Top sailors head to Miami for the first test in 2018

Over 540 sailors, from 50 nations, will be competing in Miami, USA, for the second of four regattas in Sailing’s 2018 World Cup Series.

From 21-28 January, some of the best sailors, including Olympic medallists and World Champions, will be competing across all ten Olympic events in Miami, giving their best to ensure a solid start to the year.

The first opportunity to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is upcoming at Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus 2018 this August. World Cup Series rounds in Miami, USA ais a first indication of who will be gunning for gold at the World Championships.

Some of the stars sailing in Miami include the legendary Santiago Lange and Cecilia Carranza Saroli (ARG) who clinched an emotional Nacra 17 gold medal in Rio and British 49er sailors, Dylan Fletcher-Scott and Stuart Bithell who took gold to the 2017 49er World Championship.

Other contending teams in the 49er include Diego Botin and Iago Marra who won the midwinter championship warm up regatta last week and Ben Bildstein with David Hussl who are returning from injury right back into top level competition.

2018 World Cup Series Miami will see the return of 49erFX sailors, Ragna Agerup and Maia Agerup (NOR), who had a successful 2017 winning silver at the 2017 World Cup Series in Miami and gold at the 49erFX Junior World Championship in Kingston, Canada.

Kate Macgregor and Sophie Ainsworth (GBR) just missed out on a podium position at the 2017 World Cup Series Final in Santander, Spain. The 49erFX sailors are motivated to make the podium this time and so will be their team mates Charlotte Dobson and Saskia Tidey.

Victoria Travascio and Sol Branz (ARG) will have a good shot at winning outright, having taken a dramatic in at the last world cup in Gamagouri. Keep on the lookout for Austrian bronze medalist Tanja Frank to make her mark with Lorena Abricht to come into form in the 49erFX after making the transition from Nacra 17.

Racing at the 2018 World Cup Series Miami will commence on Tuesday 23 January at 11:00 local time.

Live Medal Races on Saturday 27 January will bring the week to a close.