From Weymouth to Rio – Britain’s sailors last big test before the Games

Laura Hodgetts

Tickets are still available for this week's Weymouth and Portland Sailing World Cup - the last big organised regatta before the Rio 2016 Games.

In the home of the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition, Weymouth and Portland, this week’s Sailing World Cup is the last big organised regatta before the Rio 2016 Games.

After an opening day of weather delays, British sailors made a strong start on a full second day of the Sailing World Cup yesterday.

Giles Scott took an early lead after three races in the Finn fleet, with British Sailing Team athletes holding top three positions in five other classes amid light and shifty wind conditions.

Although the Finn fleet is small with only 11 boats at this event, Scott says it still makes for tricky racing.

He said: ‘It’s very competitive, it’s odd really. Racing around in a fleet of 11 it’s hard to put points on people and everyone is of course more consistent and the fleet will stay more compact on points as the week goes on. It will be interesting.’

Saskia Clark and Hannah Mills at the Sailing World Cup in Weymouth and Portland ©Pedro Martinez / Sailing Energ

Saskia Clark and Hannah Mills at the Sailing World Cup in Weymouth and Portland ©Pedro Martinez / Sailing Energ

British Sailing Team’s Hannah Mills, who sails with Saskia Clark in the women’s 470 fleet said a blanketing of fog made for a challenging start to the yesterday’s competition.

‘It was an exciting first race, no one quite knew where the finish line was though,’ said the 2012 silver medallist Mills. ‘We did but it was all bit confusing. It came good as we ended up winning the race but it was quite amusing. I think everyone found the funny side-ish.

‘We did three races, it was quite a long day and tough – really tricky conditions out there but a pretty alright day. It definitely reminded us of one of the Rio courses a lot, so it’s good practice.’

Rio-bound Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth won the opening race of the day in the 49erFX fleet, and were in third place overall after four races.

49er duo Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign also ended their four-race day in overall third place, while Luke Patience and Chris Grube were happy with their efforts on the 470 course, posting 5, 13, 3 to sit fifth overall.

Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves are also fifth following a ‘day of two halves’ in the Nacra 17 fleet. Alison Young’s day improved as it went on in the Laser Radial class, picking up 21, 16, 8 from her three races to sit in 18th.

Racing continues today and and tomorrow, with the final medal races scheduled for Sunday 12 June.

Full results are available at www.sailing.org/worldcup

Watch the action

Tickets for the Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland (8-12 June) – part of UK Sport’s #EveryRoadtoRio major events series – are available at www.rya.org.uk/go/swcgb