World Sailor Of Year In Perth

The 2009 female winner of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award, Anna Tunnicliffe, is in Western Australia to train for the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships!

Top US Sailor and gold medallist in the Laser Radial class at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Anna Tunnicliffe is “testing the waters” of the world-renowned Perth 2011 medal course in preparation for the ISAF Sailing World Championships, which will be held in Fremantle in exactly two years time (December 2011).

Tunnicliffe is training from the Fremantle Sailing Club (FSC) on Bathers Bay – renamed “Centre Course” for the Perth 2011 Event.

Concurrently, 11 top international athletes from developing sailing nations, including India and Colombia, are currently at FSC improving their sailing skills through the second Emerging Nations Programme (ENP) Intensive Training Session. These ENP athletes are on the brink of reaching Olympic level although due to limitations at home they have not quite reached their potential. Through the ENP, talent will be identified and progressed under the guidance of ENP Head Coaches Arthur Brett (Beijing 2008 Olympic Coach) and Belinda Stowell (2000 Sydney Olympic Games gold medallist – 470s). Potentially they could reach a standard to qualify for Perth 2011 and their nation for the 2012 London Olympic Games Sailing Competition.

The Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships is the main qualification event for the 2012 London Olympic Games for all 10 Olympic sailing events and Tunnicliffe plans to be competing and winning in London!

This month, Tunnicliffe is training on the same waters but quite separately to the ENP athletes, in her Laser Radial with Dutch international (Laser Radial) sailor Marit Bouwmeester. Tunnicliffe and Boumeester are “getting a feel” for the weather and conditions in Fremantle that they will likely encounter come December 2011.

During her stay in Western Australia, Tunnicliffe kindly agreed to meet with the ENP athletes.

The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award is the highest award a sailor may receive in recognition of his or her outstanding achievements and Tunnicliffe joins a list of top athletes to receive the coveted award.

For Tunnicliffe, this time around, the Dream Begins in Perth!

About The Emerging Nations Programme

The Emerging Nations Programme (ENP) is designed to encourage and assist developing and emerging sailing nations to participate in the Olympic Sailing Competition, increase the number of participating ISAF Member National Authorities (MNAs) and subsequently the number of competitors at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships. From this World Championship, it is hoped ‘emerging’ talent identified during the ENP will qualify to represent their country in sailing at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Seven ENP intensive training camps to be held in WA between July 2009 and the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships in December 2011. Acclaimed Australian Olympic sailing coach Arthur Brett and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games gold medallist in the women’s 470 class Belinda Stowell are guiding the athletes, sharing the knowledge and skill that has seen the pair help spearhead modern Australian Olympic sailing success.

Over the course of the seven ENP intensive training camps, up to 40 athletes from as many nations (not represented in any sailing discipline at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games), will be invited to Perth to improve their chances of earning a place in the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships through their involvement with the ENP.

The Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships Emerging Nations Programme is proudly supported by the Australian Federal Government and the Western Australian State Government. 

Click here for further information on the Emerging Nations Programme. 

The athletes taking part in the second ENP intensive training camp are:

Find out more about the ISAF Sailing World Championships at www.sailing.org/isafworlds.