Semaine Olympique Francaise - Scott back on the Road to Rio

by Rob Kothe and the Sail-World Team on 10 Oct 2013 Britain’s Giles Scott, the 2011 Finn World and European Champion, had an excellent first day at the 2013 Semaine Olympique Francaise in La Rochelle.

It’s the re-launch of his Finn class campaign for Scott after a long sabbatical due to his America’s Cup commitments with Italian team Luna Rossa.

The Road to Rio is now Scott’s focus. A first race fifth and a second race win in this fifth and final leg of the EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup has him in second place overall behind Denis Karpak and ahead of a quality field showed that it will not take Scott long to get back on full pace.

Scott was plainly shattered to lose 2012 GBR Olympic Finn class selection. He had won the Europeans, won the Perth 2011 Worlds, but lost Olympic selection because he came second at Sail for Gold to Ben Ainslie, who took the Olympic Gold in a very close Weymouth series.

‘Having lost the Finn selection, in 2012 I only did a few events because I was off doing the AC 45 stuff so I just did the nationals in Falmouth before the Worlds and Sail for Gold and won them both.

‘So in this next quadrennial there are, for me, unfinished business.'

Busy with the Luna Rossa campaign, Scott only sailed two Finn regatta until this week. He won in Palma in April and took second in Hyeres, then headed back to the Luna Rossa AC45 and AC72 program. .

Scott’s grinding duties aboard Luna Rossa have not hurt his upper body strength but his legs are suffering. I haven’t done anything on them for almost a year, apart from that month so they are really hurting, after my one week of training before this event ' said Scott.

‘Especially over the last four years the fleet has probably gone both fitter and heavier, definitely more athletic. That athleticism allows you work harder downwind and obviously the weight upwind helps.

‘I am coming here to work out where I am and put together a decent program. I am obviously looking forward to getting the right events in place ahead of the 2014 Santander Worlds and then other events right up to Rio.

‘I have found that sailing in a faster class certainly helps your decision making. I noticed that that especially after the first round of 45 sailing that I did because everything happens so much quicker and you get used to making decisions quickly which in turns helps with the slower stuff as well.

‘Looking further ahead, I am hoping the next America’s Cup will be 2017, which would help Olympic campaigners who want to be involved in both.

‘Certainly if the right offer comes around and it comes at the right time and it works with my Finn stuff then yes I would love to do it again. Especially if they end up sticking foils on the 45s and doing a World Series , that would be pretty bloody appealing.’

Finn Class Results - Day 1

Penalties and redress : 1 (1 DNF; )