Marseille test for Mills and McIntyre ahead of Sailing World Championships

Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre in action at the Princess Sofia Trophy regatta © Tomas Moya / Sailing Energy / Trofeo Princesa Sofia Iberostar

British Sailing Team stars Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre will look to defend their World Cup Series title in Marseille this week in their final test ahead of the Sailing World Championships.

Mills, 30, and McIntyre, 23, sent shockwaves through the sailing world when they stormed to victory in their first ever event together in the 470 class at the 2017 World Cup Series final in Santander.

Since then they have racked up silver medals at the 470 world championships in Greece, the Princess Sofia Trophy in Palma and the most recent round of the World Cup Series in Hyeres, France.

The 2018 World Cup Series final, starting tomorrow, is their last chance to test themselves in a world class fleet before the quadrennial Sailing World Championships taking place in Aarhus, Denmark, in August.

"The 2017 World Cup Series Final was our first event together and we won it," said Cardiff sailor Mills, who won a gold medal at Rio 2016 and silver at London 2012 alongside Saskia Clark.

"We target every regatta for a win but we have had a few second places lately. That's ok, but we now need to start laying down some dominance in the fleet.

"It's a short trip for us – fly in, race and fly back out – but it's a great competition ahead of the Worlds, our main goal."

Mills and McIntyre sat out of the recent 470 European championships to dedicate more time to training, but after a month away from competition the two are itching to get back into battle.

"Having missed the Europeans it will be nice to get back on the water for competition," said McIntyre, from Hayling Island, Hants.

"We have put in a lot of time and hard graft in the gym and on the water down in Weymouth so it will be cool to go out and try and test some things in our build-up to the Worlds in Aarhus."

Mills and McIntyre will be among a 17-strong British Sailing Team contingent at the week-long regatta that includes 470 counterparts Amy Seabright and Anna Carpenter.

The British Sailing Team's Laser Standard sailors will go into the regatta among the favourites thanks to Elliot Hanson's win at Medemblik Regatta on his return from injury and Michael Beckett's European Championships silver medal.

Rio 2016 Olympian Nick Thompson, Lorenzo Chiavarini and Jack Wetherell complete the Laser line up while Alison Young and Georgina Povall will race in the Laser Radial.

Ben Saxton and Nicola Boniface will race in their first regatta since officially teaming up to campaign for Tokyo 2020 alongside Medemblik bronze medallists John Gimson and Anna Burnet.

Chris Rashley/Laura Marimon and Rupert White/Kirstie Urwin will also compete in the mixed multihull.

RS:X windsurfer Kieran Holmes-Martin, who also won a bronze in Medemblik, will race alongside Tom Squires and Andy Brown in the men's fleet with youth world champion Emma Wilson the sole representative in the women's fleet.

There is no 49er and 49er FX class in Marseille as the sailors prepare for the upcoming European Championships, while the British Sailing Team's Finn and men's 470 sailors have opted to miss the regatta in favour of training.

Racing begins at 1100 local time (0900 UTC) on Tuesday 5 June and will conclude with medal races on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 June.

Races can be tracked live here.

Results can be found here.