Bithell looking to make waves again in Weymouth and Portland
British Olympic silver medal-winner Stuart Bithell admits he’ll have fond memories of 2012 when he returns to competition on the Weymouth and Portland waters this week for the first time since his Games podium glory.
Bithell, 26, clinched Olympic silver competing in the two-person 470 class with Luke Patience at the Dorset venue last summer, but has since parted company with the Scottish helmsman and moved into a new boat for a shot at Rio gold in 2016.
He now competes for the British Sailing Team in the high performance 49er skiff with Chris Grube. With light wind conditions expected to prevail at the Brazilian Olympic venue, Bithell’s weight is more suited to the 49er event, and he’s also returned to his junior sailing roots to helm the boat rather than crew as he did in the 470.
Bithell and Grube, 28, will be in action in their new class at this week’s Sail for Gold Regatta (9-13 June), which will see over 200 sailors from 22 nations competing for honours in eight Olympic and two Paralympic classes on the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic waters.
Bithell admits he’s excited to get racing again at the venue which has brought him such success.
“It’s the first time I’ve been out in the bay here for a while actually, and just getting towed in [after training] I was looking at the Nothe course thinking ‘wow, it feels like a long time ago now’ but the memories are still there and it should be good fun!”
“It’s going really well,” said Bithell of the new partnership with Grube, also known as ‘Twiggy’, where the two are building towards their European Champions in Denmark at the beginning of July before their main event of the year, the World Championships at Marseilles in September.
He now competes for the British Sailing Team in the high performance 49er skiff with Chris Grube. With light wind conditions expected to prevail at the Brazilian Olympic venue, Bithell’s weight is more suited to the 49er event, and he’s also returned to his junior sailing roots to helm the boat rather than crew as he did in the 470.
Bithell and Grube, 28, will be in action in their new class at this week’s Sail for Gold Regatta (9-13 June), which will see over 200 sailors from 22 nations competing for honours in eight Olympic and two Paralympic classes on the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic waters.
Bithell admits he’s excited to get racing again at the venue which has brought him such success.
“It’s the first time I’ve been out in the bay here for a while actually, and just getting towed in [after training] I was looking at the Nothe course thinking ‘wow, it feels like a long time ago now’ but the memories are still there and it should be good fun!”
“It’s going really well,” said Bithell of the new partnership with Grube, also known as ‘Twiggy’, where the two are building towards their European Champions in Denmark at the beginning of July before their main event of the year, the World Championships at Marseilles in September.
“Myself and Twigs are a pretty new team, we’re still learning lots and are hopefully going to use Sail for Gold as just another process regatta.
“It’s June, it’s Weymouth Bay, it could bring anything. It could be windy and wavy, it could be nice and light which it has been for the last couple of days.
“But whatever it throws at us, we’ll be ready and I’ve no doubt that it’ll be a good regatta whatever the wind is.”
“It’s June, it’s Weymouth Bay, it could bring anything. It could be windy and wavy, it could be nice and light which it has been for the last couple of days.
“But whatever it throws at us, we’ll be ready and I’ve no doubt that it’ll be a good regatta whatever the wind is.”
8/6/2013 10:49
Photo © OnEdition
