that we stayed focus on the race.

“It’s quite complicated for us because it’s only our third year in the 470. It’s a big event for us as well because we’re racing against the big sailors and we have to sail well at all times.”

Taking a bullet in a fleet that features the world’s leading Men’s 470 sailors such as Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS), Luke Patience and Elliot Willis (GBR) and Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO) does not come around that often.

Pirouelle was pleased to finish ahead of them but knows there are a lot of hours of hard work ahead to reach their level, “It’s amazing to see them and sail with them. They are very good and I hope we will be like them in the next few years. Tomorrow I think it will be more windy. We are quite good in strong wind. We have to sail fast and we will see what happens in the different conditions.”

Nick Dempsey, GBR, Men’s Windsurfer (RS:X) at Day One of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
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The French team sit 16th overall and just ten points off the Medal Race positions. Three Men’s 470 are scheduled for Saturday 13 June with plenty of points to play for.

New Zealand’s Paul Snow Hansen and Daniel Willcox followed behind the French pair by 38 seconds to take second and remain in the hunt for top honours. They sit second, nine points off leaders Stu McNay and Dave Hughes (USA).

Those around them used up their drop but for the Kiwis, a disastrous result on the third day of competition could have dented their chances as Willcox explained following a large bite of a fully loaded chicken wrap after racing, “The first race of the regatta we were black flagged so since then we used our discard up and have had to keep our consistency and keep some good results under our belt. We’ve managed to do that and we look to do that going forward as well.”

The Kiwis worked their way up the fleet throughout the race, moving up the ranks from 12th to second. Willcox continued, “It was a pretty tricky race and very changeable from the start to finish. We kind of had a trend to the right, like the forecast model said and we had to deal with the right shift with the pressure as well.

“We did a pretty good job. There were lots of snakes and ladders throughout the race so we were keeping our boat point towards the mark and doing the simple things right and it paid off quite well so we’re happy.”

Americans McNay and Hughes recorded a 17th, which they use as their drop. They continue to lead on nine points followed by the Kiwis on 16 and Mat Belcher and Will Ryan on 20.

Nick Dempsey (GBR) took the bullet in the Men’s RS:X race and as a result moves up to top spot. Tom Squires drops down from first overall to second following a sixth, which he discards.

Mattia Camboni (ITA) retains third overall but Brazil’s Ricardo Santos remains hot on his heels and is just two points off.

Three Men’s RS:X races are scheduled for the penultimate day of competition.

The action is scheduled to commence at 10:30 local time on Saturday 13 June for the penultimate day of the competition.

Video

Medal Races will be live from ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland on Sunday 14 June from 11:00 local time.
URL – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ8hlJyeqxk
Embed –

Morning Nerves Shaken Off By Beautiful Breeze At ISAF Sailing World Cup #SailingWorldCup

There were a few morning nerves amongst some of the competitors at ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland with the forecasted 30 knots never materialising ensuring a beautiful day of racing.

A north easterly breeze, not shy of a shift or two, came in at 14-17 knots ensuring another day of strong competition with a full complement of racing completed.

At the midway stage of the fleet racing, the leaderboards are starting to shake up and give an early indication as to who will come away with the ISAF Sailing World Cup medals, a share of the prize fund as well as an Abu Dhabi Final qualification spot.

Live Medal Races on Sunday – that will be available to view from 11:00 local time here – will bring the competition to a close.

Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech, NZL, Women’s Skiff (49erFX) at Day One of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
Returning to the London 2012 Olympic waters, the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland is taking place between 8-14 June with the racing conducted over five days between 10-14 June at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Medal race day on Sunday 14 June will decide the overall event winners in each class.
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49erFX and 49er

Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) were the stand out performers in the 49erFX, taking a pair of bullets and a second.

The Kiwis move up from second to first overall and have a slender advantage over World #1 pair Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA).

“We had a really good day today. Everything kind of felt easy and we were going quite fast and that always helps,” smiled Meech. “It was quite good racing and everyone was going really fast. If you made a mistake you were going to get passed but if you didn’t, then you were always going to pass people.”

In advance of the docking out a few of the 49erFX sailors had helmets at the ready in anticipation of big breeze but things turned out a little differently as Meech explained, “Most of the weather forecasts today said we were expecting 30 knots. I know for our fleet most of the girls don’t handle that stuff so well so we were all nervous heading out. In the end it turned out to be a glamour day with 12 knots and really nice waves. It was perfect.”

Maloney and Meech are amongst the leading competitors in the 49erFX and have the potential and know how to medal at each event. Most recently they finished seventh at World Cup Hyeres and have been working hard to get back on the podium, “We’ve got a few things to work on for the rest of this regatta. Our starts have been a focus for us and things are starting to come together. We’ll look to push on from that and try to get a great result from this regatta.”

Grael and Kunze, 2014 ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year, are snapping at the heels of the Kiwis and trail by three points. They took the day’s other race victory and coupled with a second and a third remain firmly in the hunt.

Overnight leaders Maiken Foght Schütt and Anne-Julie Schütt (DEN) slip to third overall following a 6-(8)-4 scoreline.

Six fleet races remain in advance of Sunday’s Live Medal Races so anything can and will happen.

Victor Bergstrom and Victor Vasternas (SWE) have amassed three bullets from six races in the 49er and subsequently lead. They took the first two race victories on the second day and discard their 12th to sit on 23 points.

Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski (NZL) claimed the days other race victory and are second overall on 26 points. Their compatriots Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) are third overall on 30 points.

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie, NZL, Women’s Two Person Dinghy (470) at Day Two of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
Returning to the London 2012 Olympic waters, the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland is taking place between 8-14 June with the racing conducted over five days between 10-14 June at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Medal race day on Sunday 14 June will decide the overall event winners in each class.
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Men’s and Women’s 470

The Women’s 470 also feature a couple of Kiwi girls topping the billing after a steady day of racing. Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) lead the way by a single point over Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) following a second and a fourth, which they discard.

“It was an okay day,” explained Aleh. “We weren’t really that happy with it as there were a few missed opportunities. The results are okay still but we’re still not that happy.”

After their opening day double bullets the Kiwis posted a second and fourth. “An okay day” for them, an outstanding day for others. But when you’re Olympic gold medallists racing on the same waters as your glory, standards remain high.

Aleh continued, “It’s great to be back here. It’s been three years since we’ve been here and it’s not changed that much. It’s nice to be back and everything’s really familiar. We spent so much time here last time that it’s like another home.

“I guess Weymouth is a lot like New Zealand. There’s the cold breeze and the cold water. It’s a lot like Takapuna where we sail at home. We’re all quite comfortable here. It’s been offshore for the last couple of days and we’ve always found that Weymouth is like home and we fit into it pretty easily.”

London 2012 Olympic silver medallists Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) sit in second overall following a sixth, which they discard, and a bullet. Tina Mrak and Veronika Macarol (SLO) remain in third overall.

In the Men’s 470 Stu McNay and Dave Hughes (USA) and Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) shared first and second in both of the day’s races. The Americans took the first bullet followed by the Aussies whilst the roles were reversed for the day’s other race.

The Americans lead on five points followed by the Australians on 10 points. Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox (NZL) are third on 14 points.

Finn

Giles Scott (GBR) was back on the money in the Finn, doing what he does best, winning sailboat races.

He opened the day with a second and hit back with a bullet to move into first overall. “We’ve had two very similar days now with 10-15 knots and it’s very very physical racing,” commented Scott on the competition.

“I think everyone is feeling pretty tired today. But today for me was a bit better than yesterday. I managed to come away with a 1 and a 2, so I can’t really grumble.”

The Finn fleet features 24-boats in Weymouth and Portland and with the Rio 2016 Olympic fleet comprising of one less it’s the perfect opportunity to race in an Olympic sized pack with an exceptional calibre of competitors, “We have 24 boats, so it surprising how everything seems to be close up and everyone is super punchy on the start line. So you have to watch that a little bit.

“Of course everyone here is quick so it is very easy to find yourself on the back foot and not so many people behind you. But with that said it makes the racing super good. I think in one of the races today the whole fleet was round in 30 seconds. It’s tight street fighting really.”

Jonathan Lobert (FRA) took the days other race victory and coupled with a third he sits second overall, two points off Scott. Josh Junior (NZL) is pushed from first to third by the British and French racers.

Men’s and Women’s RS:X

In the Women’s RS:X, Great Britain’s Isobel Hamilton stays ahead of the field following another consistent day on the water. From the day’s three races she notched up three second place finishes.

Maintaining the British 1-2 is Bryony Shaw who is two points behind her compatriot.

But while Shaw had another good day with a 3-3-1, Italy’s Flavia Tartaglini moved up to joint second on 12 points with two bullets and a fourth place finish.

London 2012 Olympic silver medallist Tuuli Petaja-Siren drops down to fourth on 16 points.

In the Men’s RS:X Tom Squires (GBR) moved a point ahead in the battle of the Brits with a 1-2-4 scoreline. Squires is above fellow Briton Nick Dempsey who was on a 6-5 on the day until a win in the last race improved his fortunes.

Italy’s Mattia Camboni stays in third position whilst Brazil’s Ricardo Santos had a much better day, taking first place in the second race to go with his 2-3 finishes. The Brazilian sits in fourth.

Justin Liu and Denise Lim, SIN, Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17) at Day One of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
Returning to the London 2012 Olympic waters, the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland is taking place between 8-14 June with the racing conducted over five days between 10-14 June at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Medal race day on Sunday 14 June will decide the overall event winners in each class.
Supported by: UK Sport #EveryRoadToRio, RYA, Icom, SLAM, Volvo Car UK, Yamaha.
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Nacra 17

Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (AUS) had a strong day in the Nacra 17 posting a 7-1-5 scoreline. They lead on 19 points.

Switzerland’s Matias Buhler and Nathalie Brugger are second on 21 points followed by Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank (AUT), who claimed the final race victory of the day.

Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis (AUS) claimed the days other race honours and are fourth overall.

Laser and Laser Radial

It would seem that Marit Bouwmeester (NED) is taking the experience she has gained from the London 2012 Olympics in Weymouth and Portland and applying it to the fullest effect taking both bullets.

Those two wins have kept Bouwmeester’s score down to three points with an unbeaten run of four from four races so far this World Cup.

Her nearest challenger is Belgium’s Evi Van Acker who finishes the day in second overall on nine points after a 9-4 finish.

Ireland’s Annalise Murphy dropped to sixth with an eighth and a discarded 16th. Murphy’s third place is now held by Great Britain’s Alison Young on ten points following a strong 4-2 day to help move her up the leader board.

In the Laser, New Zealand’s Andy Maloney is still in top spot despite a sixth and an 18th. He drops his 18th and remains at the top of the pile with nine points.

Jesper Stalheim of Sweden had a good day moving up from fourth to second with a 2-10, dropping his 14th from the opening day. His 13 points sits him alongside Germany’s Philipp Buhl on the same points tally. The German finished with a 7-3 scoreline for the day.

Sitting just behind on 14 points is Charlie Buckingham (USA). The bullets went to New Zealand’s Michael Bullot and Australia’s Matthew Wearn.

Hiroki Goto and Wakako Tabata, JPN, Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17) at day one of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
Returning to the London 2012 Olympic waters, the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland is taking place between 8-14 June with the racing conducted over five days between 10-14 June at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Medal race day on Sunday 14 June will decide the overall event winners in each class.
Supported by: UK Sport #EveryRoadToRio, RYA, Icom, SLAM, Volvo Car UK, Yamaha.
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photo credit: onEdition

Paralympic Events

In the Sonar, double bullets for Australia’s Colin Harrison, Jonathan Harris and Russell Boaden move them to the top of the leaderboard with four points ahead of Norway’s Aleksander Wang-Hansen, Marie Solberg and Per Eugen Kristiansen on six.

The Norwegians are just one point in front of Great Britain’s John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas who lay in third on seven points following a fourth and second place finish.

In the SKUD18 nothing separates Marco Gualandris and Marta Zanetti (ITA) and Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell (GBR) who each take a bullet and second, yet again mirroring the opening day results. They both sit on four points with Will Street and Megan Pascoe (GBR) third overall on nine.

London 2012 Paralympic gold medallist Helena Lucas (GBR) controlled the 2.4mR again with four wins from four races following her two bullets today.

Sitting behind and taking four consecutive second places is Antonio Squizzato of Italy on six points.

Malaysia’s Al Mustakim Matrin remains third overall with a third place finish and a discarded fifth.

Racing resumes at 11:00 local time on Friday 12 June.

Video

Medal Races will be live from ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland on Sunday 14 June from 11:00 local time.
URL – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ8hlJyeqxk
Embed –

2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup
Melbourne – 7-14 December 2014
Miami – 25-31 January 2015
Hyères – 20-26 April 2015
Weymouth and Portland – 8-14 June 2015
Qingdao – 14-20 September 2015
2015 Final Abu Dhabi – 27 October to 1 November 2015

Glorious Sunshine, An Uncommon Breeze And Exceptional Racing

The first day of racing at ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland sprung a few surprises with an uncommon north eastern breeze testing the fleet.

Ranging from 10-15 knots, the breeze coupled with glorious British sunshine, resulted in some exceptional racing on the 2012 Olympic waters.

The stakes have been described as high by the competitors competing in Great Britain and rightly so with internal Rio qualification battles on-going, ISAF Sailing World Cup honours, a share of the prize fund and Abu Dhabi Final spots up for grab.

Racing commenced at 11:00 local time and wrapped up early evening with the ten Olympic, three Paralympic and Kiteboarding events completing their race schedule.

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP

Laser

New Zealand’s Andy Maloney came out with intent in the Laser, taking the day one lead with a strong performance as he explained, “We had good breeze between 10 and 15 knots. It was pretty shifty on the course but I had good pace and played the shifts and managed to come away with a first and second which is pretty solid. It was a good day.”

The Road to Rio is a hard one and as well as international threats, Maloney also has to contend with domestic rivals on his journey. With the likes of his compatriots Sam Meech, Mike Bullot and Thomas Saunders all capable of challenging for medals, Maloney feels no internal pressure, “It’s good for us and the Australians to have a good squad and we’re all pushing each other hard.

“It’s exciting more than anything now in the Laser because it’s coming down to the final part of the cycle so it’s crunch time now.”

Yachting New Zealand named six crews for the Olympic Test Event on 18 May – see release here – . And as stated, will consider nominations the Laser following the World Cup Weymouth and Portland. A good performance by Maloney could go a long way for selection with Bullot in 15th, Saunders 20th and Sam Meech 21st after the opening day.

Nick Thompson (GBR) was not far off of Maloney’s pace, finishing behind him in both races to sit in second.

London 2012 Olympic silver medallist Pavlos Kontides (CYP) was almost as strong in Weymouth and Portland’s conditions as he did so well three years prior. A seventh and a fourth puts him third overall but he’s got his eye on the top, “I’m satisfied with my performance and races today but there’s still a long way to go and I hope to move up. Having 40 top guys with this new ISAF World Cup, the stakes are high.

“You have to push to the end and every race counts. You can win this event without winning any races. Consistency will prove vital in the end.”

The day’s remaining race win went the way of Jesper Stalheim (SWE) who is fourth overall.

Laser Radial

The last time Marit Bouwmeester (NED), Evi Van Acker (BEL) and Annalise Murphy (IRL) competed against each other at Weymouth and Portland they were locked in a battle for Olympic medals.

Fast forward three years and they’re fighting it out again at the ISAF Sailing World Cup.
Marit Bouwmeester (NED) was assertive on the race course, winning both races by a comfortable margin. The Dutch sailor, who won silver at London 2012, sits atop the pile with Evi Van Acker, London 2012 bronze medallist, trailing on five points following a 3-2 scoreline.

Murphy came through in second in the opening race and followed it up with a sixth in Race 2. She is third on eight points.

Great Britain’s Alison Young sits fourth on 13 points.

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Marit Bouwmeester, NED, Women’s One Person Dinghy (Laser Radial) at day one of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
Returning to the London 2012 Olympic waters, the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland is taking place between 8-14 June with the racing conducted over five days between 10-14 June at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Medal race day on Sunday 14 June will decide the overall event winners in each class.
Follow ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland on Twitter – @SailingWC_GBR and Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/ISAFSailingWorldCup
website: http://www.sailing.org/worldcup/regattas/weymouthandportland_2015.php
For more information please contact:Pippa Phillips pippa.phillips@intotheblue.biz +44(0)7967 705697
Supported by: UK Sport #EveryRoadToRio, RYA, Icom, SLAM, Volvo Car UK, Yamaha.
If you require a higher resolution image or you have any other onEdition photographic enquiries, please contact onEdition on 0845 900 2 900 or email info@onEdition.com
This image is copyright onEdition 2015©.
This image has been supplied by onEdition and must be credited onEdition. The author is asserting his full Moral rights in relation to the publication of this image. Rights for onward transmission of any image or file is not granted or implied. Changing or deleting Copyright information is illegal as specified in the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988. If you are in any way unsure of your right to publish this image please contact onEdition on 0845 900 2 900 or email info@onEdition.com

49er and 49erFX

On the face of the 49er results it would be quick to assume that leaders Lukasz Przybytek and Pawel Kolodzinski (POL) were the stand out performers of the day. However, regattas aren’t won on the first they. It takes a consistent performance across five days of racing to come out on top and the most consistent team of the day were the first placed John Pink and Stu Bithell (GBR).

The pair recorded a 8-3-9 scoreline and were the only team to record three single digit scores. “On the first day of the regatta it’s always nice to start well and we’re thrilled to bits with three top tens. We’re fifth overall which is great and tomorrow brings another challenge because it’s going to be windy and we’ll be pushing on and hopefully get into that top three.

“It’s a great fleet, the top boats in the world are here and no one is really missing. It’s great that everyone is competing in the ISAF Sailing World Cup.”

Bithell won silver in the Men’s 470 at London 2012 and on his home waters he knows what the venue is all about, “You could argue that I know Weymouth fairly well,” he said with a smile. “I’ve lived here for some years now, did the Olympic Games here and is there a home advantage,” he pondered, “yes there probably is but incidentally we don’t always get the wind direction we had today.”

The Polish crew lead on seven points with Pink and Bithell four points off the leaders. Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS) and Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign (GBR) are tied on 8 points in second and third.

Maiken Foght Schutt and Anne-Julie Schutt (DEN) lead the way in the 49erFX on three points following scores of 6-2-1. Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) follow in second place on six points.

Sarah Steyaert and Aude Compan (FRA), Tamara Echegoyen and Berta Betanzos (ESP) and Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) are tied on seven points from third to fifth.

Men’s and Women’s RS:X

It’s a British 1-2 in the Men’s RS:X and Women’s RS:X. Nick Dempsey and Tom Squires are locked on three points apiece in the men’s whilst Isobel Hamilton leads Bryony Shaw by a single point in the women’s.

From three races Dempsey and Squires took a race victory each with the third place Mattia Camboni (ITA) taking the other.

“We had nice racing, very close,” exclaimed Dempsey. “Tom and I are quicker than the fleet. Our training’s gone really well and we’re starting to sail well. It’s nice and quite good fun racing.”

The pair train together on a daily basis which has helped them in the build-up to the regatta as Dempsey explained, “It’s nice having a competitive training partner. When we train we know we’re training against one of the fastest people in the world.

“You never have to compensate. If you’re beating Tom then you know you’re going fast. That is what we’ve always missed having with our training partners so it’s brilliant news.”

“It’s nice and quite good fun racing Tom.”

In the Women’s RS:X, Hamilton enjoyed a solid day on the water, staying at the front of the pack notching up a 6-2-2 scoreline. “It was definitely my best first day at a World Cup so far,” said the smiling Hamilton, “I would love to be able to hold on to first for the whole week.

“It was really good racing and it’s really nice to be racing at home. Weymouth is a fantastic venue and it’s really great to be back here.”

Shaw is a point off of Hamitlon after her 4-1-4 with London 2012 Olympic silver medallist Tuuli Petaja-Siren third overall. The day’s race wins went to Joanna Sterling (AUS), Shaw and Ingrid Puusta (EST).

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Men’s One Person Dinghy Heavy (Finn) Fleet at Day One of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland.
Returning to the London 2012 Olympic waters, the ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland is taking place between 8-14 June with the racing conducted over five days between 10-14 June at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Medal race day on Sunday 14 June will decide the overall event winners in each class.
Follow ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland on Twitter – @SailingWC_GBR and Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/ISAFSailingWorldCup
website: http://www.sailing.org/worldcup/regattas/weymouthandportland_2015.php
For more information please contact:Pippa Phillips pippa.phillips@intotheblue.biz +44(0)7967 705697
Supported by: UK Sport #EveryRoadToRio, RYA, Icom, SLAM, Volvo Car UK, Yamaha.
If you require a higher resolution image or you have any other onEdition photographic enquiries, please contact onEdition on 0845 900 2 900 or email info@onEdition.com
This image is copyright onEdition 2015©.
This image has been supplied by onEdition and must be credited onEdition. The author is asserting his full Moral rights in relation to the publication of this image. Rights for onward transmission of any image or file is not granted or implied. Changing or deleting Copyright information is illegal as specified in the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988. If you are in any way unsure of your right to publish this image please contact onEdition on 0845 900 2 900 or email info@onEdition.com

Finn

Andrew Murdoch (NZL) opened his Weymouth and Portland account with a strong display in the Finn, notching up a 3-2 to lead the 24-boat fleet.

Murdoch, a 2012 OIympian in the Laser, used his experience to full effect at the front of the fleet. He has opened up a four point lead over Jonathan Lobert (FRA).

Giles Scott (GBR) took the opening race victory of the day and followed it up with a 12th. He is third overall. The remaining race victory went the way of Josh Junior (NZL) who is sixth overall but just three points off the third placed Scott.

Men’s and Women’s 470

It’s like London 2012 repeated in the Women’s 470 with the gold and silver medallists occupying the spots they claimed three years ago.

Gold medallists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) dominated the day by taking both bullets whilst silver Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) were forced to look at the back of the Kiwi boat in both races as they settled for two seconds.

Tina Mrak and Veronika Macarol (SLO) sit in third after the opening two races following a 4-3.

In the Men’s 470, Stu McNay and David Hughes (USA) have a tasty six point lead over World #1 Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis (GRE). A fourth and a second gives them the lead at the early stage but with their experience, they won’t be getting carried away.

Victories on the day went to the Greeks and Ferdinand Gerz and Oliver Szymanski (GER) who are sixth overall.

Nacra 17

As of 19:20 local time Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank (AUT) lead the way in the Nacra 17. However, many of the competitors sailed the wrong course in Race 1 with Race Committee protests and vice versa. A handful of protests remain open that may result in further amendments.

As it stands the Austrians top the pile on four points followed by Matias Buhler and Nathalie Brugger (SUI) and Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (AUS).

Paralympic Events

London 2012 Paralympic gold medallist Helena Lucas (GBR) began her World Cup campaign with intent. Double bullets give her a two point lead over Antonio Squizzato (ITA) who finished directly behind the Briton in both of the days races.

Malaysia’s Al Mustakim Matrin sits in third overall.

In the SKUD18, Marco Gualandris and Marta Zanetti (ITA) and Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell (GBR) are level on three points.

The Italian and British teams shared the top two places on the day, taking a bullet and a second apiece.

Will Street and Megan Pascoe (GBR) are third overall.

It is tight at the top in the Sonar with four crews locked on five points.

Norway’s Aleksander Wang-Hansen, Marie Solberg and Per Eugen Kristiansen took the opening bullet of the day and followed it up by a fourth.

John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas (GBR) took the second bullet of the day but like the Norwegians also count a fourth.

Colin Harrison, Jonathan Harris and Russell Boaden (AUS) and John Twomey, Austrin O’Carroll and Ian Costelloe (IRL) notched up a second and a third each and are also tied with the Norwegian and Irish crews.

Racing resumes at 11:00 local time on Thursday 11 July with some great race action on the cards.

Olympic Medallists Return To Weymouth And Portland

The eyes of the sailing world will be back on Weymouth and Portland with Olympic medallists returning to the venue of the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition for ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland.

Weymouth and Portland, the fourth of six ISAF Sailing World Cup regattas in 2015, will welcome sailors across ten Olympic and three Paralympic events in Great Britain from 8-14 June 2015.

ISAF Sailing World Cup glory, a share of the €78,000 prize fund and Abu Dhabi final spots are on offer with racing commencing on 10 June culminating in the live Medal Races on Sunday 14 June.

The world’s top 30 sailors from the 27 April 2015 ISAF World Sailing Rankings release were invited to Weymouth and Portland with the remaining receiving their spot at the qualification event, the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Medemblik, the Netherlands.

The Laser Radial – ISAF

Laser

Pavlos Kontides (CYP) made history at the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition by becoming the first athlete from Cyprus to claim an Olympic medal. With gold medallist Tom Slingsby (AUS) concentrating on the America’s Cup and Rasmus Myrgren (SWE) stepping away from the boat, Kontides is the only returning Olympic Laser medallist in Weymouth and Portland.

“The best sporting moments of my life are obviously from Weymouth,” explained a nostalgic Cypriot. “Scoring two bullets on the second day of the Olympics, holding the yellow jersey mid-way through and finally, glory for myself, my family, my team and my country’s first ever Olympic medal.

“[Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland] is a perfect opportunity for me to visit the same place where it all happened. It will just always feel special to me and a strong bond will exist due to the memories.

“Of course I do remember a lot of rainy days as well during my preparation there,” he said with a winking face on his email response.

Kontides will form part of an exceptional fleet of 40 strong Laser sailors in Weymouth and Portland. The 40-boat invitational fleets were introduced at World Cup Hyères and proved an immediate hit as Kontides explained, “This type of racing is challenging and exciting with no mistakes allowed.

“The start and opening of the race are even more important as recovery opportunities are less frequent due to the high level of the fleet and evenness in speed. Consistency is always key for a good result.

“Competition will definitely be tough and together with the conditions Weymouth is known for, hiking, strong changing current and a big swell will provide the sailors with fascinating racing.”

The Laser is one of the most hotly contested Olympic fleets at the moment with a number of competitors consistently fighting for top honours. But what does it take to succeed? “Sailing is a sport which depends on many different parameters,” explained Kontides. “Consistency is a must for success as you have to perform well in all kinds of conditions.

“In doing so you have to start good, sail fast and smart with low risk and finish every race as best as possible. You can always win a regatta without even winning an individual race.”

Matt Wearm (AUS) recently won the Delta Lloyd Regatta by taking just a single race win from nine races. Consistency is certainly king in the Laser and Wearn comes into Weymouth and Portland eager to continue his good form, “The win in Medemblik has prepared me well for Weymouth. It gives me a great deal of confidence that I have the ability to be on the top of the podium.

“It was also great to be so consistent in the tricky conditions against some tough opponents.

“The Laser fleet as always is extremely competitive. It feels that you can go to any event around the world and you can expect to be racing the world’s best. The depth in the fleet is incredible to that anyone from the top 20 in the world has the ability to win regattas.

“I feel Weymouth will be no exception to this and that it’s going to be another incredibly tight regatta between the top few guys in the world. It is definitely now becoming the time where everyone wants to assert their dominance going in to the last year before the [Olympic] Games.”

World #1 Tom Burton (AUS) heads into Weymouth in good form having won World Cup Hyères whilst Tonci Stipanovic (CRO), Nick Thompson (GBR) and Philipp Buhl (GER) will all make the journey to Weymouth and Portland well prepared.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Laser—Herman-Tomasgaard

Laser Radial

The Laser Radial Medal Race at London 2012 saw a four way shoot out for the medals between Lijia Xu (CHN), Marit Bouwmeester (NED), Evi Van Acker (BEL) and Annalise Murphy (IRL).

Xu went on to win gold and has since stepped away from the Laser Radial. Meanwhile silver medallist Bouwmeester, bronze medallist Van Acker and the fourth place Murphy all return to the waters for ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland.

“I have fond memories of Weymouth. [It was] a dream come true to become an Olympian in 2012,” commented Bouwmeester. “It will be my first time back in the UK since 2012. I am very excited and looking forward to the nice waves in the bay.”

Van Acker is also of a similar mind set in advance of competition, “I have great memories of Weymouth. The conditions during the Olympics were fantastic with good winds and sunshine every day. I’m looking very much forward going back to the Olympic venue.

“Winning an Olympic medal was something truly exceptional. My team and I worked so hard for it. My friends and family were cheering for us on the mountain [the Nothe]. It was a dream come true, although I still feel like I could have done better.”

The level of the competition at the ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta has the potential to be higher than the Olympic Sailing Competition with multiple entrants per nation possible. The qualification system ensures the best of the best are in the 40 boat fleet, something Bouwmeester enjoys, “In my opinion this concept is the way forward.

“It’s nice to have the big fleet qualifying events and then the high level World Cup events. It’s nice to race with all the good girls in one fleet, just like the Olympics.”

Van Acker added, “Racing in a 40 boat fleet in Hyères was definitely exciting. It’s different in many ways, but good fun and good practice for the Olympics. Pressure is on from day one without a qualifying series and with only the top sailors competing.

“I expect fierce competition in Weymouth. The Laser Radial is a very competitive class and there is always a good battle going on between the girls. We are coming closer to the test event in Rio, many national trials are going on so everyone wants to perform at their best.”

Ireland’s Murphy missed out on an Olympic medal by just four points over the third placed Van Acker but looks back fondly on the venue, “I have a lot of great memories from Weymouth as I first competed there in the ISAF Youth Worlds in 2006. I like coming to Weymouth as it is so close to home for me and because I have spent so much time there everything is very familiar.”

Murphy, like Bouwmeester and Van Acker, also pointed out the positives of the elite level competition, “It was really exciting racing with the top 40 boats in Hyères and it brings in a whole new dynamic to Olympic racing. If you make a small mistake you’re most likely going to get punished for it as everyone is so close.

“I think you have to work extremely hard to succeed in the Laser Radial right now, everyone is extremely professional and if you’re not giving it 100% it is very easy to get left behind.”

Belgium’s Van Acker will be the one to beat in Weymouth and Portland. Over the last 15 months she has finished on the podium at every ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta she’s competed at, winning gold at the 2014 and 2015 Hyères editions and the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.

Aiming to halt her run, alongside Murphy and Bouwmeester, will be Hyères bronze medallist Josefin Olsson (SWE), World #1 Alison Young (GBR) and World #3 Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN).

RSX Men Fleet (c) Vincenzo Baglione. Santander 2014, photo credit ISAF

Men’s and Women’s RS:X

Host nation favourites Nick Dempsey (GBR) and Bryony Shaw (GBR) will be leading contenders in the Men’s and Women’s RS:X.

Shaw, the current World #1 in the Women’s RS:X, took gold at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami at the turn of the year following victory at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 2014. A seventh followed at World Cup Hyères but she’ll be out to make amends on her home waters.

Joining Shaw in the fleet will be former World #1 Flavia Tartaglini (ITA) and British rival Isobel Hamilton (GBR).

In the Men’s RS:X, Dempsey will be the spearhead and the man to beat. Dempsey took silver on Weymouth and Portland’s waters at London 2012 and knows the surroundings better than most. He will be joined by a strong pack of Men’s RS:X racers that includes Brazil’s Ricardo Santos, China’s Aichen Wang and Hong Kong’s Michael Cheng.

A high level of competition is also on the cards for the Nacra 17, Men’s and Women’s 470, 49er, 49erFX, Finn and Paralympic events. A further preview will follow on Wednesday 3 June.

Racing at ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland commences on Wednesday 10 June. Medal Races on Sunday 14 June will bring the regatta to a close.