Please select your home edition
Edition
RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

2016 Sailing World Cup Hyeres – Final chance for Australian sailors

by Megan McKay on 26 Apr 2016
Joanna Sterling - 2016 Sailing World Cup Hyeres Megan McKay
Sailing World Cup Hyères, held in France from 25 April to 1 May, will provide our Olympic contenders with one of the final chances to measure up their competition ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The Hyeres regatta will feature racing in all ten Olympic and two Paralympic classes, and will feature strong fleets across the board.

Leading the charge for the Australians will be 2012 Olympic Gold Medallist Mat Belcher and his current 470 crewman, Will Ryan. Belcher, a six-time world champion and Ryan, who has paired with Belcher at three of these world championships, will come up against some tough competition in Hyeres. The pair just last week claimed the European Championships and will use Hyeres to closely analyse the form of key competitors, including current world champions, Sime Fantela and Igor Mareni of Croatia, Kiwis Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox and the team from France, Sofian Bouvet and Jeremie Mion. Australia will be well represented at the event, with Victorians Tom Klemens and Tim Hannah and NSW brothers, Patrick and Alexander Conway also competing.

“Hyères is a high-ranking event,” said Belcher from Hyeres this week. “Being one of the last events before the Games, all teams are looking to put down a good performance. We’ve mainly been focused on ourselves and it’s been great to start the season off well. We had a good camp and event in Palma and we’re happy with where we are at in the program. We're trying to tick a few boxes here and making some big steps as we are coming into the Games.



“Most of the top guys are at this event and everyone who will be at the Games will be racing here. The only difference is that the conditions this week will be quite windy and we’re not really expecting that for Rio. But it should be good fun out there. Racing is racing and everyone will be racing pretty hard.'

Australia will also be in the hunt for a strong result in the Laser class. Olympic team member, Tom Burton is the defending champion at this event, having won both the Hyeres World Cup and the Sailing World Cup Final in 2015. Matt Wearn, Jeremy O’Connell, Luke Elliott and Mitch Kennedy will also represent Australia in the Lasers.

Prior to racing, Burton commented “we’re in Hyeres and it’s going to prove to be a windy one. We’ve got the Mistral in at the moment and it looks to be windy all week.

“This is the first event (for me) after being selected for the Australian Olympic Team, so it’s obviously going to be a nice event with less pressure than the past year. There are lots of boats out there and it’s the start of a building block towards the pinnacle, the Olympics.

“Hyeres has always gone pretty well for me, winning the past three years. The goal is obviously to try and win a fourth in a row.”

In the 49er event, defending Olympic champions, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen will not compete in Hyeres, instead opting to train elsewhere. However, three Australian crews will take to the water in Hyeres, including David Gilmour and Lewis Brake, Will and Sam Phillips, and Joel Turner and Tom Siganto. Current World Champions, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke will be competing and will be the team to watch in Hyeres.

The Olympic pairing of Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin will be the only Aussies in the Nacra 17 event. Coming off the back of a successful 2015, which included winning the Olympic test event in Rio, Silver at the World Championships, and Gold at two World Cup events, the Sydney cousins will be a team to watch in Hyeres. They face stiff competition from several strong European teams, including those from France, Denmark, Italy and Austria.

“This event is really important for us as it’s one of the last events before the Olympics and we’re looking to take as much as we can from it,” said Waterhouse from France over the weekend. “Everyone is here so it will be a tough event and a good benchmark for us. We’re on point with our boat and equipment and the team feels good, so we’re excited and I’m sure it will be great.

“We were a bit disappointed with our end result at the World Champs in February. We had some time off and spent a lot of time in Sydney training and we’re looking to put what we learnt in Sydney into Hyères and develop it going into the Games.”

Meanwhile, Australian Olympic team spots are still up for grabs in the women’s 470, 49er FX, Women’s RSX, Laser Radial and Finn classes, so the Aussies competing in Hyeres will be looking to impress ahead of final team nominations in the coming months.

In the 470 women’s event, the pairings of Carrie Smith/Jaime Ryan and Sasha Ryan/Ella Clark will be looking for a strong finish to impress Olympic selectors. The Austrian pairing and current World Champions, Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar, will be the team to beat.



Similarly in the 49er FX event, three Australian crews will be looking to make their mark. Tess Lloyd and Caitlin Elks will come up against strong competition from fellow Aussies, including London 2012 Silver Medallist Olivia Price and crew Eliza Solly; and Haylee Outteridge and crew Nina Curtis; who is Price’s old team mate and also a London Silver medallist. The 49er FX event will be an interesting one to watch, with the class wide open and this event is expected to provide a good indicator of form ahead of Rio. Teams to watch include those from New Zealand, Italy and Brazil. The Brazilian pairing of Martine Soffits Grael and Kahena Kunze will be home-town favourites in Rio, drawing a lot of interest given Martine is the daughter of five times Olympic Medallist, Torben Grael.

Joanna Sterling of Queensland will be looking to impress in the RS:X windsurfer women’s event, as will fellow-Queenslander Ashley Stoddard in the Laser Radial.

Meanwhile the competition between Queensland’s Jake Lilley and Victoria’s Oliver Tweddell in the Finn class is sure to be tough as they vie for the single Olympic nomination in the Finn.

In the Paralympic classes, last year’s Hyeres Silver Medallists, Colin Harrison, Jonathan Harris and Russell Broaden will be looking to go one better in the Sonar class this year. However, a 12-boat fleet boasts some serious competition for the Aussies, with teams from across Europe, the USA and the Middle East.

In the International 2.4mR class, Australia’s Matt Bugg will take on a 20-strong fleet as he looks to size up the competition ahead of the Rio Paralympics. Bugg also took the Silver Medal at this event last year, and will be looking for another strong performance.

Over 60 nations will be represented at this year’s Hyeres regatta. The opening series racing will begin on Wednesday 27 April and run through until Saturday 30 April, with the deciding medal races held on Sunday 1 May.



Australian Sailing Team and Squad at Sailing World Cup Hyeres 2016:

Women's Two Person Dinghy – 470W

- Carrie Smith (WAIS) and Jaime Ryan (QAS) – AST
- Sasha Ryan (QAS) and Ella Clark (WA) – ASS

Men’s Two Person Dinghy – 470M

- Mathew Belcher (QAS) and Will Ryan (QAS) – AST
- Tom Klemens (VIS) and Tim Hannah (VIS) - ASS
- Patrick and Alexander Conway (NSW) - ASS

Women's Skiff – 49erFX

- Olivia Price (NSW) and Eliza Solly (VIS) – ASS
- Tess Lloyd (VIS) and Caitlin Elks (WAIS) – ASS
- Haylee Outteridge (NSW) and Nina Curtis (NSW) - ASS

Mens’ Skiff – 49er

- David Gilmour (WAIS) and Lewis Brake (QAS) - ASS
- Joel Turner (QAS) and Tom Siganto (QAS) – ASS
- Will Phillips (VIC) and Sam Phillips (VIC) – ASS

Men's One Person Dinghy (Heavyweight) – Finn

- Jake Lilley (QAS) – ASS
- Oliver Tweddell (VIS) – ASS

Men’s One Person Dinghy – Laser

- Tom Burton (NSW) - AST
- Matt Wearn (WAIS) - AST
- Luke Elliott (WAIS) – ASS
- Mitchell Kennedy (QAS) – ASS
- Jeremy O’Connell (VIS) – ASS

Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17

- Jason Waterhouse (NSW) and Lisa Darmanin (NSW) - AST

Women’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial

- Ashley Stoddard (QAS) - ASS

Women’s RS: X Windsurfer

- Joanna Sterling (QAS) – ASS

Paralympic Three Person Keelboat – Sonar

- Colin Harrison (WA), Jonathan Harris (NSW) and Russell Boaden (WA) - AST

Paralympic Single Person Keelboat – International 2.4mR

- Matt Bugg (TIS) - AST

Sail Port Stephens 2024Vaikobi 2024 FOOTER38 South / Jeanneau AUS SF30 OD - FOOTER

Related Articles

Antigua Wingfoil Championship Race Day 1
Participants of all ages and backgrounds at Antigua Sailing Week Against the lush green mountains of Antigua, colourful Wingfoil sails adorned the horizon, marking the commencement of Antigua Wingfoil Championship Race Day 1 during Antigua Sailing Week.
Posted today at 12:06 pm
Cup Spy Apr 25-26: Three Sailings and a Reveal
Kiwis and Italians while American Magic popped out of the shed for a mast fitting Two teams sailed today - one in Auckland and the other in Cagliari. American Magic gave an unexpected reveal today, when the US Challenger opened the shed door and saw daylight for the first time.
Posted today at 10:16 am
Hamilton Island Race Week accomodation
The most popular Race Week properties available now Hamilton Island Race Week is fast approaching and we have some prime race week viewing spots available where you can watch some of the world's best racing yachts sail by and be close to all the celebrations.
Posted today at 5:40 am
59th Congressional Cup at Long Beach Day 2
First four advance to quarter-finals Closing out the opening round-robin stage of the 59th Congressional Cup today in Long Beach, the top four teams - Ian Williams/ GBR, Jeppe Borch/ DEN, Dave Hood/ USA and Gavin Brady/ USA, each advance to the Quarter-final stage of the event.
Posted today at 3:40 am
Finns and French finish Ocean Globe Race
Galiana WithSecure and Evrika excape the windhole 40nm from the finish line It was a long, painfully slow final two days to complete their circumnavigation. But, finally, Galiana WithSecure FI (06) and Evrika FR (07) crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line in a moody windless, moonlight Cowes arrival.
Posted on 25 Apr
No major fears for Sunday's Transat CIC start
There will be no initial gales to contend with, rather a relatively light winds start As all of the Transat CIC skippers convened this morning at Lorient's La Base for the main briefing before Sunday's start of the 3,500 miles solo race across the North Atlantic to New York, ideas about the weather are the main topic of discussion.
Posted on 25 Apr
Last Chance Regatta at Hyères, France Day 5
Sister act seals Olympic spot in windsurfing Czech sisters Katerina and Barbora Svikova took gold and silver in the three-rider final of the women's windsurfing competition on day five of the Last Chance Regatta in the south of France.
Posted on 25 Apr
The must-do Rolex Middle Sea Race
The start of 45th edition is six months away Starting from Grand Harbour, Valletta, the Mediterranean's premier 600-mile classic promises much and always over delivers for participants and spectators alike.
Posted on 25 Apr
American Magic's AC75 Race Boat Uncloaked
Commissioning of B3 continues in Barcelona New York Yacht Club American Magic, Challenger for the 37th America's Cup, uncloaked its AC75 race boat, "B3," as commissioning continues in Barcelona.
Posted on 25 Apr
RS Tera Worlds 2024 already breaking records
Selling out more than 3 months in advance of the event In a record-breaking first for the International RS Tera Class, the RS Tera World Championship 2024 registration has reached maximum capacity - selling out more than 3 months in advance of the event.
Posted on 25 Apr