A strong Aussie contingent has landed in Miami and ready to defend a raft of titles at the second round of Hempel World Cup Series (Jan 27 - Feb 3).

A total of 20 Australian Sailing Team athletes have traveled to Miami, including Rio 2016 Laser gold medalist Tom Burton and Rio silver medallists Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin in the Nacra 17.

Burton will be returning to defend last year’s Miami title and will be faced with a mammoth task, as the Laser fleet has grown this year to include 105 entrants from all around the globe. 

Burton returned from a short lay-off at the end of 2018 to claim the Australian Laser title earlier this month and is feeling good about the team’s chances in Miami. “The Aussie squad is strong and if I can keep up with them I know I won’t be too far away from the front,” Burton said.

Fellow Laser class sailor and Australian Sailing Team member Matt Wearn expects tough competition and sees it as a great opportunity to gauge his progress before heading to Europe later this year.

“I am looking forward to racing in the bigger fleet and seeing what I can do. It would be great to start the year off well and be on the top step of the podium,” Wearn said.

Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin are also excited to be back on the shores of Miami, as they also look to defend last year’s title.

“After such a great win last year it would be great to do a repeat but we know everyone has been training hard so we will have to bring our A game to come home with the goods again this year,” Darmanin said.

“It’s great to be back in Miami and checking in with the fleet. We have the same top four here from last year including the bronze and gold medalists’ from Rio so there is always a great battle between us and enjoyable racing.”

The team has shown their strength during the 1^st leg of the Hempel series in Enoshima, where they finished first ahead of the Italian team of Ruggero Tita and Caterina Marianna Banti.

In the 49ers, David Gilmour and Lachy Gilmour are excited to test themselves on the international scene after a strong summer in Australia and a 4^th place finish in the warm-up regatta in Miami.

“It will be our first opportunity in about 6 months to race against the international fleet and our last before some important events in Europe later this year,” the pair said.

“We have been training a lot in Australia and now it’s good to be able to come away and compete again,” David added.

It will be the first international regatta for the new 49er team of Joel Turner and Tom Needham, as well as being Tom’s first international 49er event since he transitioned to the Olympic class. The pair have recently arrived and are training hard as they focus on their racing skills and building a strong combination.

The Australian Sailing Team will also be joined by Squad athletes Paul Darmanin and Lucy Copeland (Nacra 17), Tess Lloyd and Jaime Ryan (49erFX), Natasha Bryant and Annie Wilmot (49erFX), Amelia Stabback and Caitlin Elks (49erFX), Jake Lilley (Laser Standard), Finn Alexander (Laser Standard) and Zoe Thomson (Laser Radial).

Natasha and Annie have been in Miami now for just over a week preparing themselves and the boat for their first big international event of the year. 

“The conditions over here have been great for training with a variety of wind strengths and directions.” Natasha commented.

“There is a great turn-out of FX’s here with all the top competitors from around the world, so the competition will be tough.”

“The World Cup will be a great opportunity for us to check in with the fleet and to pick up on a few things we can change before the big Europe season ahead,” the pair added.

Finn sailor Jake Lilley is also excited about the upcoming regatta and thinks it will be a true test to see where he is at after a strong Australian summer.

“The Miami World Cup is a great opportunity to gauge where the Northern Hemisphere fleet is at and check-in with them as well as another opportunity to race at the top level. I'm keen to get out there and flex some of the benefits from a summer of training Down Under,” Lilley said.

In the 49erFX, Jamie Ryan and Tess Lloyd are looking forward to testing themselves after a lot more time on the water compared to their last international hit out.

“I’ve been sailing in the FX for less than a year, and the last time we raced on the international circuit we were still pretty green as a team together,” Ryan said.

“It will be good to get off the start feeling a lot more comfortable in the boat and being able to focus a bit more on the racing. Qualification for the Games is starting pretty soon, so we definitely want to be establishing ourselves at the front of the fleet.”

The 2019 Hempel World Cup Series Miami will be once again held on Biscayne Bay, featuring top-level Olympic-class competition, with more than 660 sailors competing, including Olympic medallists and World and Continental Champions being a key regatta for sailors campaigning for the Japan 2020 Olympic Games.

* Miami is 16 hours behind AEDT. Racing is scheduled to start on Tuesday January 29, race times TBA

Last year’s series wrap>>

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