OK Dinghy World Championship Preview

OK Dinghy World Championship is being held in Vallensbaek, Denmark from 21st to 28th July 2012. No sailor has ever won five OK Dinghy World titles. Three sailors have won four titles and two of them called it a day after that. The third sailor in question is the current World Champion Nick Craig (GBR) and he is about to try for a record fifth title at the 2012 OK Dinghy World Championship next week.

Sailing Club Spotlight Rickmansworth Sailing Club

Rickmansworth Sailing Club has received more than £40,000 in funding from Sport England to repair its ageing pontoons and buy two new dinghies. The club, which sails in Troy Lake, West Hyde, was given the grant from the £135 million "Places People Play" Olympic legacy programme. One grant of £32,116 will be used to replace the old pontoons, which are used to get in and out of the boats, with a modern plastic-modular system. The main decking on the access road bridge will also be replaced. A further grant of £10,000 from Sport England will be used to buy two new dinghies. Club commodore, Paul Johnson, said "We are delighted to have been awarded these grants. The new pontoons are safer to use and easier to maintain. "These investments will move our club towards the quality facilities we want to provide for our members and will help attract new members." Martin Smethers, a past commodore and grants officer said: "Rickmansworth Sailing Club is a strong local club and are always looking to attract more members. "Our project is opening up our club and giving people in the Rickmansworth and surrounding areas the opportunity to try their hand at sailing for the first time in these brand new boats. "We’re delighted to have received Lottery funding to make it all happen." The improvements will also benefit organisations such as the U3A, Royal Life Saving Society, Batchworth Dragon Boat Club and local angling groups which use the sailing club's facilities. David Gauke , MP for South West Hertfordshire, said: "This investment is fantastic news. Rickmansworth Sailing Club, has always has a strong sailing tradition both locally and nationally." "This money is an investment in helping young people of today and for securing the future for the Club, allowing them to work on their development plan which is aimed at increasing membership, and providing improved and modern facilities." Rickmansworth Sailing Club one of hundreds of projects across England benefiting from funding during the second round of the Inspired Facilities fund. Seb Coe, LOCOG chairman, said: "This is a fantastic funding project that will deliver a real legacy from the London 2012 Games. "It will provide a whole range of sporting opportunities for young people through improved facilities and will I hope inspire them to take up sport."

13' Inflatable Portable Sail Boat Catamaran.

Team Vodafone Auckland - Noumea 2012

London 2012: Team GB's top 10 sailing hopes for Olympic glory

Ben Ainslie Finn Has one Olympic silver and three golds but remains as determined, focused and fiercely competitive as ever. Admits that at 35 his body is beginning to let him down but his mind most certainly is not. Won a sixth Finn world championship in May. Gold at London 2012 would ratify his position as one of the greatest Olympians Key rival Ainslie says there are 10 or 12 sailors capable of winning on any given day. American Zach Railey won silver at Beijing and will be hoping to cause an upset Medal prediction Ainslie will not be satisfied with anything but gold Paul Goodison Laser Once held the Olympic, world, European and British titles at the same time following his gold medal at Beijing. Goodison also knows what it is like to miss out on a medal, finishing fourth at the Athens games. Passionate and aggressive, he still uses the disappointment of that fourth place to motivate himself in training and competition Key rival Since Beijing he has battled with Australia's Tom Slingsby for top spot. The scrap could be one of the keenest in Weymouth Medal prediction A consecutive gold is not beyond him Alison Young Laser Radial Aged 25, the youngest member of the GB sailing team. In May she finished two points off the bronze medal position at the worlds. Then at the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta in June she showed how quickly she is learning by winning gold at the Olympic venue Key rival China's Lijia Xu will be one to watch. She won bronze in Beijing, the first Chinese sailor to win a medal and has been in good form throughout 2012 Medal prediction A medal of any colour would be a great achievement Bryony Shaw RS:X women's windsurfing The only British woman to win an Olympic windsurfing medal — bronze at Beijing. The decision to drop windsurfing as an Olympic event will motivate all the competitors to make the most of this last chance Key rival Lee Korzits is aiming to become the first Israeli woman to win Olympic gold. Medal prediction Shaw's preparation has been hampered by illness but she will challenge strongly for a podium place Nick Dempsey RS:X men's windsurfing Has experienced ups and downs at the Olympics. Made his debut aged 20 at Sydney in 2000 when he finished 16th. Won bronze at Athens in 2004 but was bitterly disappointed to manage only fourth in Beijing. Took bronze at the Sail for Gold regatta in Weymouth in June Key rival Frenchman Julien Bontemps won silver at Beijing and took first place in the world championships in Cadiz in April Medal prediction Has been training well – could go one better than Athens and take silver Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark 470 women The pair came together only in February 2011. Clark had finished sixth in the 470 class in Beijing and her attempt to find a new partner became something of a soap opera. Mills and Clark won a string of silvers before taking gold at the world championships in May, becoming the first British women to win in the class Key rivals Bound to be a competitive fleet with lots of potential winners but the Australian pair of Elise Rechichi and Belinda Stowell, who have both won golds in the 470 with different partners, will be tough Medal prediction These two could be very popular gold medal winners Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell 470 men Patience is a jovial Scot, Bithell a down-to-earth Lancastrian. Both started sailing aged seven and have worked together since 2009. They showed they were Olympic medal contenders when they won silver at the Sail for Gold regatta at Weymouth Key rivals Australians Malcolm Page and Mathew Belcher are the men to beat. They have been a dominant force since teaming up after Page won gold in the class in Beijing Medal prediction Will struggle to upset the Australians but a silver medal is possible Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes 49er Morrison and Rhodes grew up competing against each other in Exmouth, Devon. Went to Beijing as one of the favourites and were bitterly disappointed to finish ninth. The 49er is one of British sailing's strongest classes and the pair are planning to use their failure in China to inspire them to success Key rivals Australians Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen are firm favourites. They head the world rankings and have a brilliant record at Weymouth Medal prediction The Australians are in pole position. Silver medal would be a great result Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson Star The elder statesmen of the team, Percy, 36, and "Bart" Simpson, 35, have three gold medals between them. They used to battle with Ben Ainslie in the heavyweight dinghy Finn class. They teamed up in 2007 and won gold at Beijing in the technical keelboat class. Lifelong best friends who love the pressure of elite competition Key rival Weymouth will be the latest venue for the latest round of a long-running battle between Percy and the great Brazilian Robert Scheidt, winner of two gold and two silver Olympic medals Medal prediction They will leave disappointed if they do not take gold Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush, Kate Macgregor Women's match racing Likely to be one of the hits of the Games. The event is exciting: a series of one-on-one races around a two-lap course, it is likely to be held in front of the main spectator area at Weymouth. Lush and the Macgregor sisters are all making their Olympic debuts but with home advantage are hoping to make a big impression Key rival The American team led by Anna Tunnicliffe-Funk (born in South Yorkshire) were beaten into silver position at the world championships in Gothenburg this month by a Finnish crew but may be the team to beat Medal prediction A new team, first Olympic Games, a bronze medal would be a good result

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Amazing Sailing Videos of When It's "Fresh to Frightening"