Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron members Nathan Outteridge and Nicky Bethwaite have been named in the Australian team for the upcoming Qingdoa International Regatta, the final sailing test event before the Beijing Olympic Games.
Ben Austin and Nathan Outteridge - photo:Rob Brown
Nathan and his crew Ben Austin will sail in the High Performance Skiff – 49er class while Nicky and her crew of Kayrn Gojnich and Angela Farrell will contest the Women’s Keelboat – Yngling class.
Australia will be represented in each of the 11 classes at the Pre-Olympic Regatta and has qualified for all classes, except the Windsurfer – RS:X Men, for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Like the Olympics, each nation is limited to one entry in each of the Olympic classes for the regatta, which will be sailed on the Olympic course area from 11-25 August.
Outteridge and Austin are currently ranked 12th in the world in the 49er class, while Bethwaite, a veteran Olympian, also ranks 12th in the world in the Yngling class.
Nicky is a regular competitor in the RSYS summer pointscore and mini regattas when not competing overseas.
Nicky Bethwaite and crew Karyn Gojnich and Angela Farrel
photo: Andrea Francolini
Other members of the Australian team for next month’s Qingdoa International Regatta are:
Men’s two person dinghy – 470 men: Nathan Wimot & Malcolm Page (NSW).
Men’s one person dinghy – Laser: Tom Slingsby (NSW)
Multihull – Tornado: Darren Bundock & Glenn Ashby (NSW)
Women’s one person dinghy – Laser Radial: Kyrstal Weir (Vic)
Men’s keelboat – Star: Iain Murray & Andrew Palfrey (NSW)
Women’s two person dinghy – 470 women: Elise Rechichi & Tessa Parkinson (WA)
Heavyweight dinghy – Finn: Anthony Nossiter (NSW)
Windsurfer – RS:X women: Jessica Crisp (NSW)
Windsurfer – RS:X men: Michael Lancey (NSW).
Wilmot & Page, Slingsby and Bundock & Ashby are ranked number one in the world in their classes.
The Australian Sailing Team of all competing members and non-competing members will begin a training camp at Qingdoa on 2 August as a lead-up to the Pre-Olympic Regatta. – Peter Campbell
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