The 2011 49er World Championship begins tomorrow, December 12 with 67 entries representing 29 nations in Perth, Australia. At stake is not only the World title and bragging rights, but for many a berth to the 2012 Olympic Games and a chance to qualify their country as well. The 49er Class will have 20 entries for the 2012 Olympic Games, meaning 20 countries will send 1 representative. From the 2011 World Championship, the first 14 nations in the top ranking will automatically qualify their nation with the host country, GBR automatically getting a berth. The remaining 5 berths will be determined at the 2012 Worlds in Zadar, Croatia held in May.
Of the 134 athletes have in Perth, all have been training for years, many sacrificing a great deal and it all comes down to this week. Let’s see who has what it takes to handle the Fremantle Doctor, as the seabreeze is affectionately known. For a taste of the conditions, see this training session captured by the US Sailing Team Alphagraphics video team of Erik Storck and Trevor Moore on a recent day…
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