Team GBR update - 3

Peter Bentley surveys Britain's chances in the double handers for the coming season and 2004

49er


Brotherton and Hiscocks

There is a whole bag full of skilled crews here and they seem intent on continuing to work as a group.Given that Ian Barker attributes at least part of his success in Sydney to working with such a strong squad, this can be no bad thing.

Past 49er European champion and 1992 470 Olympian, Paul Botherton has taken over Barker's Olympic Silver medal crew, Simon Hiscocks. This duo must be regarded as top team for now at least. Winning Hyeres last year and banging in a seventh at the worlds is not a bad way to start any new campaign, especially given the sail change shenanigans going on in the supposedly one design class. Brotherton and Hiscocks were the only crew to use the less highly regarded 'new' Neil Pryde sails for the whole season - as they will have to do in Athens - while others used the 'old' North or new Neil Pryde in combination.

Alistair Richardson and Peter Greenhalgh went to Sydney as tune up boat for Barker and Hiscocks and have had a sniff of the Olympic air. They liked what they saw and intend to get back for more in 2004. A sixth at Hyeres last year and a seventh at the Europeans show that they have what it takes.

After a very close defeat in the 470 Trials last time around, Chris Draper regards his Olympic campaign as unfinished business . Now sailing with Mark Asquith, previously a top contender in the Laser Youth Squad, he will not be an easy man to beat.

Mark and Sam Richmond make up the squad, currently receiving D-card funding. No coach has yet been officially named but top skiff and international 14 sailor, Richard Parslow has been seen in the rubber duck on a regular basis. It would come as no surprise if he were named as class coach.

From an international perspective, the 49er is probably the hardest class to call, at least as far as 2004 is concerned. The class has a high level following all around the globe, with the current top twenty on the ranking list drawn for fifteen different nations. As in Britain, there has been something of a crew merry-go-round with new pairings still settling down. Though initially thought of as a class for the fit young bucks, the Games in Sydney put two not entirely youthful crews on the podium. Brains will be as much a factor as brawn in winning a medal here in 2004. For now the field is too wide open to call.


Richardson and Greenhalgh

See tomorrow for Peter Bentley's update on the Star, Yngling and Tornado classes