Delta Lloyd Regatta underway tomorrow

Heavy Olympic classes hitters descend on Medemblik

Delta Lloyd Regatta, the fifth event on the ISAF Sailing World Cup circuit is set to start tomorrow in Medemblik, Holland. Some 600 boats in the ten Olympic classes and the paralympic 2.4m, representing 61 countries, are set to compete.

Five teams are back in Medemblik to defend their title. The Delta Lloyd regatta is the first international event in Europe for 2010 ISAF Sailing World Cup winners, Norway's Eivind Melleby and Peter Morland Pedersen in the Star while in the 49er, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS) are back on the circuit to defend their title in Holland, after placing fourth in Sail Melbourne.

Croat Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic in the Finn, Tom Slingsby in the Laser and the Netherlands' own Marit Bouwmeester in the Laser Radial will all be eager to retain theirs title on the IJsselmeer.

Event favourites include:

2.4
Thierry Schmitter (NED): winner 2011Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma, 4th 2011 Semaine Olympique Française, Hyères.
Megan Pascoe (GBR): Second in 2011 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma, 2nd 2011 Semaine Olympique Française, Hyères.
Helena Lucas (GBR): 3rd 2011 Semaine Olympique Française Hyères.
 
RS:X
Dorian Van Rijsselberge (NED): winner of the Sailing World Cup (2008-2009), winner 2011 Rolex Miami OCR, winner 2011 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma, 2nd 2010 Sail For Gold, winner 2010 Rolex Miami OCR
Ricardo Santos (BRA): 2007 World Champion, 5th 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, 5th
2011 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma
 
RS:X Women
Jessica Crisp (AUS): 3rd 2010 Kiel Week, 5th 2010 Sail Melbourne, 5th 2011 Rolex Miami OCR, 5th 2008 Olympic Games
Flavia Tartaglini (ITA): 7th 2010 Sail Melbourne, 4th Skandia Sail for Gold
 
Laser
Tom Slingsby (AUS): World #1, 2010 World Champion, 1st Sail Melbourne 2009, 1st Delta Lloyd Regatta 2010, 1st Kieler Woche 2010. ISAF Sailor of the Year 2010, 3rd 2010 Sail Melbourne, 2nd 2011Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma, 3rd 2011 Semaine Olympique Française.
 
Laser Radial
Evi Van Acker (BEL): 3rd Rolex Miami OCR 2010, 2nd 2010 Delta Lloyd Regatta, 3rd 2011 Rolex Miami OCR, 2nd Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma
Marit Bouwmeester (NED): Vice World champion 2010, 1st Delta Lloyd Regatta 2010,
Tina Mihelic (CRO): Winner 2010 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma, 4th 2011 Semaine Olympique Française Hyères.
Veronika Fenclova (CZE):2nd 2010 SWC, 2nd 2010 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma, 3rd 2010 Delta Lloyd regatta.
Daphne van Der Vaart (NED): Silver 2010 Youth Olympic games
Michelle Broekhuizen (NED): ISAF Youth World Champion
 
Finn
Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO): World #1, Winner Kieler Woche and Delta Lloyd Regatta 2010, 3rd 2010 Semaine Olympique Française Hyères, 3rd 2010 Sail for Gold, 2010 European Champion
Edward Wright (GBR): 2010 World champion, Winner SWC 2009 and 2010, winner 2010 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma, 2nd 2010 Sail Melbourne
Pieter-Jan Postma (NED): 3rd 2011 Semaine Olympique Française Hyères
 
470 Men
Mathew Belcher/Malcolm Page (AUS): Gold medal Beijing Olympics (MP), World Champion 2007 (MP) and 2010, Vice World Champion 2003 (MP), 2006 (MP). World #1. 2nd SWC standings, Win 2010 Sail melbourne, 2nd 2011 Rolex Miami OCR
Sime Fantela/Igor Marenic (CRO): World #2, 3rd 2010 Delta lloyd regatta, 3rd 2010 Kiel Week, 3rd 2010 Worlds.
Panagiotis Mantis/Pavlos Kagialis (GRE): 2010 European Champions, 5th 2010 Worlds, 5th 2011 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma, World #4.
 
470 Women
Lisa Westerhof/Lobke Berkhout (NED): 2010 World Champion, 2nd 2010 Delta Lloyd Regatta.
Ai Kondo/Wakako Tabata (JAP): winner Sail for Gold 2010, 2nd Palma 2011
Tara Pacheco/Berta Betanzos (ESP): winner 2011 Semaine Olympique Française Hyères, second 2010 Sail for Gold,
Henriette Koch/Lene Sommer (DEN): 3rd 2010 SWC circuit, 3rd 2010 Rolex Miami OCR
 
49er
Nathan Outteridge/Iain Jensen (AUS): winners 2010 Delta Lloyd and Sail for Gold regatta; Silver medal 2010 Worlds
Stephen Morrison/Ben Rhodes (GBR): World # 5, 2007 World Champions, 2008 Vice World Champions, 3rd 2010 Skandia Sail For Gold.
Emil Toft Nielsen/Simon Toft Nielsen (DEN): World # 10, 5th Semaine Olympique Française, Hyères 2011, 6th Kiel Week 2010
  
Women Match Racing:
Anna Tunnicliffe (USA): 2nd 2011 Rolex Miami OCR, 3rd 2011 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma
Silja Lehtinen (FIN): 2nd 2011 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma
Ekaterina Skudina (RUS): 2010 European champion, winner 2010 Kiel Week
 
Star:
Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada (BRA): winner 2011 Rolex Miami OCR and Semaine Olympique Française Hyères. Beijing Silver medallists.
Torben Grael/Marcelo Ferreira (BRA): 2004 Olympic champions,
Iain Percy/Andrew Simpson (GBR): 2008 Olympic champions, 2010 World champions, winner 2011 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre Palma.
Eivind Melleby/Petter Morland Pedersen (NOR): Winners 2010 SWC, 2010 Semaine Olympique Française Hyères, 2010 Delta Lloyd Regatta

Racing will start on Tuesday at 1100 and can be followed on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.

The Medal races are scheduled over two days, with the 470 Men and Women, and Star on Saturday starting at 1800 and the remaining classes on Sunday. They will be broadcast live with videos integrating 3D tracking and expert commetnry on the event website: www.deltalloydregatta.org