Team Manager Park targets Rio qualifying berths at Santander Worlds

Nick Dempsey aims to defend his RS:X windsurfing world title in Santander © Paul Wyeth / RYA

Olympic sailing hopefuls may have had their first taste of the 2016 venue last month, but they'll attempt their first steps towards Rio qualification when racing gets underway at the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Santander from 12-21 September.

Once every four years, the individual class World Championships combine to form a celebration of Olympic Classes sailing, and the northern Spanish venue will play host to around 1500 sailors at this 2014 edition.

Not only will the Santander Worlds showcase the global sailing elite as they battle it out for the coveted World Championship titles, but it will also provide the first opportunity for nations to qualify their quota spots in each of the ten Olympic Classes, with 50% of the country berths up for grabs at this first hurdle in the race for Rio 2016.

British Sailing Team Manager Stephen Park is keen that his charges confirm British spots in each of the ten classes at this first time of asking.

"From a British perspective we would hope that we would qualify for the Olympic Games in each one of those ten events at this first opportunity, and effectively just put that to bed for this Olympic cycle," Park explained.

"Then we can concentrate on the individual competitions and of course ultimately who Great Britain will select to sail as part of Team GB at the 2016 Olympic Games."

Some 90 British sailors are set to compete across the ten events, with Nick Dempsey aiming to defend his RS:X windsurfing world crown, while Giles Scott (Finn, 2011), Ed Wright (Finn, 2010) and Hannah Mills-Saskia Clark (470 Women, 2012) are recent World Champions among a host of British World Championship medallists who will vie for podium honours across the ten days of competition.

Park is conscious that he can expect some tough battles at what he describes as "the biggest event of this Olympic cycle".

"Across the ten classes we are looking to try and win four medals or more. I think following our performances in Rio last month where we did manage to get people on the podium in seven out of the ten events, we're feeling fairly confident going into this event.

"But we're also conscious that there's a significant greater size of fleet and depth of talent at this than from the Test Event. It's a completely different venue, so we can't expect things to go all our own way, and the competition will be tough as every nation is desperate to try and secure those early slots for the Olympic Games.

"Hopefully we'll have some good competition and we'll be in the running in each one of those ten events when we get towards the business end of the event at the end of next week."

Racing in Santander sees a staggered schedule across the ten classes:

• 12-18 September: Laser and Laser Radial
• 13-19 September: RS:X Men and RS:X Women
• 14-20 September: 470 Men and 470 Women
• 15-21 September: 49er, 49erFX, Finn and Nacra 17