April 24 Combined - Flipbook - Page 48
Hayling Herald Sailing
Island sailor James set to wow
in summer Olympics
James Peters, centre, celebrating winning the 2019 World Cup Series
By Tom Harle, Sportsbeat
HAYLING Island sailor James Peters
plans to inject some much-needed spark
into his Olympic campaign at the World
Championships.
James, who has already been selected by Team
GB for this summer’s Games, is set to race
in the 49er category alongside partner Fynn
Sterritt.
Having finished sixth at the Worlds last
year, Peters wants to use the upcoming global
gathering in Lanzarote to find a higher gear.
‘Our form last season was just shy of medal
standard, consistently between fifth and tenth,’
said James.
‘Over the winter, everything we’ve been doing
has been focusing on continuing to do all of
that good stuff but just to inject a bit of spark
into it. That’s not easy but we feel like we’re
moving forwards.
‘Fynn and I wouldn’t have started this
campaign if we didn’t think we had the
potential to win the Olympics, and certainly to
be going in as a strong medal contender. The
Worlds is a big halfway marker for us.
‘Let’s be honest, anywhere in the top 10 is a
good result, but we’re aiming for more than
that, we want to be among those medals.’
Unlike James and Fynn, a number of their
rivals are still vying to win domestic Olympic
selection races and are unsure of their place on
the start line at Marseille Marina on July 28th.
One thing is for certain – the conditions that
confront the British pair in the Canary Islands
will be very different to the ones that meet them
in the Mediterranean in a few months’ time.
‘In Lanzarote, you get a big ocean swell in
different directions that is very much influenced
by whatever the sea state is at the time,’
explained James. The wind tends to be dictated
by the shape and topography of the islands and
different course areas. You can get big waves in
Marseille but not this giant ocean swell.
‘That does have an impact on how you set up
the boat, how it feels on the water and practical
things like visibility.
Pic: Sailing Energy / World Sailing
‘There are huge differences but as sailors, we
expect ourselves to be able to adapt and that
doesn’t mean we can’t go and deliver.’
The Dutch duo of Bart Lambriex and Floris
van de Werken won last year’s Worlds and the
Marseille Test Event to install themselves as the
team to beat heading into Olympic year.
James believes that he and Fynn, as well as
Spain’s Diego Botin Le Chever and Florian
Trittel Paul, are still nipping at their heels.
‘There are a few teams who are head and
shoulders above the rest,’ he said.
‘I would put the Dutch, the Spanish and
ourselves in that category as teams that you’d
expect to be in the top five.
‘The Dutch have proved they can dominate
but they aren’t dominant, we don’t always see
them winning smaller regattas and in training.
‘I can see where their strengths are but this is
Olympic year, everyone’s pushing hard and that
is the ultimate leveller.’
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at @britishsailing