Brits advance on day two of Hyeres Sailing World Cup 

Four British boats in pole position after day two of World Cup racing in Hyeres

British sailors made the most of a second day of perfect World Cup racing conditions in Hyeres on Tuesday (22 April), with four British boats at the top of the class standings at the end of the two-day qualifying series.  

World silver medallists Ben Saxton and Hannah Diamond proved almost unstoppable in the Nacra 17 multihull event today, with two race wins and a fifth for their efforts elevating them to the top spot of the leaderboard after six races.

“We had a really good day today.  We were fairly pleased with the first [race] but we knew that we could do a lot better.  We made sure that we did all the things that we did in the first race a little bit better and then won the last two, which was great, so we’re really happy,” Diamond explained.

The duo are just one point ahead of the French World Champions Billy Besson and Marie Riou – and with the three-day finals series and a medal race still to play for, they know they can’t rest on their laurels.



“Gold fleet is definitely a bit of a different ball game – we’re definitely going to have to step up our racing if we’re going to continue to win races,” the 24-year-old added.

“But we’re really pleased with how everything’s been going for the last two days, so hopefully we’ll just keep doing exactly the same, make sure we keep on making progress and see how it goes.”

Helmsman Saxton admitted they team is eying a podium finish at this final event of the 2013/14 ISAF Sailing World Cup series, to make up for a fourth place at last year’s event and a sixth at the recent Palma leg of the World Cup two weeks ago.

“We did alright in Hyeres last year coming fourth, and I think we were sixth in Palma, but we were kind of aiming for a medal going into the medal race in Palma. 

“It’s nice that we’ve set ourselves up with a good qualifying now, and it’s good that we’re winning races.  We’ve won three out of the six races so far – and when you win races you stand more chance of getting on the correct step of the podium.

“So it’s going well – we’ll just try and continue it for the second half of the week,” the 23-year-old added.  

Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign continued a confident start to their title defence in the 49er class with two race wins and a fourth boosting them to the top of the standings in the 49er event, while Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth are in pole position heading in the women’s equivalent 49erFX event. 

They posted two second places and a win from their three races to earn them the yellow jerseys for the first day of gold fleet racing on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Paralympic Sonar team of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas retained their overall lead for a second day.

The trio picked up a second and a race win today – a score mirrored by the French World Champions Jourdren-Vicary-Flageul – to keep the overall lead on countback after four races.

“It was a left-sided course for most of the day, the breeze was up and down quite a lot and there were choppy seas but we managed to put a couple of good results on the board,” explained mainsheet man Thomas, who is hoping for a podium finish in France to keep their progress going towards the IFDS World Championships in August.

“It is important – I think it’s about consistency and putting consistent performances in, and slowly getting better,” the 37-year-old Bridgend sailor added.

“The main aim is to medal at the World Championships, but also just to be improving in processes, and trim and technique and being up there on the medal board to gain the momentum towards the Worlds.”  

In the 2.4mR Paralympic class, Megan Pascoe retained her overall third place for a second day, picking up a 3,2 from her two races, while Helena Lucas advanced to fourth.

Sophie Weguelin and Eilidh McIntyre also kept hold of the red bibs for overall third in the 470 women’s event, while Hannah Snellgrove advanced to eighth in the Laser Radial event with a solid 5,3 from her two races in the women’s single-handed dinghy.

The British Sailing Team’s windsurfing men enjoyed a great battle on the water today, with Podium Potential sailor Tom Squires getting the better of Nick Dempsey in the first race of the day, before Dempsey fought back to edge out his apprentice and make it a British 1-2 in the second race.   They’re placed eighth and ninth overall after six races.

Nick Thompson is the leading British Laser sailor in 11th, while Luke Patience and Elliot Willis are poised in 15th heading into the final series starting tomorrow.  

Racing at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres continues on Wednesday 22 April with the final races for the Paralympic classes on Friday 25 April, and the medal races scheduled for the Olympic Classes on Saturday 26 April.

We’ll bring you all the British Sailing Team news, results and reaction from the event at www.britishsailingteam.com, on Twitter @BritishSailing or via our Facebook page.