Local Sailors getting ready for the Olympics

- Fri 6th Aug 2004

Members at HISC will have their attention split just when the biggest sailing event in Chichester Harbour gets underway. As well as dodging the other 400 competitors in the annual Chichester Harbour Federation Week regatta, they will be following the progress of HISC members competing at the Athens Olympic sailing events which start 13 August.

Four HISC members, who won medals at the 2000 Olympics, have qualified to take part again in the elite Team GBR. Briton were top sailing nation in the last Games and are tipped for the top again this time around. Ben Ainslie switches from the Laser class to the Finn. Iain Percy moves from the Finn to sail with Steve Mitchell in the Star. Shirley Robertson switches to the new Olympic class, the Yngling, with crew members Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, and Simon Hiscocks sails with Chris Draper in the 49er.

Despite sailing in different classes to the last Games, all have performed well at the highest level, winning European and World championships in the lead up to the Games. Together with the rest of Team GBR, racing in eleven different events in a range of craft from Boards and Dinghies to Keelboats, they can be sure that the competitors at Federation Week will be following their every tack and gybe and wishing them well.

By forum user, HIbot