Rio Olympics – Fletcher and Sign ready for final medal push

by RYA on 18 Aug 2016 Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign will be aiming to sail the best race of their lives as they bid to win an Olympic debut 49er medal in Rio tomorrow (Thursday 18 August).

Fletcher and Sign have produced a fantastic second half of their event to put themselves firmly in the medal hunt, sitting in fourth overall, ahead of the 10-boat double points Medal Race on Guanabara Bay.

To claim a podium finish Fletcher and Sign have to put four boats between themselves and the Australians, who currently occupy bronze medal position, and have six boats between them and the Germans in second to win silver.

The last time Britain picked up an Olympic medal in the 49er class was Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks who won bronze at Athens 2004.

The 49er Medal Race is scheduled to take place at 5pm BST on Thursday on the Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf) course. New Zealand’s Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have already secured gold.

Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth also contest their 49erFX Medal Race at 6pm. The Brits aren’t able to win a medal but will want to end their Rio regatta on a high and improve on their current seventh place standing overall.

Anyone can try sailing for free at Fletcher’s local club, Rutland SC, as part of the RYA’s Sail for Gold Roadshows from 10am Thursday. All comers are then invited to watch the 49er Medal Race and cheer the Brits on with friends, and members of the British Sailing Team from 5pm.

There is also a Sail for Gold Roadshow in Dobson’s home nation of Scotland with all school children able try sailing for free at Yorkhill Quay on the River Clyde, Glasgow from 10am tomorrow.