Annalise Murphy and Katie Tingle compete in the 49erFX dinghy at the Kieler Woche regatta in Kiel, starting this Wednesday 26th June. It will be their third major international regatta in a bid for Tokyo 2020 qualification later this year.
A baptism of fire left the Dublin Cork duo with a 'steep learning curve' after a World Cup debut in Genoa in April, the pair also finished in the silver fleet at the European Championships in May.
Kiel, therefore, will be a gauge of the duo's progress over the past six weeks in preparation for the bigger goal of the Olympic qualifiers in Auckland, New Zealand at the end of November.
Kieler Woche, one of the world’s biggest sailing events, attracts more than three million visitors each year and is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.
Also entered for Kiel Week is Annalise's Team Rio 2016 teammate Saskia Tidey of the Royal Irish Yacht Club who is now sailing for Team GB. Tidey launched a crowdfunding campaign at the weekend, as Afloat reported here, in a bid to take her and Scottish helmswoman Charlotte Dobson to Olympic Glory in Tokyo.
The 49er FX is a two-handed high-performance women’s skiff (sailing dinghy).