Aussies seek to consolidate and improve after day 1 at World Cup Series Hyères
by David Sygall 23 Apr 05:21 BST
22-29 April 2018
Mat Belcher/Will Ryan - 2017 World Cup Series in Hyeres, France © Jesus Renedo / Sailing Energy
The Australian Sailing Team and Squad will be in full flight this week, competing alongside more than 600 sailors from 46 nations in all 10 Olympic class disciplines at the World Cup Series regatta at Hyeres in southern France.
The event is Round 3 of the 2018 series, which started at Gamagori, Japan, last October. Round 2 was in Miami in the US in January. Hyeres marks the last opportunity for qualification to the World Cup Series Final, to be staged in Marseilles, which will play host to the sailing competition for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Hyeres will provide the world's top sailors with a useful barometer of their standing in the lead-up to the biggest sailing event this year, the World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, in August.
Australia's full complement will be in action this week, including winners at Miami, Olympic Laser champion Tom Burton and Nacra 17 Olympic silver medallists Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin.
Laser sailor Matt Wearn will be looking to back up his gold medal at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia in Palma, Spain, earlier this month, as will 470 Olympic silver medallists Mat Belcher and Will Ryan, who also claimed the coveted Princesa Sofia Trophy for best overall performance at the regatta.
Australia's Finn class sailors will hope for improvement on Palma, where Oli Tweddell (12th) was the best-placed Team member. National champion Jake Lilley, who was 19th at Palma, won at Hyeres in 2016.
49er National champions David Gilmour and Joel Turner are keen to improve on their 16th placing at Palma, while young 49erFX pair Natasha Bryant and Annie Wilmot will look for another encouraging result after coming 17th at Palma and 12th in Miami.
Racing starts on Tuesday, April 24, at 11am (7pm AEST).
Full entry list here.
Aussies in action:
Laser:
- Luke Elliott
- Matt Wearn
- Finn Alexander
- Dan Self
- Tom Burton
- Mitch Kennedy
Laser Radial:
49er:
- David Gilmour/Joel Turner
- Kurt Hansen/Harry Morton
- Lachy Gilmour/Ryan Donaldson
49erFx:
- Amelia Stabback/Ella Clark
- Natasha Bryant/Annie Wilmot
470W:
- Nia Jerwood/Monique de Vries
470:
- Mat Belcher/Will Ryan
- Chris Charlwood/Josh Dawson
Finn:
- Jake Lilley
- Jock Calvert
- Lewis Brake
- Oliver Tweddell
Nacra 17:
- Jason Waterhouse/Lisa Darmanin