RS Aerocup Barcelona Edition - Preview

Action from the RS Aero Nationals at Weymouth © Paul Robson

This week will see the official opening of the first ever RS Aerocup in the iconic city of Barcelona. 3 days of hot racing will be held from Barcelona International Sailing Centre on the very waters that the Olympic Games were sailed in 1992.

Thanks to our event sponsors and one stop logistics solutions specialists, Euronox and Ocean Roads, things have been made easy for RS Aero sailors around the world to come together for their most prominent international regatta to date. 36 boats from 8 nations will be competing to become the first ever RS Aerocup Champion.

Among the entrants are a few familiar faces from the respective North American Championships and UK National Championships that both showcased their first championships this year. With the event taking place just 18 months after the launch of the RS Aero and with the class standing fresh on the International circuit we can expect to see many unknown quantities. Now is the time that nations fight to leave their mark from the outset as they emerge onto the quickly establishing international scene. There's looking to be a great spread across the fleets; we have 7 sailors competing in the youth category, while the ladies and masters categories will be represented by 6 each.

Action from the RS Aero Nationals at Weymouth - photo © Paul Robson

The RS Aero 5 fleet will be hard to pick a favourite with 4 Nations on the entry sheet and several unknown quantities. Watch out for heavy wind expert, Ffinlo Wright from Great Britain if the wind blows or Latvia's Anna Vernere if it's light and tactical.

The RS Aero 7 will be the largest fleet with about twenty competitors. Estonia's Ants Haavel and Holland's Michiel Geerling were 5th and 9th respectively at the recent British National Championships, putting them up there with the favourites for this title. Watch out for UK Class Chairman, Peter Townend and Team Sweden who are all likely to make an impression.

The big boys match in the RS Aero 9s is squaring up to be a contest of youth versus experience. Can the young Ben Rolfe of Great Britain overcome the experience of Christer Bath of Sweden and the tenacity of UK Inland Championships runner up David Lynall? Meanwhile, Eric Aker of the USA has made the jump to the 9 rig after taking 11th place in his Aero 7 at the North American Championships. Will the bigger sail find him in his element and put him in with a shout?

Activity in Barcelona will kick off on Thursday 29th October with a Spanish Lift-Off coached day, tagged on to the beginning of the event after the roaring success of the British Lift-Off series last winter and the Dutch and North American days earlier this year. It will be a chance for sailors to brush up on their skills, dust away the cobwebs and get to grips with the Spanish waters before taking to the start line on Friday.

Be sure to stay in touch with the action as it happens on the RS Aero facebook group; www.facebook.com/groups/rsaeroclass and online at www.rsaerosailing.org. It's set to be an excellent few days!