Racing

Practice on the Bay

With four days until the Olympic regatta begins, practice is in full swing at the Marina da Gloria.

By Lisa Gabrielson

Updated: August 4, 2016

The Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition

“We’re certain at times that things won’t go exactly how we’d like them,” says British Sailing Team Leader Stephen Park. “That said, as it get’s difficult, we pull together as a team very well and we’re not worried about it at all. We want the sailors to get to the start line healthy and show what they can do. If we can do that, we should be able to bring home a number of medals for team GB.” Great Britain has the second most sailing medals overall, at 54, behind the USA’s 59. Sailing Energy/World Sailing

The sailors are out on Guanabara Bay, which means the photo boats are in hot pursuit. With just a few days to go to the Olympics, teams are finishing their preparations with a few short practices and mock races, and lots of time on the water.

The Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition

Luke Patience and Chris Grube, Team GBR’s 470 men’s team, get in some practice time on Guanabara Bay. “On paper, the team is looking very strong going into this Games,” says British Sailing Team Leader Stephen Park. “It’s arguably one of the strongest we’ve ever fielded. We’re also very conscious that this is a very tricky venue with tides and currents that are difficult to master.” Sailing Energy/World Sailing

The Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition

USA 470 skipper Stu McNay is the most experienced Olympian on the US Sailing Team, attending his third Olympics. His crew, Dave Hughes, coached in London and will sail in Rio on the Olympic racecourse for the first time. Their consistently strong performances in World Cup events and other major international regattas has them situated as a favorite going into the Olympic Regatta. Sailing Energy/World Sailing

The Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition

Justin Liu and Denise Lim, Nacra 17 sailors representing Singapore, have been dating since they paired up in 2014 for the mixed multihull. “Sometimes you have to bite your tongue. “You share everything,” says Lui. “It can be good and bad. Ultimately we know what the end goal is and we care for each other and we both want what is best for the team.” Sailing Energy/World Sailing

The Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition

Brazil’s Robert Scheidt is the face of sailing in Rio, and the pressure is on for him to perform in his home waters. If he medals, he will win the most Olympic medals in sailing history (6). “The energy of being in our country, with our fans, eating our feijao, drinking our orange juice, all the things that you love from this country… all this gives you a different energy and will make the Brazilian athletes have more confidence to compete here,” says Scheidt of his home-water advantage. Sailing Energy/World Sailing

The Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke go into the Games as heavy favorites in the 49er, but the Australian team of Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen could pull off a gold medal performance and unseat the nearly undefeated class champions (they have won every event except one since London). “Obviously they are the reigning Olympic champions, so there’s a lot of respect for them,” says Tuke. “There are a number of teams, the Austrians, British, German, Danish, who could be on the podium. It’s exciting to be going up against such a strong field.” Sailing Energy/World Sailing

The Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition

Sugar Loaf Mountain overlooks the Pao de Açúcar racecourse, creating a challenging wind shadow. The 470 class held an informal regatta on Tuesday and Wednesday, with some racing taking place on this course. The more sailors sail here, the stronger their understanding of the intricacies of the course — practice time on the water in Rio is essential to a strong performance at the Games. Sailing Energy/World Sailing

French Sailor in Rio de Janeiro Guanabara Bay

The Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition

France’s Mathilde de Kerangat tests out her Olympic Laser Radial. The Laser, Laser Radial and RS:X classes are provided equipment from World Sailing and the IOC to ensure standardization across the class. The other classes’ boats will go through a rigorous measurement procedure in the coming days. Sailing Energy/World Sailing