August 09, 2008	Saturday	Sha’aban 6, 1429

QINGDAO (China), Aug 8: Four gold medal-winning teams from 2004 defend their Olympic titles when the sailing regatta gets under way in Qingdao on Saturday.

Briton Ben Ainslie bids for a third Olympic gold and second successive triumph in the Finn class and Austria’s Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher aim for a third consecutive gold in the Tornado multihull event.

Spanish 49er sailors Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez defend their title, as does French windsurfer Faustine Merret.

The regatta, which comprises 11 events to be sailed off the shore of the picturesque port city of Qingdao, also feature other Athens gold medallists who have since welcomed new crew or moved into different classes.

Pippa Wilson has joined the British Yngling team to partner Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, who won gold along with Shirley Robertson in 2004.

Also lining up in the Yngling three-person boat are Norway’s Siren Sundby, who took Europe dinghy gold in Athens, and Greek Sofia Bekatorou, who celebrated an emotional triumph in home waters in the 470 class. Brazilian Robert Scheidt, with two gold medals and a silver medal from three Games in the one-man Laser dinghy, bids for success in the Star class.

Host nation China have never won Olympic sailing gold but have strong contenders in windsurfer Yin Jian, silver medallist in Athens, and Laser Radial sailor Xu Lijia, ranked two in the world in her class.

A new dimension has been added to the Qingdao regatta with the introduction of a medal race, where double points are scored, for the top 10 in each class after the opening series.

The medal race, it is hoped, will extend the excitement and decide the medal placings, and prevent the regatta being won with a race or more to spare.

A huge algae bloom that had blighted preparations for the Games regatta has now been cleared, although officials are maintaining round-the-clock vigilance to make sure the unsightly green algae does not penetrate the competition areas.

The regatta runs through to Aug 21, with two reserve days set aside.—Reuters