With only one place in each sailing class available to competing countries, Izzy is back home in Cornwall whilst the Olympic test event, the Weymouth & Portland International Regatta 2011, takes place.
Fellow GBR team mate, UK no.1 Bryony Shaw is currently ranked 3rd in the world and it is Bryony who will be racing during the regatta which takes place between the 2nd and 6th of August. Izzy, who is the next best GBR sailor in the women’s RS:X windsurfing is currently on the Olympic Development Squad programme, and is ranked 50th in the world.
Izzy tells us, “I have been training Monday to Friday in Weymouth for the last few weeks. Bryony has been preparing for the test event so we have been training along side her. It has been tiring, but really good fun; lots of sailing and fitness training! I have a week off (while the test event is on) so I will be watching it all from home in Cornwall!”
66 nations are paticipating in the regatta with a total of 460 sailors who will test the conditions at Weymouth and Portland one year ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition. For many countries there has been a selection headache with nations following game rules where only one athlete per event is allowed.