RS:X National Championships Come to Perth!
WA 2011 is the company that, against seven other nations, won the bid to host the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Perth.
Perth 2011 Event Director John Longley said Bathers Bay, Centre Course for the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, was the place to be between 19-21 February, 2010 to witness Olympic level racing and action.
“You don’t have to wait till December 2011 to get your first glimpse of Olympic standard sailing with the 2010 RS:X National Championships coming to Perth next month,” Mr Longley explained.
The Australian RS:X Class is the first of the 10 Olympic events to take advantage of the Sailing World Championships coming to Perth. All 10 Olympic events will be represented at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships and Mr Longley says other national Olympic Class Associations may follow suit.
“I am pleased that the Australian RS:X Class has chosen to link to the Perth 2011 Emerging Nations Programme (ENP). As two of the four events that the ENP focuses on include RS:X men and RS:X women, combining the 2010 RS:X National Championships with the Second ENP Regatta makes sense,” he said.
“Colombian Olympic hopeful and ENP participant Nicolas Lozano will be someone to look out for at the RS:X National Championships. Lozano won the RS:X events at both the Inaugural ENP Regatta in December and at the first leg of the 2009-10 ISAF Sailing World Cup - Sail Melbourne.”
Although the Inaugural Perth 2011 ENP Regatta held in December 2009 (as part of the second ENP Training Session) was an overall success, Mr Longley said several aspects required improvement.
“As a priority, at the second regatta we plan to bolster the on-water side of operations,” he said.
This regatta will be open to the four ENP events – RS:X men, RS:X women, Lasers and Laser Radials.
Eleven athletes, from developing sailing nations, have been invited to attend the third Emerging Nations Programme Intensive Training Session, which will be held at the Fremantle Sailing Club, between the 8th-25th February, 2010. These athletes are close to qualifying at Olympic level but due to limitations in their home nations have not yet reached their potential. Under the guidance of Head Coaches Belinda Stowell (2000 Sydney Olympic Games Gold Medallist) and Arthur Brett (2008 Beijing Olympic Games Sailing Coach) will take up the challenge to be the best they can be - aiming to qualify for Perth 2011 and potentially their nation for the 2012 London Olympic Games! The Dream Begins in Perth!
The 2009 RS:X National Championships were held in NSW, although the 2009 RS:X World Championships were in Weymouth, United Kingdom. The UK event provided international competitors with the opportunity to race in the conditions they will likely encounter at the 2012 London Olympic Games Sailing Competition, which will be held at the same location.
For more information please visit the ENP News section of the Perth 2011 website (under Media), visit the Australian RS:X Class Association Inc. www.rsx.yachting.org.au or the international site - www.rsxclass.com.
