Sailing World Cup Final challenge awaits British crews

by Anisha Walkerley / RYA on 2 Jun 2017 Britain’s sailors set to take on the world’s best at the invitation-only Sailing World Cup Final in Santander next week (6 - 11 June).

With medal success for young talents, new pairings and seasoned campaigners at the major events so far this year, some 39 British Sailing Team athletes will be in action across 10 Olympic Classes as the 2017 World Cup Series culminates.

British Finn sailors are poised for continued success after Ed Wright secured silver, Ben Cornish took bronze and Henry Wetherell clinched the under-23 title at Marseille’s European Championships last month. The trio, along with teammate Peter McCoy, will be aiming for the podium when racing gets underway on Tuesday.

After training since January in the 49erFX Hannah Mills made her skiff debut at May’s Delta Lloyd regatta in her bid for Tokyo 2020. With all Rio medallists having qualified for the 2017 World Cup Final, Mills will temporarily step back in to the women’s 470 alongside Eilidh McIntyre, silver medallist at the 2014 edition.

Joining Mills-McIntyre are Amy Seabright and Anna Carpenter who will be looking to make amends after finishing fourth at the World Cup Hyeres and the 470 European Championships in Monaco last month, while rising talents Jess Lavery-Flora Stewart and Martin Wrigley-James Taylor also qualify for Santander’s final.

With a hat-trick of medals so far this year for the new partnership, Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell start the event as podium favourites. Meanwhile Princess Sofia Trophy victors James Peters and Fynn Sterritt will continue their charge on the 49er fleet and will be joined by Jack Hawkins-Chris Thomas.

A maiden medal for FX duo Charlotte Dobson-Saskia Tidey at April’s Hyeres Sailing World Cup will have been a confidence boost ahead of the upcoming European and World Championships later in the summer. But with 2016 Olympic gold and silver medallists back in the action, competition will be tough at the front of the fleet. Kate Macgregor and Sophie Ainsworth will also join the British line-up.

The British contingent in the Nacra 17 multihull fleet includes Miami gold medallist Ben Saxton, racing with Katie Dabson, Miami silver medallists Tom Phipps-Nikki Boniface as well as John Gimson-Anna Burnet, who claimed bronze at December’s World Cup Final.

World Champion Nick Thompson and Miami bronze medallist Lorenzo Chiavarini will spearhead the men’s Laser ahead, whilst Delta Lloyd champion Elliot Hanson will miss the event to compete in the Youth America’s Cup in Bermuda. Michael Beckett and Jack Wetherell will join them on the startline, meanwhile rising talent Georgina Povall is the solo British Radial entry.

Straight off the back of the RS:X European Championships, Tom Squires and Dan Wilson will fly the British flag in the men’s fleet, meanwhile Izzy Hamilton and Emma Wilson will both look to make their mark on the women’s fleet after top-10 finishes in Hyeres.

Competition at the 2017 World Cup Final Santander, Spain, gets underway on Tuesday 6 June and culminates in medal racing on Saturday 10 June for the 49er, 49erFX, Nacra 17, RS:X Men and RS:X Women’s events, and on Sunday 11 June for the Laser, Laser Radial, 470 Men, 470 Women and Finn.

British Sailing Team line-up for the 2017 World Cup Series Final in Santander:

Finn
Ed Wright; Ben Cornish; Peter McCoy; Henry Wetherell

470 Men
Martin Wrigley-James Taylor

470 Women
Hannah Mills-Eilidh McIntyre
Amy Seabright-Anna Carpenter
Jess Lavery-Flora Stewart

49er
Dylan Fletcher-Stuart Bithell
James Peters-Fynn Sterritt
Jack Hawkins-Chris Thomas

49erFX
Charlotte Dobson-Saskia Tidey
Kate Macgregor-Sophie Ainsworth

Nacra 17
Ben Saxton-Katie Dabson
John Gimson-Anna Burnet
Tom Phipps-Nikki Boniface
Rupert White-Kirstie Urwin

RS:X Men
Tom Squires; Daniel Wilson

RS:X Women
Izzy Hamilton; Emma Wilson

Laser
Nick Thompson; Lorenzo Chiavarini; Michael Beckett; Jack Wetherell

Laser Radial
Georgina Povall