Andrews aiming for third EUROSAF gold
Written by RYA | 19 June 2013
GBR sailors head to Kiel for the fourth instalment of the EUROSAF circuit
After picking up two gold medals from the three EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup events this year, Mark Andrews will be looking to continue his run of form when the Kieler Woche Regatta gets underway this weekend in Kiel, Germany (22-26 June).
British Sailing Team member Andrews, who competes in the heavy weight Finn class, clinched his first ever senior podium finish at the Dutch leg of the EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup in May and more recently picked up his second consecutive gold medal at the Sail for Gold Regatta on home waters of Weymouth ad Portland last week (8-13 June).
Entering both medal races in the hunt for the top spot of the podium, the 27-year-old Scotsman produced fantastic medal race performances at both the Delta Lloyd and Sail for Gold to clinch last-gasp gold medals in front of fellow British Sailing Team Podium Squad sailor Andrew Mills, who entered the Sail for Gold medal race in pole position.
Andrews, who is using this regatta as final preparation for the Finn Europeans in July and World Championships in August, will be joined by the Hyeres World Cup winner Mills, who has taken silver and bronze at the last two events, while British Sailing Team Podium Potential sailor Pete McCoy will be looking to upgrade his bronze medal from last week’s Sail for Gold Regatta in Weymouth and Portland.
Luke Patience and Joe Glanfield will also be looking to build on their momentum from their recent silver medal at the 470 Europeans in Formia, Italy last weekend (Saturday 15 June) as they compete in their first EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup event, while two-time Olympic silver medallist Nick Rogers and his crew – double World Champion Elliot Willis and 2012 Junior European silver medallists Mike Wood and Hugh Brayshaw will also be on the Kiel start line.
In the women’s 470 event, Sophie Weguelin and Eilidh McIntyre will be vying for their fourth podium finish of the year after winning bronze at the 470 Europeans in Formia, Italy and silver and bronze at the Palma and Hyeres World Cup events – their first two events together – in April. Joining Weguelin and McIntyre in the women’s 470 fleet will be British Sailing Team Podium Potential sailors Anna Burnett and Flora Stewart, Joanna Freeman and Katie Tomsett and Jess Lavery and Megan Brickwood.
James Peter and Ed Fitzgerald will be looking to improve their sixth place finish from last year’s event in Germany while Henry Lloyd Williams and Sam Batten make up the GBR contingent in the 51-strong 49er fleet. In the Laser class, Britain’s up-and-coming Podium Potential squad sailors will be looking to make their mark, with Martin Evans leading the charge after finishing eighth at the third stage of the EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup at WPNSA.
Racing at the Kieler Woche Regatta gets underway on Saturday 22 June with the final races taking place on Wednesday 26 June.
Follow the regatta at the event website with race updates on the British team sailors throughout the event on Twitter @BritishSailing.
For the latest news and information from the British Sailing Team visit www.britishsailingteam.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @BritishSailing.