Matt Bugg starting Rio Paralympic campaign

London 2012 Paralympic sailor Matt Bugg leaves for Europe today to start the first stage of his campaign to represent Australia at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, sailing in the International 2.4R class. His first event will be the British open championships this coming weekend at Poole Yacht Club in Devon on the south coast of England which will host the 2.4mR open world championship in early September. The Tasmanian, who finished a creditable seventh overall at the London Paralympics, will be joined at Poole by his coach, Richard Scarr, and two other Australian 2.4mR class sailors from Canberra, Mark Duram and Michael Leydon. The Australians will then train with the British team before heading to Kinsale in Ireland for the IFDS Disabled Sailors World Championships from 22-30 August. This will be the first major Paralympic event following London 2012 with 120 disabled sailors from 20 countries expected to attend the regatta. 'We expect that Matt will be sailing in a fleet of 45 2.4.mRs, the single-handed Paralympic keelboat, while other Australians will be competing in the Sonar and Scud classes,' coach Richard Scarr told ‘The Mercury’ before flying out from Hobart on Sunday. Following the IFDS worlds, Bugg will return to Poole for the International 2.4mr Open championship for both disabled and fully able sailors. 'He will be facing 80 boats starting off the one line,' Scarr added. 'We have spent the past six months getting in some intense sailing on the Derwent, working on sail development, technical improvements to Matt’s boats and on race strategy, working with the other 2.4mR sailors from Canberra. 'Next year will see some more heavy race programs, including the first Paralympic qualifying regattas for Rio, to be sailed in Canada,' Scarr added.