Marseille set for final round of 2018 World Cup Series

Nick Thompson - World Cup Series Miami 2018 © Jesus Renedo / Sailing Energy

Over 220 sailors representing 34 nations have registered to compete in Sailing's 2018 World Cup Series Final, held in Marseille, France from 3 - 10 June.

The fourth and final round of the 2018 series will take place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition venue, and the Final will be the first World Cup event held in Marseille.

The World Cup Series Final will be the final call on World Sailing's international circuit before the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus 2018 this August, so it's all to play for.

Argentinian Olympic gold medallists, Santiago Lange and Carranza Saroli, who sail the Nacra 17, will be attending the 2018 World Cup Final. The pair secured silver in Round 2 of the World Cup Series in Miami, USA, but at the final round ahead of the final, held in Hyères, France, they didn't hit the heights they expected, finishing eighth overall. Nonetheless, the experienced campaigners will be one of the favoured teams in the 20-boat fleet.

Italian rivals, Ruggero Tita and Caterina Marianna Banti (ITA) will also be attending. Tita and Banti won the Hyères round and have proven themselves to be leading contenders in the Nacra 17 since it went fully foiling.

Another pair to look out for in the Nacra 17 fleet is Ben Saxton and Nicola Boniface (GBR). Saxton and Boniface won silver in Hyères and at Trofeo Princesa Sofia, could they make it gold this time?

The Finn will be a highly competitive week of racing. Jorge Zarif (BRA), who won gold in Hyères and will be going against top rival Alican Kaynar (TUR), who dominated the leaderboard in Miami and Hyères but unfortunately dropped to bronze after the Medal Races in both rounds. Kaynar is confident in claiming gold in Marseille. London 2012 Olympic medallist and home nation favourite, Jonathan Lobert (FRA), will also be competing.

More than 20 sailors will be competing in the Laser Radial fleet, including Alison Young (GBR) and Emma Plasschaert (BEL). Young won gold in Round 2 of the series in Miami, and silver at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia, which was held in March. Plasschaert just missed out on gold in Gamagori and Miami, settling for silver in both, but she'll be targeting an upgrade in Marseille.

The fleet size in the Laser will be similar with 25 sailors registered to compete. Jean Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) is familiar with the local waters and after winning gold in Hyères, he will come in full of confidence to dominate the fleet.

Miami was a close battle between the German Laser sailor, Philipp Buhl and Nick Thompson (GBR). Buhl went home with silver and Thompson won bronze. Both sailors will be going head to head again.

Click here to read the preview of the remaining classes; 470 Men and Women and RS:X Men and Women.

Racing will commence at 11:00 local time on Tuesday 5 June and will conclude with the Medal Races on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 June, which will be streamed across the World Sailing Network.