| UK & Spain. Skandia Team GBR gears up for top regatta in Palma |
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| Saturday, 08 April 2006 | |
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Regatta news: Following their impressive start to the year, clinching eight podium places, including four golds, at the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, Skandia Team GBR’s sailors are about start their season in earnest with the first of the top European Olympic Classes regattas, the Princess Sofia Trophy (9-14 April in Palma, ESP). Skandia Team GBR – the British sailing team in training for the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – scooped six medals at the Princess Sofia regatta in 2005, including gold for Nic Asher-Elliot Willis in the 470 class Sailing is Great Britain’s most successful Olympic sport, and Great Britain is the most successful sailing nation in Olympic history. During 2005 alone, Skandia Team GBR 2008 won 32 medals at World and Europeans Championships and Grade 1 Olympic regattas. Olympic champions Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb and new crew Victoria Rawlinson will be gunning for gold at the upcoming event in Palma. It will be only their second Olympic Classes Regatta since Rawlinson joined the team, with the girls securing an impressive bronze at their first competitive outing in Miami. Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield will be looking for an early boost to their world rankings in the 470 class. The Olympic silver medallists took some time out from the competition scene in 2005, competing in just the 470 World and European Championships, but will be ramping up their activity this season with Beijing firmly in mind. After some impressive early results on the new Olympic class Neil Pryde RS:X windsurfer, Bryony Shaw and Athens bronze medallist Nick Dempsey will be hoping to continue their good form at the European event, while Olympic bronze medallists Chris Draper-Simon Hiscocks will looking to consolidate their world number status with an early season win in Palma. “Skandia Team GBR will be looking to kick-start the 2006 season with another successful outing at the Princess Sofia regatta,” said RYA Olympic Manager Stephen Park. “Princess Sofia is the first of the major European events of the year, so I’m really looking forward to watching the team in action this week and seeing the gains of the winter training period as the sailors step up their campaigns towards Beijing 2008.” Racing gets underway in Palma on Sunday 9 April, with the final medal races on Friday 14 April. |
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 08 April 2006 ) |
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