The pair had a 14-point lead heading into the medal race, worth double points, and put in an assured performance to finish fifth.

It was more than enough for helm Mills to retain the title she won with Saskia Clark at Rio 2016, and for crew McIntyre to take gold on Olympic debut.

Mills, 33, from Cardiff, said: “It’s been one of the hardest weeks of my life. I’m sure for Eilidh as well, just every day, not being able to eat, just nerves building up, the emotion of just we’ve done it.

“It’s over. We’ve done what we came here to do and it’s amazing.

“Growing up, a lot of Olympians dreamed of being here one day and standing on top of the podium. And to do it twice with Saskia [Clark] before and Eilidh this time, I’ve had two incredible crews to sail with and I just feel incredibly lucky.

“The team around us here have been phenomenal. Big shout out to The National Lottery and everyone who plays the lottery because without you guys, we wouldn’t be here either.

“The support back home has been unreal so thank you everyone.”

The British pair finished with 38 points, a full 16 ahead of Poland in silver and France in bronze.

Top step was the crowning glory for a brilliant regatta for Team GB at Enoshima Bay, representing a third gold and fifth medal overall.

Mills and McIntyre’s triumph was Britain’s 30th gold medal in the sport and widened the lead at the top of the all-time medal table even further.

McIntyre, 27, from Hayling Island, said: “Fortunately nothing else [except gold] would have done for me and I think we’ve been so aligned on that for our entire campaign.

“To be honest I just couldn’t believe it. I can’t believe that this has happened. I’ve dreamt about it my entire life with my dad [Mike McIntyre, 1988 Olympic champion] and it’s just such an amazing feeling.

“I can wait to have it [the gold medal] around my neck.

“To my dad, thank you for everything. Thank you for being my inspiration, for being at the end of the phone whenever I wanted to talk.

“I want to thank my whole family and my poor mum… she’s had to live through the stress of this twice!”

Courtesy of Team GB

Entries for this popular fixture in the RYA Match Racing Series are now open for teams of three or four competitors, with windward-leeward racing in one-design Elliott 6M keelboats.

Up to 10 teams will be duelling for supremacy and the winners will be selected to represent GB at the 2022 Women’s World Match Racing Championship and invited to the RYA National Match Racing Grand Finals at Queen Mary Sailing Club, London, in October 2021.

Octavia Owen and team (Photo: RYA)

Paul Honess, Marlow’s Leisure Marine Sales Director, said: “We are very proud of our long standing and successful relationship with the RYA Women’s Match Racing Championship. It is our philosophy to be involved in events that are developing the next batch of professional sailors and match racing is where a lot of the greats in sailing today have started from. Our partnership with the RYA’s National Match Racing Series will ensure our place amongst champions continues.”

A combination of close racing and an opportunity for women to race with and against friends makes the championship a great opportunity for both experienced match racers and newcomers. Saturday post racing will also see the return of the ever popular debrief and cocktails with Pimms and Lemonade (or just lemonade) after racing.

Two-times winner of the Marlow Ropes Women’s Match Racing Championship, Octavia Owen of Athena Racing and West Kirby SC (pictured above), is looking forward to taking part again in 2021.

“It is a fantastic event, with great competition every year! After attending for the past

five years and having the honour of winning twice, I have thoroughly enjoyed the competitive but fun atmosphere every time I have competed,” said Octavia.

“The championship has allowed me to constantly learn every time I step in the Elliott 6Ms, which in turn has expanded my match racing knowledge and refined my skills. Furthermore, not only are you able to learn off other sailors, but also sailing the boats in a competitive situation makes a huge difference to how well you sail on the racecourse.

“The event is great as it gives females sailors the confidence to try new skills, roles that they might not get the chance to in other teams and race with a great group of friends, and so I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone to get a team together and have a lovely weekend of match racing!”

For all the details and entry visit: https://www.rya.org.uk/racing/keelboat-racing/match-racing/Pages/national-match-racing-series.aspx

Courtesy of the RYA

Wilson, who at 22 will be the youngest British sailor at the Games, came home fourth after five days of intense competition in Cadiz, Spain.

Squires, 27, was eighth in the men’s fleet, jumping up a place from the ninth at the 2020 World Championships 14 months ago in Australia.

Strong winds and big waves pushed the international fleets to the limit over the 10-race regatta, which was won by Dutch athletes Kiran Badloe and Lilian De Geus.

Reflecting on her week, Wilson, from Christchurch in Dorset, said the regatta had focussed her mind on areas to improve heading into Tokyo 2020, now just three months away.

“After a lot waiting at the start of the week with too much wind, we got ten races in the bag in some pretty crazy conditions,” she said. “We had big swell going the opposite way to the wind so that was pretty funky. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t going into the regatta trying to win a medal, but I will take fourth for now, especially finishing second in the medal race.

“I just made too many mistakes this week and the level is so high you can’t afford to make many mistakes. It’s good to see where I’m at now though and I am looking forward to see what I can do in the next three months leading up to Tokyo.”

Echoing Wilson’s sentiments, Squires said he remains focused on doing all can between now and the start of the Olympics in late July to secure a medal for Team GB.

“It’s been a long time since the last World Championships with so much adversity,” said Squires, from Kingston Bagpuize near Oxford. “I’m super grateful for the opportunity to train hard before the regatta and prepare for what could be the last competition before the Olympics. It feels good to be well within in the top ten, but I know I have to push harder than ever to between now and the Games to get an Olympic medal.

Both Squires and Wilson will now return to the UK and train from the British Sailing Team’s performance base at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy before heading to Tokyo in June.

“The British Sailing Team has a huge amount of resource to push me to have the best preparation possible before heading to Japan, and I’ll be back in Portland in May preparing my equipment and getting my body in good shape,” Squires added.

“I’ve been dedicated to putting 100 per cent into this Tokyo Olympics and although this last year has been challenging, to be able to train and race has helped me refine what I need to do to get a medal.”

Full results from the regatta can be found here.

Courtesy of the RYA

The inter-club one day fleet racing event is run by the Royal Thames YC for teams under the age of 37 and this is the second year that the British Keelboat Academy has taken part.

Having been unable to get afloat over winter, the event in J/80-s on Saturday 17th April 2021 provided an ideal opportunity for some of the BKA’s sailors to kick start their season, with coaching support from professional sailor Mary Rook.

With a shifty medium light breeze on Queen Mary Reservoir, claiming first overall was the Royal Thames YC team of Scott Wallis, Emma Baker, Matthew Wallis and Tarra Gill-Taylor, counting an impressive four bullets and a second from the six-race series.

The top placed BKA team (pictured below, left to right) comprised Paris Thomas (24, Bow), George Potter (19, Main Trim), Ellie Driver (19, Helm), Madelaine Kirk (20, Jib Trim/Mid Bow). Finishing fifth overall, the BKA Red team counted a scoreline of 4,6,2,3,6.

George said: “The President’s Cup was the first event of the year for most of BKA Red, and we were really excited to be back on the water and racing again. Despite being a little rusty after three months of lockdown, we were able to remain competitive and held a firm mid-fleet position during the majority of the day’s racing.

“The highlight of our day was the third race, where we won the pin end of the line to gain a strong lead up the first beat and finished second. Throughout the day our teamwork improved as we became more familiar with the boats and sailing together, and our downwind speed in particular saw major gains under the fantastic coaching of Mary Rook.

“This enabled us to finish 5th overall, a position we were very pleased with. We would like to say a massive thank you to the British Keelboat Academy for selecting us, and to Royal Thames Yacht Club for hosting such a fun, competitive (and safe!) event.”

Also competing from the British Keelboat Academy were Matt Tozer, Deborah Blair, Immy Ramsdale and Matt Bird.

Summing up the event for the BKA, coach Mary Rook added: “It was a great day on the water with very testing conditions, gusts and shifts coming from every direction. The teams quickly got to grips with the boats and both teams made huge improvements.

“It was great for everyone to be able to compete again and get in some racing practice and I look forward to watching their gains throughout the season.”

The full results can be found here: https://theclubspot.com/regatta/2OosHW0KmG/results

Courtesy of the RYA

Rutland SC, host of the 2015 Team Racing World Championships, is looking forward to welcoming teams from across the UK for one of the biggest team racing events of the year.

The rescheduled RYA and BUSA Women’s Team Racing Championship will see teams of six sailors who identify as female racing in flights of Fireflies.

Teams are invited to represent their club, locale or sailing organisation in the RYA Women’s Team Racing National Championship. University or higher education teams may also compete for the BUSA Women’s Team Racing Championship.

Competitors will be battling it out to see if anyone can take either or both titles after Oxford University were crowned double champions in 2019.

Online entry is now open and the deadline for teams to enter is Tuesday 1st June 23:59. Entry is limited to 18 teams and competitors are urged to enter as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Local organiser Fiona Tylecote said: “Rutland Sailing Club are delighted to be hosting the RYA/BUSA Women’s Team Racing Championship. There are normally lots of university teams who enter, long may that continue, and we are also keen to see club, class and school teams.

“Lots of girls’ teams raced at university back in the day and it is always brilliant to see them back out on the water at this event, and there must be some top teams within classes such as 420, 29er, RS200 and Laser, and of course the Firefly.

“Rutland SC attended the rather windy event that had to be abandoned last year at West Kirby and it was fantastic to see the groups of girls just having a great time on and off the water.”

Fiona said Rutland SC hoped to enter two teams this year – its youth Hydra team alongside the Menopausal Mums – adding: “It is a fantastic event and the chance to be part of an all-girl team, an unusual opportunity in the sailing world. Yes we like to take on the boys but sometimes it’s fun doing our own thing.”

Rutland SC hopes the camp site opposite the club will be open in time for the event and there will be catering providing a take-away service.

Team racing is back on course for a successful 2021 on the water following a year of Covid-19 restrictions and cancelled championships.

BUSA Team Racing Officer, Jamie Webb, said: “We are looking forward to seeing our female sailors back out on the water at the women’s championship!”

For further details see the Notice of Race or enter here.

Courtesy of the RYA

Windfoiling sees athletes use hydrofoils to lift their boards and sail clear of the water, allowing much faster speeds due to less drag.

After windfoiling was chosen to replace the RS:X for the two Olympic cycles following Tokyo 2020, the iQFOiL class was named as the equipment of choice.

After careful consideration, British Youth Sailing has chosen to adopt the iQFOiL youth class as a Recognised Class, replacing the RS:X.

A comprehensive training programme is already underway in conjunction with the UK iQFOiL class to teach young sailors the art of foiling while developing their racing skills.

To learn more about the iQFOiL, click here to go to the UK class association page.

Chris Blackburn, who leads British Youth Sailing’s windsurfing programme, said: “The recognition of the iQFOiL youth equipment as our youth windfoiling class is an exciting milestone in the development of our foiling youth pathway. It gives clarity to the sailors currently looking to transition to windfoiling as well as those sailors already windfoiling.

“With the development of the International class, the iQFOiL youth equipment promises to deliver competitive one design foil racing both domestically and also Internationally for our youth sailors to continue to develop their foiling and racing skills.”

The iQFOiL youth equipment puts U19 sailors on an 8m sail, 85cm wide iQFOiL Youth board and IQ aluminium foil making an ideal platform to not only develop key foiling skills but also key racing skills on a platform that will be appropriate for sailors’ size and skill with some highly competitive international racing.

The International iQFOiL Youth Class plans to stage has its inaugural world championship in Lake Garda, Italy, at the end of July 2021.

Windfoiling will also feature at the RYA Youth National Championships at Plymouth Youth Sailing from August 13 to 15.

Courtesy of British Youth Sailing

Photo: RYA

Teams will be competing in Elliott 6M keelboats and benefit from an on board player-coach to help them get the most from the event, making it a great opportunity for both novice and more experienced crews to develop their skills. Match racing coaches will also be on hand to provide support on the water and run virtual debriefs after racing.

British Keelboat Sailing is inviting entries from mixed teams of three and the winner will qualify for the National Match Racing Championship Grand Final in RS21s at Queen Mary SC in October 2021.

Jack Fenwick, RYA Keelboat Sailing Development Manager, said: “We tried to run this event for the first time last year but ended up cancelling it due to the pandemic, so we’re really looking forward to welcoming teams to our first ever Hyde Sails Under-19 Match Racing Championship.

“With mixed teams and coaching support available for competitors, the aim is to make it as inclusive and accessible as possible, providing an opportunity for youth sailors to develop their skills and also to have a go at match racing if they haven’t already experienced this exciting part of the sport.”

The Notice of Race and entry for the championship, which is part of the RYA National Match Racing Series, can be found at www.ryamatchracing.co.uk

Nigel Grogan, Managing Director of Hyde Sails, said: “Hyde Sails are delighted to support the RYA with this match racing championship. It is a discipline of sailing that is great for competitors and spectators too, as we have seen with the America’s Cup.

“Who knows, the winner of the Hyde Sails Under-19 Match Racing Championship could well be a future Jimmy Spithill but winning the Auld Mug for the UK. Good luck to all the young competitors and we hope to see real talent and teamwork at play.”

The RYA National Match Racing Series provides a first step towards elite match racing events such as the America’s Cup and World Match Racing Tour. Top world match racers – including Ian Williams, Ben Ainslie, Paul Campbell-James, David Carr, Nick Hutton and Lucy MacGregor – all began their sailing careers by competing in the series.

Match racers who have recently come up through the series believe the new Under-19 Match Racing Championship will be an ideal opportunity for up and coming youth sailors to develop their skills.

Ted Blowers, aged 22, who won the National Match Racing Championship Grand Final in 2019, said: “This will be a great event for under-19 sailors to get into match racing without the added pressure of competing against sailors who have been around on the circuit for longer. It will give them a chance take part on more of a level playing field to ease their way into match racing, with more time and space to figure it out against teams in the same place as them in terms of experience, instead of coming straight into a qualifier or national event. It’s another event on the calendar and a great way for young teams to kick off the season. They can still then do all the other match racing events, or take the additional insights into racing that they gain from taking part back to their fleet racing.”

Ted hopes to compete at a number of match racing events over summer, including the Governors Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship in California in July. He added: “I love the intensity of one-on-one match racing. It’s a mind game and tactically you have to really think about when and where you put the boat and how you do it. It’s quite a logical discipline, and it can be harsh because you can only win or lose, but you never have an average match racing day which makes it really exciting.”
Broadening horizons

British Keelboat Academy coach and keen match racer Ellie Cumpsty, who will be competing on the match racing circuit this year with her all-female crew, Team Phoenix, said the event would enable participants to learn from other sailors and people who may have different specialist skill sets: “It broadens horizons for youth sailors and leads you into understanding other parts of the sport like keelboat sailing and match racing. Getting some experience learning to sail in a team as well, especially for single handed sailors, is also really important.

“I’d recommend match racing to anyone. It provides lots of skills which are really helpful, even if you’re only interested in fleet racing. If you look at Ben Ainslie and some of the places he’s used match racing skills in fleet racing to win various medals, definitely it’s a skill that everyone who’s a keen competitive sailor should try and gain.”

Octavia Owen, of British all-girls team Athena Racing, winners of the 2019 Marlow Ropes Women’s Match Racing National Championship, said the U19 event provided a fantastic way for youth sailors to start the transition from dinghies to keelboats, with debriefs for asking questions and Elliott 6Ms providing a simple and spacious layout for sailors to get to grips with new match racing skills: “There’s no better way to learn how to match race than in a competitive situation, where you can learn from achievements and mistakes. It’s a fun weekend of racing where you get to try out another area of sailing to test your skills. Match racing is great for learning new skills, sailing with a group of friends in a competitive fun atmosphere for developing your tactics on the racecourse.”

Match racer Alaric Bates, aged 21, who will be competing offshore and in the 2021 National Match Racing Series this season, likewise encourages youth sailors to give it go by taking part in the U19 championship: “Match racing is one of my favourite forms of sailing: high intensity, short racing where there is no room for mistakes. You’ll quickly learn a huge amount about tactics and the rules as well as how to get the most performance out of a boat! As someone who’s first experience of match racing was at an under-18s event, I’d really recommend getting into match racing through a youth event where there is the support, as regardless of where you end up you will have learnt a huge amount.”

Find out more about all the events in this year’s National Match Racing Series, including the Hyde Sails Under-19 Match Racing Championship, at www.ryamatchracing.co.uk

Courtesy of the RYA

ET Team Racing,Youth winners (Photo: Paul Wyeth)

While racing generally was badly affected by the pandemic, team racing with its primarily winter-focused season was particularly hard hit, with the RYA Team Racing Championships, Women’s, BUSA and Eric Twiname Youth & Junior championships all cancelled.

As the majority of team racing is run and supported by schools and universities, it was also nearly impossible for any of its key participants to get in any racing around lockdowns and closures.

But with the easing of restrictions from Monday 29th March 2021, planning is now underway for the return of team racing, with a number of high profile events scheduled and an exciting set of new RYA resources to provide lots of inspiration and know-how for the year ahead.

Keen to support team racing and all those who enjoy it, the RYA has been creating additional resources to help get sailors up to speed: a series of videos are in production looking at the specific manoeuvres and tactics for a team racing course; a coaching manual is due to be published; and online lectures will provide further opportunities for sailors to develop their skills.

The first of these lectures should be live by the end of April with the videos and coaching notes following in September in time for the start of the main team racing season.

Schools get set for BSDRA, NSSA & Eric Twiname events

With restrictions beginning to ease, some schools are already back on the water within the curriculum to train for upcoming events. The school season will get underway in mid-April, with regional competitions taking place into May and June.

Scheduled events include the two-boat National School Sailing Association (NSSA) Double Handed Team Racing Championship at Royal Hospital School (RHS) in Suffolk, 26-27 June, and the British Schools Dinghy Racing Association Finals at Bough Beach SC, Kent, 5-6 July.

Ed Sibson, RHS Director of Sailing and Water Sports, said: “We are very excited to be hosting the first school team racing event in more than a year. School pupils around the country have missed out on a significant amount of competition during the pandemic and we very much look forward to putting on a top-class event in both Fevas and Fireflies to get them back into it and kick start the summer! The Notice of Race will hopefully be published in the next week or so at nssa.org.uk.”

Many of these young school teams, along with youth and junior sailors from clubs, will also be anticipating a return to the Eric Twiname Youth and Junior Team Racing Championships, which will once again be hosted by Oxford SC, 9-10 October.

With racing on two courses in Fireflies and Fevas, the last event in 2019 saw 24 Firefly teams and 30 Feva teams competing. 2019 PRO, Keith Sammons from KSail, is optimistic that this year’s event will fill up fast when entries open: “ET team racing is one of the most enjoyable racing events on the youth and junior calendar and has been increasing in popularity in recent years. The move to two boat team racing for the juniors has made the racing closer and more exciting for sailors and spectators. I am looking forward to seeing all the sailors come October.”

Carmela Cup & Wilson Trophy

Carmela Cup (Photo: Nigel Vick)

Postponed from the end of March 2021, the RYA two-boat Keelboat Team Racing Championship for the Carmela Cup will now take place at the Royal Thames YC over the weekend of 8-9 May. Unlike dinghy team racing, spinnakers will be adding to the complexity and excitement, and the Carmela Cup continually attracts some of the top level talent in the sport.

The second weekend of May would normally see teams from all over the world head to West Kirby on the Wirral for the Wilson Trophy. But with restrictions still in place for accommodation and socialising, 2021 will be the second year in a row that this event has had to be cancelled.

West Kirby SC is planning, however, to see sailors competing in the theatre of dreams with an invitational event planned for 2-3 October 2021. Interested teams should email office@wksc.org.uk as soon as possible to register their interest in this new event!

RYA/BUSA Women’s Team Racing Championship

Wessex Winter Warmer, Spinnaker SC, (Photo: Nigel Vick)

Summer will have team racing in action at Rutland SC, host of the 2015 Team Racing World Championships, with the postponed RYA/BUSA Women’s Team Racing Championship scheduled for 12-13 June, when competitors will be battling it out to see if anyone can take the title from Oxford University, who were crowned double champions in 2019.

Local organiser Fiona Tylecote said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming the teams to the RYA/BUSA Women’s Team Racing Championship. Having had to postpone last year’s event we are really keen to run a great event and make sure everyone enjoys all that we have to offer at Rutland Sailing Club.”

September usually sees the start of the main student team racing season and BUSA (British Universities Sailing Association) will also be hoping to see the return of its regular events and qualifiers during the 2021-22 academic year.

BUSA Team Racing Officer, Jamie Webb, said: “We are looking forward to seeing our female sailors back out on the water at the women’s championship and watch this space for more events and opportunities in the near future!”

RYA National Team Racing Championship

The RYA National Team Racing Championship for the Prince Philip Trophy, originally scheduled for mid-March at Spinnaker SC, has now been rescheduled at Spinnaker SC for 13-14 November 2021, with a notice of race due to be available during April.

The maximum entry will be 24 teams, subject to any government restrictions at the time, and it is set to be one of the most hotly contested competitions in the UK team racing calendar this year.

As Jack Fenwick from the RYA sums up: “Team racing is one of the most enjoyable and accessible racing disciplines. Multiple short races in a day with a bunch of mates can do wonders to improve your boat handling, rules knowledge and boat on boat tactics. Take a look at the events and get involved!”

Find out more!

To learn more about team racing and forthcoming events visit:
•    RYA Team Racing
•    UK Team Racing Association
•    British Universities Sailing Association
•    National School Sailing Association
•    British Schools Dinghy Racing Association
•    Carmela Cup

Courtesy of British Keelboat Racing/RYA

]]> http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2021/03/15/seabright-and-taylor-claim-mixed-470-world-champs-bronze/ Mon, 15 Mar 2021 13:05:34 +0000 http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/?p=37142 Continue Reading →

Amy Seabright and James Taylor won bronze in the first ever mixed 470 World Championships – as Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre narrowly missed out on a podium spot following an epic comeback in the women’s fleet.

Amy Seabright and James Taylor (Photo: Uros Kekus Kleva)

Seabright and Taylor notched up five top-five finishes on their way to securing their podium spot in the new 470 class format for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

At the midway point they even led the regatta in Vilamoura, Portugal, but were overtaken by eventual winners Gil Cohen and Noam Homri from Israel going into the ten-boat double-points medal race.

Sixth in the medal race for Seabright and Taylor allowed second Israeli crew Tal Sade and Noa Lasry to sneak into silver medal position.

Britain had four crews finish in the top half of the fleet, with Freya Black and Marcus Tressler finishing fifth, Vita Heathcote and Ryan Orr in eighth and Georgina Povall and Arran Holman in ninth.

“It’s exciting to win a medal in the first mixed worlds, a small taste of what the next three years will be like,” said Seabright, from Stapleford Abbots, Essex. “It’s James’s and my first event we have managed to actually complete so really proud that we managed to push through some tougher light and shifty days to keep in the mix for a medal. We’re a bit annoyed we let the Israelis slip through to silver in the medal race, but the points in the top eight were so tight it was hard to keep track of everyone, especially in conditions that were constantly changing.”

Taylor, from Stoke Poges, Bucks, added: “It’s a great feeling to get off to a good start in the new mixed fleet for the Paris 2024 cycle. We made a fair few mistake and left a few too many points out there but to get back onto the podium in the medal race was awesome. It’s a new fleet so we’re only just getting to know how everyone races, so we’re looking forward to the next three years.”

2019 world champions Mills and McIntyre had a tough start to their title defence, finding themselves in the bottom half of the 27-boat fleet at the midway stage of the six-day regatta.

But the pair proved their class with a comeback that saw them jump to fourth on the back of a string of top five results including three wins on the bounce on the penultimate day.

With bronze within their reach, Mills and McIntyre looked like they would complete their comeback as they approached the finish line of the medal race in second place.

Disaster then struck when the pair were penalised by the on-water umpires, then punished further for not completing a penalty spin, relegating them to seventh across the line and fifth overall.

Despite not finishing on the podium, Mills said she and McIntyre would learn from their mistakes going into the final few months before Tokyo 2020.

“It was a real week of two halves for us,” Mills, from Cardiff, said. “There were a few key bits missing the first half of the week which at this level in sport means you are going to be struggling. We recognised what was happening and managed to correct it for the second half of the week, giving us a fighting chance to grab a medal going into the medal race. Obviously we’re disappointed not to get a medal, but so much learnt from each day this week that will be invaluable moving forward towards Tokyo.”

In the men’s fleet Team GB sailors Luke Patience and Chris Grube came back from a tricky start to finish strongly with a strong of top five finishes, claiming 13th overall. Teammates Martin Wrigley and Alex Hughes were 19th.

Emma Wilson (Photo: Joao Costa Ferreira)

The RS:X European Championships, also held in Vilamoura over the same dates, saw Britain’s Emma Wilson finish fifth overall, just three points off the podium, while in the men’s fleet Tom Squires came home 21st.

“It was a tricky week,” said Wilson, from Christchurch, Dorset. “I struggled a bit at the start with a few mistakes off the start line but then the second half of the regatta I worked it out a bit better and managed to use my speed. I am happy with how I managed to pull some places back and finishing just off the podium again. It’s given me some good things to work on between now and the worlds which are at the end of April in Cadiz.”

 

 

Courtesy of British Sailing

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The duo last saw international action in August 2019 at the Olympic test event held at the Tokyo 2020 sailing venue of Enoshima.

Mills and McIntyre (pictured above) claimed silver, just a fortnight after securing their first world crown together on the same waters.

The string of successes were meant to set them up perfectly for a tilt at Olympic gold the following summer – but since then the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented any 470 racing from taking place.

While Mills and McIntyre have been able to train in the UK at the British Sailing Team’s world class base in Weymouth and Portland, as well as a handful of training blocks in Lanzarote, they have lacked contact time with their most fierce competition.

The World Championships, starting on Monday in Vilamoura, Portugal, will provide a crucial chance to benchmark performance in the critical run-in to the Games after what has been the most challenging of years.

“With only five months to go until the Olympic Games, this regatta is a huge opportunity for us,” said Mills, from Cardiff.

“It will be the first event in over 18 months where we will have pressure to perform and those experiences in the build-up to the Games are crucial.

“The event is a little different to other pre-Olympic World Champs because we don’t know as much about our competitors as we normally would. Many we haven’t seen or raced against for over a year! As much as it is about us and our performance, it’s also about evaluating everyone else and where there have been any gains that we haven’t necessarily predicted, or new teams emerging who could now be a new rival at the Games.

“Regardless of how perfect or imperfect our preparation will be for this event, we are in a place where we can definitely test our ability to perform under pressure and we will be doing everything we can to do that and try and retain our world title. Win or lose, will really lead our focus and direction between now and the Games.”

In the men’s fleet, Tokyo 2020 picks Luke Patience and Chris Grube (pictured above) go up against their rivals in a heavily contested fleet that will also include fellow Brits Martin Wrigley and Alex Hughes.

Meanwhile a host of British crews will be looking to make their mark in the mixed fleet, the new format for the 470 class for Paris 2024.

Competition will be high to claim the first mixed world title. Among those angling for glory will be the pairs of Amy Seabright/James Taylor, Vita Heathcote/Ryan Orr, Georgina Povall/Arran Holman, and Freya Black/Marcus Tressler.

Emma Wilson photo Joao Costa Ferreira

Just a day later at the same venue, windsurfers Tom Squires and Emma Wilson (pictured right) will mark their returns to racing at the RS:X European Championships.

The RS:X class fared better than the 470s in 2020, managing to get a World Championships in before the pandemic struck. A European Championships was then held late in November before tighter restrictions were reintroduced across the continent.

Both athletes are aware the five-day regatta could be their only chance to compete against their rivals ahead of Tokyo 2020.

“There is adversity everywhere, plans are changing all the time with regards to competition and training and staying safe in a changeable and challenging environment,” said Squires, from Oxford.

“From one day to the next you can see your World Championship dates change, venue changes or be all-together cancelled, so to secure this key event just a few months before the Olympics Games is critical for my performance.

“Although this is a European Championships, it is an ‘open event’ allowing everyone from across the world to participate. This including the selected sailors from as far as Japan and New Zealand. It will be a good representation of my current standing and show my strengths and weaknesses against the best.”

Wilson, from Christchurch, Dorset, added: “I’m so excited to being able to race again – we never know when we will get another regatta before Tokyo so for me it’s all about appreciating how lucky we are as athletes and making the most of the opportunity. I’ve spent all winter out here in Vilamoura training with a nice group of girls which has been really fun and productive. The level should be really high with only a few people not racing. It will be hard work but good fun.”

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Courtesy of the RYA