British Sailing Team in force for Sofía Iberostar
The first Europe Olympic classes regatta gets underway at the 49th Trofeo Princesa Sofía Iberostar in Palma, Spain on Monday with a 50 strong British Sailing Team entered.
Late British Tem entry to the event is newly-crowned Finn class European champion Ed Wright who will face 75 other sailors in the Finn class event.
This will include Dutchman Nicholas Heiner, who capsized in the European championship with the title within his grasp, and current world champion Max Salminen who grabbed third place.
Also competing is Rio 2016 gold medallist Giles Scott, taking a break from America’s Cup TP52 training, and looking to replicate his victorious return to the Finn class in Miami.
The Spanish event is riding high with 1,200 sailors confirmed and a total of 840 boats representing over 64 nations for this year’s event, despite not being a Sailing World Cup event.
In the 100 strong men’s 49er fleet, current 49er world champions Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell will be aiming to continue their winning streak.
Fletcher and Bithell GBR Image: © Richard Langton Sailing EnergyWorld
A last-minute knee injury blow for Fynn Sterritt means he and team mate James Peters will miss out on defending their 2017 Princess Sofia Trophy title in the 49er.
The Hayling Island pair hope to be back for the first European World Cup event in Hyères later this month.
The Sofía Iberostar regatta will see the official pairing up Sophie Weguelin and Sophie Ainsworth as they come together for a Tokyo 2020 campaign in the women’s 49er FX.
Weguelin, stepped in for the injured Kate Macgregor at the World Cup Series Miami, where the Weguelin/Ainsworth duo finished an impressive fourth.
Weguelin: “We fully understand the mountain we’ve got to climb with such limited time, but we are aligned on the task in hand and ready to embrace the journey. Winning at Tokyo 2020 is the goal.”
Other British competitor’s looking for podium places include double Olympic medallist Hannah Mills and new regular crew Eilidh McIntyre in the 48-strong women’s 470 fleet.
While in the women’s RS:X class Beijing bronze medallist Bryony Shaw will hope to improve on her Miami result. She will be in action alongside two-time youth world champion Emma Wilson.
Racing begins for all ten classes Monday from 11:00 CET (10:00 UK), with medal races held on Saturday 7 April.
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