Mat Belcher and Will Ryan have tasted victory for the first time on the waters of Enoshima, closing out the 470 Japan Championships on Sunday and adding another win to what is becoming another successful year for the dynamic duo.

Despite a 5th placing in the medal race, the Olympic silver medallists claimed top spot by 5 points ahead of Japan’s defending national champions Kiyuki Okada and Junpei Ozono.

“We ended up having about 75 boats and the talent in Japan is pretty impressive," Belcher said.

"We had quite a good high-end group - we had four or five of the top 10 from the World Championships just two weeks before. Then there was the depth and numbers and volume through the rest of the Japanese group.

“For us to get confidence in Japan is important. It’s important for us to feel more comfortable. I guess that was the main reason for us to come over, to learn about the conditions. It was really good for us."

There was another factor in the pair's decision to compete at the regatta: Belcher wanted to be home for his son's birthday next Sunday, which means they will only arrive for the upcoming Olympic Test Event the day before racing starts.

“I really wanted to be home for my son's birthday," Belcher said. "So it was important to get our preparation done by competing at this regatta."

The Japan Nationals provided some spectacular action at times under the influence of a nearby typhoon. Belcher and Ryan showed their versatility to master nearly every type of condition that they were confronted with.

Ryan said: “It was our first win on the Olympic waters, which is a pretty special feeling - and we’re looking to do the same in two years’ time."

The crew, coached by the legendary Victor Kovalenko, have claimed wins this year at the Palma regatta in Spain and the World Cup Final in France, but fell short of a podium place at the World Championships in Denmark. They are among the Australian squad preparing for the first official Olympic Test Event, which starts at Enoshima on September 9.

Test Event Website

Full Squad for the Test Event:

Mat Belcher/Will Ryan - 470M

Nia Jerwood/Monique de Vries - 470W

Chris Charlwood/Josh Dawson - 470M

David Gilmour/Lachy Gilmour - 49er

Natasha Bryant/Annie Wilmot - 49erFX

Elyse Ainsworth - Laser Radial

Zoe Thomson - Laser Radial

Jake Lilley - Finn

Nathan Outteridge/Haylee Outteridge - Nacra 17

Jason Waterhouse/Lisa Darmanin - Nacra 17

Tom Burton - Laser

Matt Wearn - Laser

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