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The 31 year old will race in the Star keelboat class this week for just the second time with new crew Andrew 'Bart' SIMPSON - a two-time World and European Finn medallist, and an America's Cup strategist alongside PERCY at +39. PERCY and SIMPSON joined forces at the beginning of this year, with their first competitive foray at the ISAF Grade 1 Rolex Miami OCR resulting in a 17th place.

After a stint back in the Star training at Hayling Island prior to the regatta, the duo are looking forward to concentrating fully on their bid for Olympic gold in Qingdao next year.

'Our America's Cup frustrations have been well documented, but with all that now behind us, Bart and I are fully focussed on getting ourselves in the best possible shape in the Star ready for the Worlds in Cascais and ultimately the Olympic Games in Qingdao next year,' PERCY explained.

Preparing For Cascais

'This week in Holland will give us a great opportunity to get some quality racing in ahead of the Worlds and give a us a good benchmark of where we sit relative to rest of the fleet - bearing in mind this is just our second event together!'

PERCY and SIMPSON are amongst some 43 Skandia Team GBR sailors competing across 10 classes on the waters of the Ijsselmeer this week at what, for most of them, will be the last major test before the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Cascais, Portugal, in July - an all-important regatta in the qualification process for the Beijing Games.

PERCY and SIMPSON are up against a formidable line up which includes the on form Robert SCHEIDT and Bruno PRADA (BRA), who demolished the opposition at both Star events earlier this year in Palma de Mallorca. Another Finn Olympic gold medallist, Mateusz KUSZNIEREWICZ (POL), will also be a leading contender with crew Dominik ZYCKI (POL). Meanwhile Fredrik LOOF and Anders EKSTROM (SWE) and Olympic Solidarity sailor Peter BROMBY and crew Bill MCNIVEN (BER) return to Europe after impressive displays at the ISAF Grade C1 Star Western Hemisphere Championship in the USA.

The Holland Regatta will be included in the first running of the ISAF World Cup© series for the Olympic Classes. For more on the ISAF World Cup© CLICK HERE.

For a complete list of all the news about the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games CLICK HERE.