@matchracegirls: Thanks all! We had a couple of drinks to celebrate and are now back home sweet home in Poole....it is very, very... http://t.co/8zegrnH5
The Team Volvo for life athletes are currently at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy for five days of competition against the best sailors and windsurfers in the world.
Skandia Sail for Gold is the seventh and final leg of the ISAF World Cup Series, and currently over 800 sailors from 56 nations have entered, which is nearly 200 more than previous editions of what is becoming a landmark day in the British sporting calendar.
Team Volvo for life's Ben Ainslie has made his long awaited return to the Finn class, and is facing strong competition from home and abroad, as fellow Brit Ed Wright looks to go one better than his silver medal at last year's Sail for Gold.
Paul Goodison
Paul Goodison in the Laser class has some tough competitors with Australian double World Champion Tom Slingsby, current World Cup leader Javier Hernandez from Spain, and Team GBR's Nick Thompson all chasing the gold.
Sarah Ayton and Saskia Clark
In the 470 class Team Sarah Ayton, who will be boosted by their recent 5th place at the World Championships and 1st at the previous World cup event, go up against the leading French teams of Ingrid Petitjean with Nadege Douroux and Emmanuelle Rol and Helene Defrance.
Helena Lucas
In the 2.4mr Paralympic class, Helena Lucas is still in World Cup Series medal contention and will be battling it out for the silver and bronze position against compatriot Megan Pascoe, with Holland's Barend Kol close behind.
Nick Dempsey
Finally in the RS: X class Nick Dempsey is ten points off a final podium place, but has home advantage in his favour as he sails off his home waters of Weymouth. Nick won his World Championship crown here last year, and with the London Games here in less than two years time, he knows Sail for Gold will be a great test of his abilities.
"At this stage of the season, Sail for Gold is perfect for me. I know the waters off Weymouth really well and my record here has been really good in competitions over the years. I know I can sail better than I have done 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 and the World Championships at the end of the month."
Medal day racing at the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta 2009
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