RS500 World Championship - All set for Loctudy action

by Pip Baily on 1 Aug 2014 In less than a week over 100 RS500 sailors from five different nations are descending on the French town of Loctudy in Brittany for the 2014 World Championships.

The 2014 entries see many rock stars of the class from different countries, promising a highly competitive event from start to finish. British team Peter Barton and Heather Chipperfield have had a very strong season since the last worlds where they finished in second, having won the European Grand Prix in Como, Italy last October, and more recently winning the UK RS500 Nationals. Fellow British pair Tim Wilkins and Heather Wilkins will also be fighting for position at this year’s championship after their solid third place in 2013.

Also on the British Team is 2013 RS Feva World Champion Hannah Bristow, who began her RS500 career shortly after the RS Feva Worlds in 2013. Hannah is helming for her dad, Graeme Bristow, also a familiar face in the RS500 fleet. Peter Curtis is also coming back for another shot at the World Championship title, having finished sixth in 2013, has shown signs of strong competition in multinational events over the last year - finishing second at the Open Dutch Skiff Trophy in September.

In the Swiss team, Malin Broberg and Johan Rook are coming back again, having posted fourth at the 2013 World Championships, the pair have decided to switch positions in the boat with Malin now helming. For Italy, Andrea Dellepiane was first Italian at the 2013 World Championships and has entered for 2014 this time with a different crew.

The Netherlands always show up with a larger than life sailing team, that leads infamously to the annual Dutch Party, with Michiel Geerling and Hilde van Susante taking seventh in 2013, they will be back with lower figures in mind. Also on the Dutch team is Marleen Blomsma and Jody de Jager who won the Open Dutch Skiff in 2013, and finished just outside the top ten at last years worlds. Blomsma and de Jager have had a very strong season so the battle between the Netherlands could be quite interesting.

The home nation have entered 12 teams and boast the home advantage in Loctudy. Nico Honor, sailing with his son Thomas is also the RS Sailing dealer for France, so is extremely excited for the event; 'Loctudy is a great venue, and it’s great to see that we have reached the 50 entry mark, personally I am very proud to see 12 French boats at the RS500 website