Australian sailing teams are preparing to continue their run of encouraging results at the Semaine Olympique Francais de Voile which starts this Saturday 24 April in Hyeres, France. The regatta forms round four of seven events in the ISAF Sailing World Cup and runs until 30 April. 

Australia will have three teams competing in this regatta - two Women’s Match Racing teams led by Katie Spithill and Lucinda Whitty; and the Australian Men’s 470 team led by Mathew Belcher.

Belcher and crew member Will Ryan have arrived in Hyeres fresh from an overall win at the International Spring Cup in Marseille, where the fleet included the 2000 Olympic Games bronze medallists from Argentina and ISAF World Cup 2010 rivals Israel and France.  The Australians currently lead the Men’s 470 standings in the ISAF Sailing World Cup after three rounds, two points ahead of Israel and four points ahead of France.

The result is particularly pleasing for Belcher and Ryan who don’t normally sail together. Belcher’s usual crew Malcolm Page is competing in the Rolex Farr 40s World Championships in the Dominican Republic aboard Estate Master.  Page will travel to Hyeres after the Farr 40 Worlds finish but is not expected to arrive until day three of the French regatta even if the worldwide airline chaos settles. 

Belcher has submitted a request to the International Jury at the Semaine Olympique Francais de Voile for a change of crew during the regatta.  If the request is approved, Belcher and Ryan will start the regatta and, once Page arrives, he will take Ryan’s place in the boat.  If it is declined, Belcher and Ryan are happy to accept the decision and complete the regatta together, although Page would still provide team support with coach Victor Kovalenko.

“The main reason for Will and I to compete in the International Spring Cup was to prepare ourselves for the start of Hyeres, so we would be in a good enough position for Mal and I to take over once he arrives from Dominican Republic,” said Mathew.

“We are competing in these events to gain experience and to continue to develop ourselves and our team.

“Being the most successful crew in 470 history as Mal is, it’s kind of hard to beat but he and Will have similar sailing styles and Will is extremely talented crew so it is a pleasure to sail with him over this time.”

While they wait for a decision from the officials, Belcher and Ryan are testing out various rigging during training.

“Everything is in pretty good shape with our equipment but we are testing a few rigs that we made in Australia so we are open to the possibility of using a different mast for this regatta,” said Belcher.

“We will check the conditions and then make a decision on what we use. 

“At this stage, it looks as if we will experience similar conditions to the light winds we had in Marseille, but we would have to expect a mistral at some stage during this regatta.”

“All the teams from Spring Cup will come here and we are expecting over 100 boats, the same as in Palma, so it will be tough racing as usual.”

The two Australian Women’s Match Racing Teams headed by Katie Spithill and Lucinda Whitty have also arrived in Hyeres, in top shape after intensive fitness training at the AIS European Training Camp in Italy. 

“We’re feeling stronger and fitter in the boats and are all closer to our weight targets set for London 2012,” said Lucinda Whitty.

“After the intensive two weeks of fitness training in Varese we’re under instruction to take it bit easier at the moment, so we are keeping our sessions to two hours per day.”

Both teams have had on-water training sessions with their French training partners, world number one Claire Leroy and French Yngling helm Anne-Claire Le Berre, in the French Elliott six metre boats they will sail at this regatta.

“The local French teams will be ones to watch in this regatta but our training time with and against them has given us a better understanding of their racing style and techniques,” said Australian skipper Katie Spithill.

Spithill said the airline delays caused by volcanic ash over Europe had apparently caused some teams meant to be competing at Hyeres to be severely delayed, still in their home nations and unable to board flights.

Racing at Hyeres is scheduled to begin Saturday 24 April.

Yachting Australia