Wilmot and Page miss practice race

The Australian pair are busy relaxing before racing gets underway at the 470 worlds

Australia’s Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page have taken a reasonably unorthodox approach to the start of their Sail Melbourne 470 Men’s 2008 world championship campaign which begins at Mordialloc Sailing Club tomorrow.

Bypassing the optional practice race today, Wilmot spent the day relaxing with family and friends. Wilmot, 28, prepared for his potentially record-breaking fourth world title, soaking up the atmosphere at a regional winery.

Obviously relaxed and confident about their chances, the affable Wilmot appeared unfazed by the daunting task they lay ahead for him and his crew at a regatta that will probably prove a tougher ask than the Olympics in Beijing, later this year.

Wilmot and Page have already secured their berth on the national team to go to Qingdao and with numbers here far greater than what they will face in China, the World number one ranked pair appear on track to continue their dominance.

“At the moment I’m at a winery so I’m pretty relaxed and staying away from the boat park but everything is going really well,” Wilmot said today.

“Last week (Sail Melbourne Asia Pacific Regatta) we tested a few things and finalized all of our equipment and we were going fast there, so I think everything is really on track as far speed and teamwork goes,” he added.

A win here for the pair would simply solidify their status as hot favourite for the gold at Beijing, despite the fact they were in exactly same position heading into Athens four years ago and could manage just 12th.

They admit to being a lot more experienced and a lot more familiar with racing under pressure and a win at the Olympic test event last year proved that the light air conditions are no problem either.

Hot on the Aussies’ heels will be Dutch crew Sven and Kalle Coster, Gideon Kliger and Udi Gal (ISR) and Mathew Belcher and Nick Behrens (AUS) ranked second, third and fourth in the world respectively.

Meanwhile, the 470 Women’s championship doesn’t appear so outwardly cut and dried for the Australian contingent.

Following a couple of minor setbacks late last year, Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson who won the Olympic test event in Qingdao, will have their work cut out stopping Dutch crew Marcelien de Koning and Lobke Berkhout from winning their fourth world title in four years.

“We’re very excited to start the regatta now that we’ve been in Melbourne a month now,” Tessa Parkinson said. “This will be a good stepping stone to getting back on our feet and I feel we’re back on track now,” she added.

Racing starts at 1pm tomorrow.