British Sailing Team confirms new teams for the new Olympic cycle<\/p>\n
Written by RYA | 20 January 2017<\/p>\n
RYA’s World Class Programme line-up revealed as Tokyo 2020 cycle gets underway<\/p>\n
New crews, new faces and a potential future Olympian for 2040 are among the British Sailing Team updates as the squad to kick-start the new Tokyo 2020 Olympic cycle is unveiled.<\/p>\n
For the first time since 1998 and 2001 respectively, multi-Olympic medallists Nick Dempsey and Saskia Clark will not form part of the RYA\u2019s World Class Programme line-up, with both sailors having called time on Olympic campaigning following their silver and gold medal successes at the Rio 2016 Games.<\/p>\n
Hannah Mills, Clark\u2019s gold-medal winning helm in the 470 class, is currently trying her hand in a new event, the 49erFX women\u2019s skiff. She\u2019s been training with experienced 49er campaigner and 2016 Olympian Alain Sign in the high performance boat as she gets up to speed, with a view to forming a more permanent partnership in the all-female Olympic class later this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been sailing in the 470 class for 10 years now. It\u2019s an amazing boat, but I\u2019m also really excited to try something new. It\u2019s the right time for me to do that, and it\u2019s good to keep things fresh,\u201d Mills explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe FX is certainly a different challenge \u2013 a lot to handle and a lot faster \u2013 but I\u2019m really enjoying it so far.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elsewhere in the 49erFX class, Rio Olympians Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth have each formed new partnerships, with Dobson teaming up with Saskia Tidey, who represented Ireland at the 2016 Games but who has since gained eligibility from World Sailing to compete for Great Britain.<\/p>\n
Ainsworth has formed a new FX team with London 2012 match racing Olympian Kate Macgregor, who\u2019s been competing in the class with various crews since the 2012 Games.<\/p>\n
Ainsworth said: \u201cRio 2016 taught me a lot about myself personally as an athlete, and what I believe it takes to win. To have the opportunity to put this into practice with Kate is exciting and I can\u2019t wait to get started.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, three-time Olympic windsurfer Bryony Shaw is to take a break for at least the first half of the year as the 33-year-old and her partner, US sailor Brad Funk, are expecting their first baby in early June.<\/p>\n
The Beijing bronze medallist, who\u2019s secured podium finishes at three of the last four RS:X World Championships, is eyeing a comeback towards the end of 2017, with her intention still to campaign towards the Tokyo 2020 Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrad and I are so excited to be expecting our first baby!\u201d Shaw explained. \u201cWe\u2019re all doing really well and the timing is perfect in that it will hopefully allow me a great run-in to Tokyo.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously there will be a lot to get to grips with once the baby arrives, but I have great support and I believe I still have what it takes to compete at the highest level. There\u2019s a fantastic team at the British Sailing Team who can help keep me in shape and get me back up to fitness when the time is right.<\/p>\n
\u201cCountless other mums pursue successful careers, including in sport, and I\u2019m really looking forward to that challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
World Champions Nick Thompson and Alison Young will aim to pick up where they left off in their Laser and Laser Radial events. Olympic Champion Giles Scott is taking a sabbatical from Finn campaigning as he focusses on the America\u2019s Cup this year, while 2016 Olympian Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell, 2012 silver medallist in the 470 class, have joined forces in the 49er.<\/p>\n
Fletcher won World Championship bronze with Alain Sign in 2016, and Bithell secured podium finishes at the last two 49er European Championships alongside John Pink.<\/p>\n
Fletcher said: \u201cRio was awesome, but for me the journey did not end there. It was such an extraordinary experience but also bitterly disappointing to miss out on a medal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am lucky enough to have teamed up with London 2012 silver medallist Stuart Bithell for this next cycle. Stu brings lot of different experience into the boat and I am looking forward to the road ahead with such an amazing talent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur athletes have really hit the ground running in 2017,\u201d observed RYA Olympic Manager Stephen Park. \u201cWe\u2019ve just concluded our first winter training camp in Cadiz and a number of sailors are about to compete at their first Sailing World Cup regatta of the year out in Miami.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first year of the Olympic cycle is always an exciting one with new teams looking to establish themselves and some of the younger talents who\u2019ve been knocking at the door aiming to show their own intentions towards the next Games. It\u2019ll be fascinating to see what unfolds.\u201d<\/p>\n
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