Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield, Athens Olympic Silver Medallists and 470 European Champions will be accompanied in the men’s fleet by fellow GBR sailors Nic Asher and Elliot Willis. Part of a new generation of young British 470 sailors, Asher and Willis finished first at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma and a respectable eighth at the Europeans.

Competition will be tough for Team GBR as several top performing teams will be present. In the men’s fleet, competition will come in the form of Argentineans Javier Conte and Juan De La Fuente who pipped Rogers and Glanfield at the European Championships earlier this year by claiming the Open title. Current World Champions, Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page, Australia, along with Hyères winners, Gideon Kliger and Udi Gal, Israel, will also be present.

In the women’s fleet, Team GBR sailors Pippa Wilson and Sheena Craig, will be looking to better their eighth at the European Champions and sixth position at the Holland International Regatta. Other Team GBR names to watch include Christina Bassadone and crew Saskia Clark. Currently ranked fourth in the ISAF World Sailing Rankings, they also who finished third in Palma and ninth at the European Championships.

The women’s fleet is full of successful and experienced teams with the top three world ranking teams competing. Ingrid Petitjean and Nadege Douroux, France, as well as Nike Kornecki and Vered Bouskila, Israel, and Therese Torgersson and Vendela Zachrisson, Sweden, are all sure to be jostling for the top positions.

Other Team GBR sailors, in the men’s fleet include: Callum MacDonald with crew Stuart Bithell, Luke Patience and Chris Grube, as well as John Gimson and David Steed. In the women’s fleet Lucy Macgregor and Julia Scott will be competing along with Libby Greenhalgh and Rachel Larman.

The qualifying series commences 22 through to 24 August. The final series racing starts 25 through to 28 August.

Source: Helen Jeffreys - RYA PR & Media Relations Officer