Q: Age
A: 19

Q: Current sponsors?
A: Tushingham, Starboard, Predictwind, SKANDIA TEAM GBR

Q: Years windsurfing?
A: 10

Q: How did you first get into the sport?
A: Sailing with my father, windsurfing looked so much cooler, so I tried it and haven’t stopped since!

Q: Favourite discipline?
A: Slalom!

Q: Competition discipline?
A: Slalom, racing and wave (when I get the opportunity)

Q: Competition results?
A: 2 x World Champion,  7 x World Medallist

Q: Favourite UK location?
A: Qwithian or Daymer Bay in Cornwall

Q: Favourite International destination?
A: New Zealand

Q: Plans for the next year?
A: Learn to Kite Board now windsurfing will not be in the Olympics for 2016 and continue studying at university

Q: What are your ultimate ambitions you want to achieve in windsurfing?
A: Have as much fun as possible, win an Olympic Medal, become one of windsurfing legends.

Q:What’s your best kit set up?
A: Tushingham X15 7.0 and a Starboard iSonic 107

Q: What’s your favourite move?
A: Massive Stalled Forward!

Q: Best windsurfing moment?
A: Clinching Bronze medal in my last Youth RSX worlds in the medal race!

Q: What gives you the biggest buzz in windsurfing?
A: It’s got to be the thrill of overtaking people in races!

Q: Have you ever thought about giving up?
A: NEVER!

Q: How do you prepare before you go out on the water?
A: Sun cream, banana and water

Q: How do you plan your windsurfing sessions?
A: Look and follow forecasts then head in search of the perfect conditions.

Q: Favourite food?
A: Eggs

Q: Drink of choice?
A: Vanilla Smoothie

Q: Hardest bit for you about windsurfing?
A: Staying focused under pressure

Q: Do you have three top tips you can give to someone starting out?
A: Talk to guys on the beach, make friends and enjoy every moment!

Q: Do you have any other hobbies interests?
A: Surfing, SUP, Kiting, Design/art

Q: Can you tell us three things people might not know about you?
A: I’m a vegetarian, I live in Cornwall and I am currently studying Yacht Design

Q: Can you describe your ideal session to us?
A: Fully overpowered on my 4.0 Rock in cross onshore conditions with my best mates, it’s so much fun!

Q: Finally Sam, if you had never got into windsurfing what do you think you would be doing now?
A: Surfing most likey

More on the Tushingham website here

Sam Sills

Dublin Bay has very strange local weather systems. One minute it could be 5 knots and coming from the right hand side of the course and the next it could be 20 knots and coming from the left hand side of the course! Luckily being British I was used to these conditions. 

We sailed all scheduled races which was 12 and they lasted about half an hour due to the strange wind! 

I went into the ISAF’s with no expectations at all. My goal was to learn as much as possible in the week, which I felt I had achieved. Winning was a bonus!

Being in RYA Volvo Team GBR was such a new and different experience but an amazing one at the same time. There was so much support which was really nice to have and which I hadn’t really experienced before.

Being World Champion in RS:X feels amazing – I didn’t know where I would be compared to the other girls as I had only competed against them in the  Techno class before (I moved to RS:X in September last year). 

Winning the Nations Trophy was also such a great achievement for RYA Volvo Team GBR. We’re all so proud of each other and it was great to be a part of the same team! 

I would like to say thank you to Duncan, Oli and Neil (our coaches) for being so supportive and making it such a great experience.

The next competition for me is the 2012 Eurosaf Youth Sailing European Championship in Denmark 4th-10th August. I competed in this event last year in Lake Garda in the Techno class but this year I will be racing in RS:X. My goal for this competition is again to learn as much as possible and soak up the experience. 

I must also thank my parents for supporting me all the way – and my twin sister Imogen.

She sails in the RS:X class as well and has been right there with me – all of last winter we trained together and she made me fast. Without her I would not be where I am today and would have not achieved what I have. I am looking forward to training with her again this winter and sharing all that I have learnt over the past few weeks with her.

Sills In Form - pic courtesy ISAF

Saskia Sills RS:X - pic courtesy ISAF

More on the ISAF website here 

Bryony Shaw powering her way to bronze in Weymouth

The Olympic sailing venue at Weymouth and Portland – and aspiring 2012 sailing Olympians – have been under the spotlight this summer at two major regattas which not only tested the venue’s readiness for the Games, but also the form of Britain’s best sailors hoping to fly the flag next year.

A one-hour programme charting the progress of Skandia Team GBR’s best at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta in June, and the LOCOG Test Event in August will air on BBC One at 1300hrs on Saturday 20 August.

Make sure you tune in to see how Britain’s top sailors fared on home waters against the world’s elite in the Olympic Classes – including, of course, Nick Dempsey’s win at Sail for Gold, plus his silver and and Bryony Shaw’s bronze at the Olympic Test Event.

www.skandiateamgbr.com

Dorian van Rijsselberge and Nick Dempsey battle it out. Photo: Skandia Team GBR

Nick Dempsey and Bryony Shaw claimed Britain’s first medals at the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta on Thursday (11 August), winning silver and bronze in the RS:X men’s and women’s windsurfing events.

Dempsey went into the medal race at this Olympic test event assured of silver, but gunning for gold after a week of almost neck and neck racing with Dutchman Dorian van Rijsselberge, who had a seven point margin over the Skandia Team GBR sailor going into the final day.

With Dempsey needing to put three sailors between himself and van Rijsselberge to grasp gold, the 30-year-old Athens bronze medallist took the fight to the Dutch sailor, forcing him onto the back foot at the start and leaving him to pull his way through the fleet.

At one stage, it looked as though Dempsey had done enough, but the Greek competitor positioned between the Brit and the Dutchman fell in on a tack, and allowed van Rijsselberge to come back and finish the race in fifth just three places behind Dempsey’s second, instead of the four places the Brit needed to clinch gold.

Nick Dempsey, centre. Photo: Skandia Team GBR

Dempsey lost out on test event gold by a single point, saying: “I am happy, it’s just a shame I did not win.”

“It is very, very difficult to sail someone down the fleet and then sail yourself back up past everyone and that is exactly what happened.

“I managed to sail him back to last place, so we were effectively ninth and tenth, and then got myself up to second and so that’s all I can ask of myself.”

Van Rijsselberge spoke highly of his British rival. “It’s always a healthy competition going on between us, so it’s great,” he said.

“It was a really good race. Before the start Nick didn’t really show anything so I didn’t really know what to expect. At the start he was right there mixing it up trying to make it as hard as he could, and he really did. I was really impressed by his skills.”

“This is the most important event of the year for me because this is event that really most resembles the Olympic Games,” said Dempsey of the significance of this Olympic test regatta.

“Really, it’s about winning here, about winning under pressure, in the Olympic format so it has been great experience. The organisers have thrown us a few swerveballs this week and I think we’ve dealt with them quite well.”

Bryony Shaw. Photo: Skandia Team GBR

Bryony Shaw was buoyed by her bronze in the RS:X women’s event, having pushed into the top three positions for the first time heading into the final day.

The Beijing bronze medallist didn’t enjoy the best of medal races, finishing seventh after falling in on a tack, but it was enough maintain her overall third.

“This is my target regatta for the year, so to medal here I am really, really happy,” Shaw explained.

“There’s a year to go and all the preparation is about board speed, and just making sure again that I am minimising mistakes, getting the experience and reeling in the Spanish and Polish girls.”

“I feel like I am so much better than I was in Qingdao. This is about being an all-rounder in Weymouth, so I feel like I am on track.”

“There has been a real buzz, Skandia Team GBR is really tight, building towards next year and so we always try to emulate this [event] as a full dress rehearsal. It is all about preparing for next year.”

Bryony Shaw. Photo: Skandia Team GBR

For the latest news and information from the British Sailing Team at the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, visit www.skandiateamgbr.com or follow @SkandiaTeamGBR on Twitter.

Nick Dempsey, by Richard Langdon / Skandia Team GBR

Nick Dempsey laid down an early marker on the sailing test event gold on Thursday (4 August) with a rapid start to his Weymouth and Portland International Regatta race series.

The 30-year-old, who won his only World Championship title at the same venue two years ago, picked up an enviable pair of results – a second and a first – from his opening two races of the 11-race regatta to see him on top of the leaderboard at the end of the first day of racing for the RS:X class.

Bryony Shaw also saw a solid start in the women’s RS:X fleet, while Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Kate Macgregor advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s match racing with three more wins to cap off the preliminary round-robin stage in fourth place.

The third day of racing at this 2012 test event saw a gloomy start beset with rain showers, but by the time racing got underway at midday, the skies had cleared and a moderate south-westerly breeze was in play.

In the RS:X men’s event, Dempsey tussled with his key rival Dorian van Rijsselberge, with the Dutchman taking the first race win to Dempsey’s second. But the Skandia Team GBR sailor found another gear in the second race of the day to take the gun 40 seconds ahead of van Rijsselberge.

“It was our first day of racing on the west course, so I was slightly nervous about racing down there. It’s the first time I’ve ever raced that far down and it all went well,” said Dempsey.

“The conditions were great – we had some really nice sailing conditions, quite tricky, which caught a few people out, and I’m really happy to have had a solid day.

“I am fast in these conditions,” he continued. “I’ve been fast most of the year, but it’s all starting to come together a little bit more, and all my kit’s working well. I’m liking it out there and feel quite comfortable.”

But Dempsey, who won the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta six weeks at the same venue just six weeks ago, is not getting ahead of himself after the first day, and knows that he’ll face a tough challenge against both van Rijsselberge and the New Zealader Jon Paul Tobin if he’s to make it back to back regatta wins on the 2012 waters.

“They’re both amazingly good sailors, it’s just a case of race by race. If I can beat them by one or two places over the course of the day then great and hopefully by the end of the week I’ll have a bit of space. There’s a long way to go – tomorrow’s going to be a bit lighter and that will mix the results right up. I don’t have the same speed advantage in those conditions as when it’s windy so I’ll be probably mixing it in the pack and trying my best to keep in touch with the top guys.”

Bryony Shaw, by Richard Langdon / Skandia Team GBR

Bryony Shaw saw a pleasing start to her regatta, in fifth place overall in the RS:X women’s fleet with an eighth and a third from her opening two races with Spaniard Marina Alabau the one to beat with two race wins to start her series.

Shaw, the Beijing bronze medallist, enjoyed racing in Weymouth Bay, outside of the windsurfers’ more usual area of Portland Harbour, adding “some girls were going better than others and I think I got myself stuck in there which is good!”

“The women aren’t racing at all in the harbour this week, and everyone that’s trained and raced here over the years has honed their skills for the harbour so it’s tricky when they start throwing in these changes. I kind of thought we’d have some racing on other courses but not exclude the harbour completely.

“It’s OK that they’ve mixed it up, but it has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons a bit!”

For the latest news and information from the British Sailing Team at the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, visit www.skandiateamgbr.com or follow TeamGBR on Twitter (@SkandiaTeamGBR).

Nick Dempsey at Sail for Gold

British sailors are in pole position in five of the 13 classes at the halfway stage of the Skandia Sail for Gold World Cup regatta (Wednesday 8 June). Ben Ainslie has extended his lead at the top of the Finn fleet with two race wins today, while double race wins also on Wednesday for Skandia Team GBR windsurfer Nick Dempsey and the Paralympic Sonar trio of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas have ensured their places at the top of their respective leaderboards. Nick Thompson took control of the Laser class, while a solid day for Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark sees them retain their spot at the top of the 470 women’s fleet for a second day.

The 2012 waters of Weymouth and Portland provided some spectacular and physical racing conditions, averaging 18-22 knots, for third day of competition at this penultimate leg of the ISAF Sailing World Cup series, dubbed ‘Big Wednesday’.

Nick Dempsey, Weymouth local and winner of the RS:X World Championship title when it was held at this venue two years ago, provided a windsurfing masterclass out in Portland Harbour. He won both of his races to take the overall lead on countback, with New Zealander Jon Paul Tobin tied on points but currently with fewer race wins under his belt.

Dempsey, 30, was buoyed by his performance today after what he deemed as disappointing outing on Tuesday.

“It’s been absolutely beautiful today – the sun’s shining, the wind’s blowing. We had two cracking races this morning and I got two first places so I’m very, very happy with that,” he explained.

“It was much better after yesterday which was hugely frustrating and disappointing. I made some massive mistakes so it was really nice just to go out there and execute what I was hoping I could do yesterday.”

Dempsey is keeping a close eye on Tobin and Dutchman Dorian van Rijsselberge, who he deems among his main rivals for the top podium spot this week.

“JP from New Zealand is flying, and so as normal is Dorian, so I’ve had some great races with both of them already this week. They’re the two that are going really quickly, so it’ll be a good race with them this week.

“Hopefully we’ll get some lighter winds and it will mix it up a little bit,” Dempsey continued. “If it’s just windy like this then it’s kind of just the three of us that go round together and the points are not going to be that big. Hopefully we’ll get some light winds, mix it up and maybe get some big scores for those boys but who knows. It’ll be nice to get a bit of everything.”

The triple Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie earned two further race wins today to create a nine point margin between him and the second placed sailor, Skandia Team GBR teammate Giles Scott, who boosted his overall position from fourth to second with the help of a third and a second from his two races today. Ed Wright, Mark Andrews and Andrew Mills have maintained a strong British presence in the top ten

Meanwhile the Paralympic Sonar trio of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas were the third British boat to ensure a perfect scoreline on this third day. Their two race wins were not without some drama, though, as helmsman Robertson explained.

“Conditions today were pretty full on. On the first run of last race we broke the whisker pole, so Steve was having to hold the jib out downwind and that was a bit of a mission!

“Steve was a legend today – well, he’s a legend all the time really, but even more so today!”

The Sonar trio have a four point lead over their nearest rivals – the Dutch World Champions – while no racing was possible for the remaining two Paralympic classes. The 2.4mR and SKUD sailors didn’t leave the dock today so SKUD World Champions Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell retain their second place overall, with Helena Lucas currently the top placed Brit in the 2.4mR event in tenth overall.

Nick Thompson has assumed the top spot in the single-handed Laser class, with a first and a third boosting him into first overall from his overnight position of fourth. It’s tight at the top, though, with the Skandia Team GBR sailor tied on points with Dutchman Rutger van Schaardenburg and just one point ahead of the Australian World Champion Tom Slingsby. Olympic Champion Paul Goodison remains in the hunt, currently in eighth place.

“I’m not looking too much at the overall results at the moment, I’m just trying to take each race as it comes, but it’s a good start which is what I need really,” said the world silver medallist Thompson.

“Pretty much everyone that’s here racing is taking this event incredibly seriously – the game is raised quite a bit here and you can tell that people are feeling the pressure. For myself, it’s about trying to not let that get to me and just trying to focus on each race as it comes and go from there.”

A consistent day of with 5,6 from their two races was enough to keep Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark on top of the 470 women’s table, while Penny Clark and Katrina Hughes advanced to fifth overall with the help of 4,9 and the ability to now discard their disqualification from race one.

The leading British boats in the 49er fleet have remained unchanged, with John Pink and Rick Peacock still in second, and Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes four points behind in third.

Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Kate Macgregor, already assured of a spot in the quarter-finals of the women’s match racing, had mixed fortunes in their gold group matches, winning against Anne-Claire Le Berre’s French crew, but losing in a gripping photo finish across the line to Nicky Souter’s Australian team.

Elsewhere, Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson have improved to fifth overall in the Star class, Charlotte Dobson is fifth in the Laser Radial and Bryony Shaw up to fifth in the women’s RS:X windsurfing event, while Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell are the leading Skandia Team GBR crew in the 470 men’s event, currently placed sixth overall.

Racing at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta continues until Saturday 11th June. For the full line-up of Skandia Team GBR sailors in action and the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta, and the latest news and information from the British camp, visit www.skandiateamgbr.com or follow us on Twitter (@skandiateamgbr).

RYA Windsurfing

A WINDSURFING WEEKEND AT THE RYA VOLVO DINGHY SHOW 2011

After a successful return last year, windsurfing will once again be making an appearance at the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show 2011.

From expert talks and sailors to special birthday celebrations, this year’s show has plenty of activities on offer; all completely dedicated to windsurfing.

Talks

For those sailors who have always wanted to give windsurfing a try, check out the Windsurfing for Dinghy Sailors talk by Tris Best which can be found in the Coaching Area (11:00am both days in the Panorama Hall). Tris is the owner of the Windsurfing Centre OTC in Weymouth and Tenerife. He was also the Test Editor for Windsurf magazine and is very well respected in the windsurfing industry so is the perfect man to give advice on how to get started, what equipment to choose, and how to progress in the exhilarating sport of windsurfing.

Windsurfing Champion

The show will also provide the opportunity to get up close and personal with Team Volvo for Life and Skandia Team GBR’s Nick Dempsey who is the windsurfing RS:X 2009 World Champion and an Olympic Bronze Medallist. Nick will be giving an exclusive Olympic update at the show and will be sharing his future plans and ambitions for the upcoming games. Catch Nick’s talk on the main stage in Hall 2 at 13:45 on Sunday 06 March. If you have any questions for Nick you can submit your question by emailing asknick@rya.org.uk.

National Windsurfing Week

Nick is also ambassador of National Windsurfing Week (NWW) and the Windsurfing 4 Cancer Research (W4CR) charity and will be officially launching this year’s event at the show (10:45am in the Panorama Hall). NWW will run from the 01 to 08 May, providing an ideal opportunity for windsurfing enthusiasts to create ways to get as many people out on the water as possible, be it from racing events to charity fundraising to windsurfing taster sessions.

Gillian Wright, RYA Windsurfing Development Officer and a key figure behind the week says “We are delighted to have Nick’s support for National Windsurfing Week this year. NWW really brings people together which is such an important part of any sport and this year we hope to see even more people taking part, whether it’s with a windsurfing school, a shop, a club or just with your mates there are so many ways people can get involved with the event’’.

W4CR – Sunrise Sunset May 1^st

A very popular way to get involved with National Windsurfing Week is charity fundraising and kicking off NWW is the Windsurfing 4 Cancer Research (W4CR) ‘Sunrise to Sunset’ fundraising fun day with the slogan ‘more than just a day at the beach’. Sunrise Sunset events will be simultaneously taking place across the whole of the UK involving many RYA centres, clubs and T15 teams. The big challenge this year is to get ‘more than a thousand windsurfers on the water at midday.

David Tuttlebee Memorial Trophy

This year will have significant poignancy as David Tuttlebee; founder of the W4CR charity sadly lost his battle with cancer and passed away last year. The ‘David Tuttlebee Memorial Trophy’ has been created and will be awarded to the Team15, youth windsurfing club who put on the best fun fundraising Sunrise Sunset event, take part in helping to achieve the challenge by getting as many windsurfers on the water and their commitment to raising money for the charity W4CR.

To find out more about NWW and the Sunrise Sunset Challenge visit the windsurfing area in the Panoramic Hall at the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show and talk to one of the organisers. You can also register your interest at this year’s NWW event by going to www.nationalwindsurfingweek.org

or to take part in the Sunrise Sunset Challenge go to www.w4cr.org and enter on-line.

Team15 celebrates 10^th birthday

RYA’s grassroots windsurfing programme Team15 will also be celebrating its 10^th birthday this year and to mark the occasion the official birthday party will be held at the RYA Volvo Dingy Show on Saturday 05 March (11:30 in Panorama Hall).  Join in with the fun as we look back over the past 10 years to see how the programme has grown.

Team15 manager Gillian Wright who has created the programme and has worked on it from the beginning said “We are delighted to be celebrating our 10^th birthday at this year’s show. It is fantastic to see how Team15 has developed over the years and we now have more youngsters learning to windsurf with the programme than ever before and we hope to see this number continue to grow.”

Exhibitors

Finally, don’t miss the opportunity to check out the latest gear at specialised wetsuit company Spartan Wetsuits or to visit Action Van, who offer a part or full conversion service to people with a strong interest in outdoor pursuits including windsurfing. If you fancy taking a course, the Official Test Centre will also be exhibiting at the show with experts on hand to answer any of your questions. All these exhibitors can be found in the windsurfing area in the Panorama Hall.

Get your tickets

Tickets brought in advance cost just £11.00 for adults (£9.00 for RYA members and £8.00 for RYA Gold members), children 16 or under; accompanied by an adult, just £5.00 a ticket and go free on Sunday (maximum two free of charge child tickets per adult).  Children who are RYA members go free of charge all weekend.

Tickets can also be purchased on the door for £13.00 adult and £7.00 child, but if you want to beat the queues and save money then book online now at www.dinghyshow.org or call the ticket hotline on 0844 811 0409.

Nick Dempsey

Windsurfing World Champion Nick Dempsey and Laser Olympic and World Champion Paul Goodison lead British fortunes at the halfway stage of the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta in Weymouth and Portland on Wednesday (11 August).

Dempsey, who won the RS:X world title at the same venue 11 months ago, took the top spot of the leaderboard for the first time this week, with 2,1 on the water today.

“We’ve had a lot of conditions like [today’s] over the past two months so I was pretty confident I was going to be quite quick,” the Athens bronze medallist said of his day’s performance.

“The only difficult thing today was the starting – you could win or lose the race on the starts so it was really important just to get off on a nice safe start and I had two beauties today so that was pretty good!

“This has been a target event for me all year,” the 29-year-old said on his approach to this regatta at the 2012 sailing venue.

“I want to win here and I’m going to do everything I can to try and win. It’s a long way from over yet but at least I’m in a good position to race the rest of the week.

Goodison was less consistent in the Laser fleet on Wednesday, but still maintains the overall lead heading into the first day of gold fleet racing. He picked up a race win, before retiring at the end of the second race after being adjudged for not taking penalty turns after an infringement. Goodison leads the New Zealander Andrew Murdoch by six points heading into the finals series.

Britain’s most decorated Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie may have described day three of the event as “physically the hardest day of racing of racing I’ve ever done”, but he and Skandia Team GBR Giles Scott hit form amid calmer conditions in Weymouth and Portland.

Ainslie has advanced to second place overall on his competitive return to the heavyweight dinghy class, with 6,2,2 on the water on Wednesday.

But it was Scott who ruled the day, bouncing back from the disappointment of a false start disqualification on Tuesday to pick up two race wins and a fourth, which sees him into the bronze medal spot just behind Ainslie.

Bryony Shaw has advanced to the bronze medal spot in the RS:X women’s windsurfing event, with Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship silver medallist Izzy Hamilton continuing to make her presence known in the senior fleet in seventh place overall.

The Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta continues on Wednesday 11 August. Racing for the Paralympic classes concludes on Friday 13 August, with the final 10-boat medal races for the Olympic classes scheduled for Saturday 14 August.

For the latest news and information, visit www.skandiateamgbr.com or follow us on Twitter (@skandiateamgbr) for updates during the regatta.

Nick Dempsey in action. Photo: Sander van der Borch

Skandia Sail for Gold is fast approaching, and the World’s top Windsurfers are heading to Britain for the final leg of the ISAF World Cup Series. Still in contention for an overall medal placing, Team GBR’s Nick Dempsey is busy preparing for a tough test in Weymouth ahead of his defence of the RS:X World Championship crown which is in Denmark at the end of the month (August 27th – September 5th).

Nick knows that these two major events are vital in his preparations for when the Olympic Games come to Weymouth in 2012.

“I’m really looking forward to the next two events as they form a key part of my build up to London 2012. Skandia Sail for Gold starts on Monday here at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, which is of course the future home of the Olympics. So getting some competitive action here is ideal before I head to Denmark for the World Championships at the end of August.”

At Skandia Sail for Gold, Nick will be competing at the scene of his 2009 RS: X World Championship win, as well as a Silver medal at the 2008 edition of Skandia Sail for Gold. This home advantage should provide Nick with a boost in what has been at time been a difficult season.

“Normally I would have been gearing all my training this year for these two upcoming events, however things haven’t been perfect for me with being pretty ill and picking up a few niggling injuries which have affected my training. However I still have a month before the Worlds to get things right, and Sail for Gold is perfect for me as I know the waters off Weymouth really well.

My record here has been really good in competitions over the years, so I know I can sail better than I have in recent months, and what better place to do it at than here. If I can get some fast kit, and the conditions work in my favour, then I’m confident I can put in a good performance at Sail for Gold and take it on to Denmark.”

Nick and the rest of Team GBR are now busy preparing for the competition, which will see over 900 athletes descend on the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy for a what is fast becoming an important part of the British sporting calendar.

“Ahead of the Regatta, I have moved into team accommodation and I am here for the following two weeks. I am now firmly inside the team bubble getting ready for Sail Gold! It’s pretty strange moving into a squad house just a mile from home! The Sailing Academy has been buzzing the last week; we have had the TV news down for their countdown to 2012 specials, I was interviewed on the water by the BBC which I am still getting used to! We also had the rest of Team GBR here for squad meetings and training sessions which have been really encouraging and it does feel like I am starting to put it all together. On top of all that we had 500 young sailors here taking part in the Volvo Musto Optimist British Nationals! Seeing the place so full really gives you an idea of what Weymouth will be like during the Games. It is really going to be a busy time for me but I am really looking forward to testing myself against the best Windsurfers in the world.”

Skandia Sail for Gold is the seventh and final leg event of the ISAF World Cup Series and runs from the 9th – 14th August.

The 2010 RS:X World Windsurfing Championships take place in Kerteminde, Denmark from August 26th – September 5th.

www.volvocarssailing.co.uk/theteam/view/nickdempsey/

Follow Nick on Twitter and on Facebook

Nick Dempsey. Photo: Mike Cooper

Izzy Hamilton

Britain’s young guns are contemplating what could have been after Izzy Hamilton landed RYA Volvo Team GBR’s only medal at this year’s event picking up a second consecutive silver in the RS:X girls class on the final day of the 2010 Volvo Youth sailing ISAF World Championships today (16, July).

With plenty of medal winning potential among the 12-strong British team, the RYA Volvo Team GBR contingent were left feeling slightly short changed after Henry Lloyd Williams/Sam Batten (29er), Hannah Mitchell/Joanna Freeman (420) and Adam Butler/Nikki Boniface (SL16) finished just outside the medal bracket in fourth place, with both the 29er and 420 pairs missing out by just one point and the SL16 duo tied on points losing out on count back.

Adding to their solid performance Britain picked up a further two top ten results with Under 17 Techno World Champion Sam Sills taking a credible eighth and 420 boys pairing Mike Wood and Hugh Brayshaw coming back from a mid fleet position to scoop sixth overall on the last day.

Hamilton was determined to beat her Israeli rival Ofir Halevy after she toppled the 17-year-old at the RS:X Europeans in the lead up to this week’s event and that she did, but it was Poland’s Kamila Smektala who emerged victorious after a demanding week.

“I’m really happy to have got silver. I was fourth the day before yesterday and third yesterday so I’m happy to have gone up to silver today. ” said Hamilton.

“Ofir beat me at the Europeans and now I’ve beaten her at the worlds – it’s been that way since we did our first ever competition together in 2006 – we’ve always switched between each other!”

“It’s been a pretty tough week – we had lots of light races and there was a lot of hanging around which was really draining – you just had to keep focused but I’m very pleased with silver.”

In taking a second medal at the event, replicating her silver winning performance at last year regatta in Brazil, Hamilton makes history as the only British girl to have ever picked up two windsurfing medals in the events 40-year history. However with Brits in medal winning positions in four classes coming of the water on the penultimate day, the team are understandably disappointed with today’s result.

RYA Youth Racing Manager Duncan Truswell comments: “Despite the sailor’s obvious disappointment, the results are actually really good and we got painfully close to winning more medals – Nikki and Adam so close to bronze and if the 420 girls hadn’t been disqualified yesterday in the protest room they would have won and similarly if the 29er’s hadn’t suffered the same fate they would have got a silver. They sailed well, just not all of it has gone their way.”

He continued: “They had a lot on going into today and under that pressure they came really close to actually doing what was required to win the medals. It’s been a challenging week, pretty hot and very very shifty light winds so they should be pleased with their performances.”

As a nation, the Brit’s solid and consistent performance over the six days earned them second place in the competition for the Volvo Trophy which is awarded to the top performing nation, with the French just pipping them to the post in a repeat of last year’s regatta result.

Truswell concluded: “Unfortunately you seem to learn the most from these sorts of lessons – more than you do from winning medals. I’m sure they’ll all come back stronger and better in the future having learnt from the experience.”

420 sailor Hannah Mitchell commented:  “It’s been a really good week – we’ve learnt a lot. There have definitely been some ups and downs. The fact we didn’t medal here has defiantly made us more likely to medal at the 420 worlds next week – we know we could have won here so we’ve got that behind us.”

A disappointed but philosophical Henry Lloyd Williams was keen to focus on what he and his crew Sam Batten had learnt from the event: “We’ve certainly learnt a bit more about keeping an eye out for some of the situations that occur on the water and certainly when it gets towards the end of the week quite a few people if they are just one place behind you will do quite a lot to try and get you disqualified from a race. You’ve got to be aware of these situations and just keep it as safe as you can.”

RYA Racing Manager John Derbyshire added: “Coming fourth is always disappointing coming so close to what could have been but I’m sure it’ll make the sailors ever more hungry to succeed at the next event or in their senior sailing careers. It’s fantastic to see the Brits showing such consistency in picking up the second prize for the Volvo Trophy again.”

Laser Radial sailors Cameron Douglas and Sophie Mckeeman finished 16^th and 13^th respectively after a tiring week in the heat.

For full results visit www.isafyouthworlds.com

To learn more about all the RYA Volvo Team GBR sailors who competed in Turkey visit the RYA website by clicking here or visit the team Facebook book page here.

Bryony Shaw in World Cup action. Photo: Richard Langdon / Skandia Team GBR

The penultimate leg of the 2010 ISAF Sailing World Cup series is set to get underway in Kiel, Germany, today (19 June), with a mix of youth and experience making up the 27-strong British team competing at the event.

With a number of Olympic classes World and European Championships looming, Skandia Team GBR has fielded a streamlined team for the Kiel regatta, with Olympic bronze medal-winning windsurfer Bryony Shaw, double gold medallist Sarah Ayton and Saskia Clark, and Lucy Macgregor’s world number one-ranked match racing team among the line-up.

Shaw has claimed a hat-trick of medals at the three European legs of the World Cup series, so will be hungry for a fourth in Kiel, while three of Britain’s leading 49er crews – Palma World Cup silver medallists Chris Draper-Peter Greenhalgh, 2009 world silver medallist John Pink-Rick Peacock and Dylan Fletcher-Alain Sign, the top GBR crew at the 2010 Worlds – have also made the trip.

In the 2.4mR Paralympic class, Helena Lucas and Megan Pascoe will hope to make it a fourth straight World Cup podium spot for Skandia Team GBR in this single-handed event, with Lucas having sealed silver at the Palma leg of the series, and bronze at last month’s Delta Lloyd Regatta in Holland, while Pascoe secured bronze at the French Olympic Sailing Week, Hyeres in April.

Sarah Ayton and Saskia Clark will be the only Skandia Team GBR entry in the 470 women’s event, while in the men’s fleet the development squad teams of Phil Sparks-Chris Grube, Ben Saxton-David Kohler and Matt Mee-Ian Dobson will hope to shine.

Annie Lush will rejoin Lucy Macgregor in the Elliot 6m women’s match racing event, after missing the Delta Lloyd Regatta to observe at the Louis Vuitton Trophy, with Macgregor’s younger sister Kate stepping on board in place of Ally Martin, who’s sailing in Kiel with Mary Rook and Bethan Carden on the second British boat.

Alex Mills-Barton, fresh from his under 21 European silver medal last week in Estonia, will feature in the Laser fleet alongside Skandia Team GBR development squad sailors Rob Godwin, Eifion Mon and Robert Holmes.

Racing for the Olympic and Paralympic classes at Kiel Week starts on Saturday 19 June and concludes on Wednesday 23 June.

For the latest news and information from the British Sailing Team, visit www.skandiateamgbr.com

Nick Dempsey on his way to silver

Britain’s sailors picked up four more medals on the closing day of the ISAF Sailing World Cup event in Holland on Sunday (30 May) to bring their total medal tally to five at the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Medemblik.

Windsurfer Nick Dempsey and the women’s match racing trio of Lucy Macgregor, Nicky Muller and Ally Martin picked silver medals, with Bryony Shaw’s bronze from the women’s RS:X windsurfing and Helena Lucas’s bronze in the 2.4mR Paralympic class adding to the gold already won by 470 duo Nic Asher and Elliot Willis on Saturday night.

There was final day disappointment, however, in the Finn and Laser events though, with Ed Wright and Nick Thompson both missing out the podium spots.

Nick Dempsey opened the batting for Skandia Team GBR on Sunday’s final day, with a solid performance in the RS:X men’s windsurfing event pulling him into the silver medal spot from his overnight place of fifth.

The reigning World Champion made the best of the light wind conditions which prevailed at the start of the day, and recovered to third place in the 10-boat race even after re-crossing the startline fearing he had jumped the gun.

It’s Dempsey’s first World Cup medal of the year, and the 29-year-old was happy to have made the podium this week after some under par results at the previous Palma and French legs of the World Cup series.

“The week’s gone really well, it’s been a really tough week so I’m happy,” he admitted.

“It’s been a pretty tough year so far with underperforming in Palma after not being very well for a month and then still struggling in Hyeres.  As the season goes on you get fitter and stronger and it’s nice to know that I’m almost back on track to where I’d like to be.

“It gives me a stack of confidence – I really have struggled to find form and find pace in some of the conditions.  The light wind stuff is now starting to get really good again, I’m really very happy with all the light wind work we’ve been doing, but I’ve still got a lot of work to do in the stronger winds.”

Bryony Shaw racing towards bronze

Olympic bronze medallist Bryony Shaw, who broke into the top three positions for the first time yesterday, went into the medal race in the bronze medal position.

She managed to hold on to the overall third spot, in spite of having to take penalty turns after infringing her French rival Pauline Perron at the first windward mark, wither bronze now meaning she’s picked up three straight podium spots from the three European World Cup events so far.

“It’s been a really hard week – I only just got the red dot today from the win that I got yesterday,” said Shaw afterwards.

“It’s been hard to stay consistent in the really shifty offshore winds so it was good to finish on the podium finally.  I’m tired but I’m happy!”

“I’d say I’m pretty strong in light wind conditions and it’s important to try and play to your strengths.  Today I was making sure I kept an eye on the French girl who was closest to me in points, and just tried to stay relaxed and sail sensibly!”

Skandia Team GBR medal tally
GOLD
Nic Asher-Elliot Willis (470 Men)

SILVER
Nick Dempsey (RS:X Men)
Lucy Macgregor-Nicky Muller-Ally Martin (Women’s Match Racing)

BRONZE
Bryony Shaw (RS:X Women)
Helena Lucas (2.4mR)
For the latest news and information, visit www.skandiateamgbr.com

Golden girl Bryony. Photo: Paul Wyeth / Skandia Team GBR

Britain’s sailors scored a golden hat-trick on finals day at the French Olympic Sailing Week in Hyeres, with Bryony Shaw, Paul Brotherton and Mark Asquith, and Paul Goodison all sealing victory on Friday (30 April).

Skandia Team GBR had a strong finish to this fourth leg of the ISAF Sailing World Cup series, picking up five medals from the regatta as Laser Radial sailor Charlotte Dobson and 2.4mR Paralympic sailor Megan Pascoe also added silver and bronze to the British tally.

The final races were once again delayed by the light wind conditions which have prevailed throughout the week.  Shaw’s medal race was abandoned, handing her overall victory and her second straight World Cup podium finish by 18 points over Spain’s Blanca Manchon.

“It was a shame not to get out and do the medal race, but I’m really happy with the racing this week.  It’s been really light winds, so hard work, but I’m dominating in the light winds and have had really consistent results this week so I’m really happy.

“I had the yellow jersey after day one so it was nice to keep that all week.  I wasn’t necessarily expecting it but our training’s been going really well.  It shows that all that is moving in the right direction.”

“After such a testing week, it’s really fantastic to be leaving Hyeres with five medals,” said RYA Olympic Manager Stephen Park.

“I’m really pleased for Bryony and Paul and Mark, who’ve been strong in these tricky conditions all week, and Paul Goodison as well, who’s shown he’s still the man to beat in the Laser class.

Park continued: “A silver for Charlotte in the Laser Radial event is really well-deserved given all the hard work I know she’s put in during the winter, and it’s also good to see Megan Pascoe with her bronze challenging in the 2.4mR event.

“There are still a number of areas we can improve upon though – with the wealth of talent we have in the 470 men’s class, I was disappointed not to see any British boats make the medal race so that’s an area we’ll have to work on going forward.”

Photo: Richard Langdon / Skandia Team GBR

Bryony Shaw was the stand out performer for Skandia Team GBR on the penultimate day of the ISAF Sailing World Cup event in Hyeres, France, on Thursday, as Britain secured 11 boats into Friday’s final races.

The Olympic bronze medallist Shaw took advantage of the improved wind conditions to extend her lead at the top of the RS:X women’s fleet to 18 points, meaning barring major upset, she can be confident of gold heading into the final day.

The 27-year-old secured another race win and a second from Thursday’s two races to pull ahead of nearest rival and Spanish training partner Blanca Manchon.

“It’s been a really demanding week – physically and mentally – not just on the water with the light winds we’ve had, but the delays are pretty draining as well,” Shaw explained.

“It’s great to be in such a strong position going into the medal race.  I knew that I was strong in the light winds so that’s been a bonus, but it’s also encouraging to know that the work that Dom and I have been doing on technique has really paid off and we’ve seen the benefits of that this week.

She continued:  “The medal race is all about putting on a good show for the media and spectators, so I’ll go out with the hope of winning it tomorrow.”

Racing at the French Olympic Sailing Week will conclude on Friday 30 April.

For the latest news and information, visit www.skandiateamgbr.com or follow us on Twitter (@skandiateamgbr) for updates during the regatta.

Bryony Shaw

Olympic windsurfing bronze medallist Bryony Shaw saw the best British performance on a testing first day of racing at the French Olympic Sailing Week in Hyeres on Monday (26 April).

Light wind conditions continued to dominate the southern French venue, with speeds typically 4-5 knots across the courses, but Shaw managed to pick up a race win and a second to top the leaderboard in the women’s RS:X fleet after day two at this fourth leg of the ISAF Sailing World Cup series.

Shaw, 26, was involved in a tough battle with Spanish training partner Marina Alabau around the race track.  The Spaniard crossed the finish line ahead of the Skandia Team GBR sailor in both races, but was disqualified from the second race for having crossed the startline early which handed the victory and the yellow leaders’ jersey to Shaw.

“It was good to get racing today,” Shaw explained.  “The wind was so fickle we had a number of general recalls and there was a lot of waiting around, but we did get in a couple of fair races, even if they were a hellish pump-off in such light winds!

“I had some good battles with Marina, I was right on her the whole time and we were fronting up the fleet.

“It was hard work today, both physical and tactical, but it’s great to be up there.”

RS:X men’s World Champion Nick Dempsey also saw a solid start to his regatta, with two third places from his two races seeing him in third overall.

Racing at the French Olympic Sailing Week is set to resume on Tuesday 27 April, with the final medal races scheduled for Friday 30 April.

For the latest news and information, visit www.skandiateamgbr.com or follow us on Twitter (@skandiateamgbr) for race updates during the regatta.