Olympic sailors join camp

TWO Olympic sailors will headline a bumper weekend on the water at Indented Head.

Sarah Blanck and Krystal Weir will lead a training camp for laser class competitors who are targeting the world championships in 2020.

Indented Head Yacht Club vice commodore Tim Waller said it was a major coup to lure Blanck and Weir to the region.

“Indented Head Yacht Club is a small family-oriented club, but it’s home to competitive sailors, so to get world-class sailors to an event like this is big for the club and exciting for the region as well,” Waller said.

“They both represented Australia at the Olympics. Both are high-level laser radial sailors, so they’re the top of their class in Australia.

“This is an important leadup event to the laser masters world championships, which will be held at Royal Geelong Yacht Club in 2020.”

Of the 44 sailors to take part in the training camp, 12 will compete in the 4.7 junior development class, 12 in the Olympic men’s laser standard class and 20 in the laser radial Olympic women’s class.

Blanck, a member of Royal Brighton Yacht Club, represented Australia in both the 2004 and the 2008 Olympics.

Sailing the women’s singlehanded dinghy, the laser radial, she finished fourth in both Games.

Weir, of Sandringham Yacht Club, crossed the line in 10th place at the 2008 Olympics and 12th in 2012.

Meanwhile, the cadet international training team has continued its preparation for next year’s world titles in Germany with a week-long training camp in Geelong.

The team, which includes six members from Geelong, trained at Royal Geelong Yacht Club.

Star Geelong sailors Emma Kelly, Oliver Grieve, Elliot Hughes, Cate McCoy, Jarrah Harris Moore and Evie McDonald will work under the guidance of Australian cadet team coach Tony Bull.