World Cup Hyeres - Now or Never time is coming up fast for Australia

by Rob Kothe, YachtsandYachting.com & Sail-World.com on 21 Apr 2016 100 days to Rio, the Sailing World Cup in Hyeres on the French Riviera, will provide another form guide for the Guanabara Bay Regatta in August. Sail-World, doing it tough, will be there, on your behalf.

For Australia, there is expectation of podium places.

As Victor Kovalenko told Sail-World back in 2000, with his thick Ukrainian accent, (sounded Russian to me), World Domination in the year before the Olympics is the key to Olympic Gold.

As so it be, Matt Belcher and Will Ryan will no doubt be odds on favourites to take the 470 Men’s title in Hyeres.

Tom Burton, the Laser world ranked number one, and the Australian selected for Rio, will be doing his utmost to hit the headlines in just the same way. While Matt Wearne, who was the World number two will be keen to show our selectors they made a mistake.

Missing this regatta are Australia's London 2012 49er Olympic Gold Medallist Outteridge and Jensen now back in Bermuda, their Artemis America's Cup program. With these old guys unlikely to back up for Tokyo in 2020, the young squad behind them are battling hard.

Clear Nacra 17 Rio favourites are the French duo of Billy Besson and Marie Riou, while Australia’s Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin have performed well the season, this is their chance to show they can match their rivals.

But then we get to the rub… with selections still to be made.

It’s a key regatta for our Finn crews with Jake Lilley currently the form sailor ahead of Oliver Tweddell, both sailors did well in Palma, with much better boat speed and rapid impact from their new coach Euan McNichol, both looking for a Rio ticket.

Rapidly improving 470 Women’s combination Carrie Smith and Jamie Ryan (Will’s elder sister) only need another top ten finish, its expected they will cement their Rio place.

Joanna Sterling, our lonely RS:X campaigner will be looking for a good result to convince the selectors she deserves a Rio selection. She has worked hard and we will be wishing her well.

Ashley Stoddart had hoped to convince the selectors she was worth of the Laser Radial spot, at the Mexico Laser Radial World last week. She needs a blinder in Hyeres. While the top four or five from Mexico will be back in Hyeres including Young, Van Acker, Bouwmeester, Rindom, the fact is. most of the top 20 have headed to Rio, so Stoddart will need an outstanding result here in Hyeres.

Expectations were high this quadrennium for an Australian 49 FX challenge, but so far the Australian combination have been more thereabouts than there, so late in the cycle a quality result will be needed from Tess Lloyd and Catlin Elks or Olivia Price and Eliza Solly or the newish combination Haylee Outteridge and Nina Curtis.

With Australia’s proud Paralympic record Matt Bugg in the 2.4, Colin Harrison, Jon Harris and Russell Boaden in the Sonar will be keen to show their wares.