Medemblik a vital stepping-stone to Worlds
by David Sygall 22 May 2018 08:28 BST
22-26 May 2018
David Gilmour and Joel Turner have been in good form © David Sygall
Australian 49er crew David Gilmour and Joel Turner say they are fixed on learning and improving throughout the Medemblik Regatta in The Netherlands this week, with an eye cast forward to the upcoming World Championships in Denmark.
The pair will be joined in the 50-boat fleet at Medemblik by Gilmour's younger brother Lachy and crew Ryan Donaldson when competition gets underway on Tuesday night (AEST).
Gilmour and Turner sailed strongly at the recent Hyeres World Cup Series regatta before a critical error in the medal race cost them a place on the podium. It has only whetted the duo's appetite for success in the lead-up to the Worlds in July and August.
"Our preparation in Medemblik has gone well," Turner said.
"We've had a mixed bag of conditions to tune up in and we've done some valuable racing against the competitors. The 49er fleet here is very strong so it's a great regatta for us to test some new things and work on a few skills we have identified in the last major regattas.
"It's all in preparation for the European and World Championships later in the year, so we are all about learning and improving right now."
Gilmour and Turner, who are in the world's top 10, will return briefly to Australia after this regatta before heading back to Europe.
"Busy times but we are really enjoying it," Turner said.
The Medemblik Regatta features 320 registrations in eight classes.
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