2011 marks the sixth edition of Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta. The inaugural event was held in 2006 when 264 boats from 22 nations competed in 13 classes.
2011 saw the biggest Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta ever, with a record breaking entry of 1050 sailors, in 740 boats, from 62 nations.
The regatta is the penultimate event in the 2010-2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup, the annual series of events for the Olympic and Paralympic classes. The Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta annually draws elite sailors, including many Olympic and Paralympic medallists and World Champions, from across the globe.
This year, the regatta took on even greater significance, as the world’s best sailors battle it out for early supremacy on the 2012 Olympic waters
This year’s Skandia Sail for Gold regatta is almost as big as the Olympics, according to triple gold medal legend Ben Ainslie.
The reason is that many national teams are using the event as a crucial component of their selection process.
So anticipation was high this morning when the sailors arrived at the Olympic centre, but the wind had other ideas, toying with the race officials as they tried to set fair race course in the light and shifty conditions.
The Match Racing got started on time, others were not so lucky with the Laser Radial’s waiting ashore until 17:00 before being sent afloat.
But while the Women’s Match Racing might have got started on time, it was still going when almost everything else was done.
The usual names found their way to the top of the round robin, with stand-out unbeaten performances from Claire Leroy, Elodie Bertrand and Marie Riou (FRA); Anne- claire Le Berre, Alice Ponsar and Myrtille Ponge (FRA); and Silja Lehtinen, Silja Kanerva and Mikaela Wulff (FIN) all on 3-0.
Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Kate Macgregor (GBR); and Anna
Tunnicliffe, Molly Vendemoer and Debbie Capozzi (USA) on the slightly more impressive 4-0.
