Britain’s James Coxon has taken the lead in the Para Inclusive One Person Multihull competition at the World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Portimão, Portugal, after adding two race wins on Wednesday.
The former British Laser squad sailor, who later set world records in recumbent cycling after being diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease affecting his left arm, is competing at the championships for the first time.
Coxon recorded two wins and a second from Wednesday’s three Challenger trimaran races to move ahead of fellow British sailors Val Millward and Bex Foulsham at the halfway stage. His performance comes as the championships move on from an opening phase in which Afloat reported Sweden’s Fia Fjelddahl and Patric Rosenberg making a perfect start with two victories in the RS Venture Connect fleet.
Return to International Sailing
Coxon began his competitive career in Lasers and was part of the British squad before stepping away after university. His sporting career then took a different direction after his diagnosis, and he turned to para-cycling and recumbent cycling.
“I managed to break, I think, four world records in my time cycling, and then the last one was just a couple of weeks ago,” Coxon said of his latest Masters one-hour two-wheel recumbent world record.
That achievement followed a training programme of 15 to 20 hours a week, much of it done alone on an indoor trainer.
But Coxon said sailing ultimately offered something cycling could not.
“You just can’t beat the feel of sailing,” he said. “You can’t beat the feel of being on the water and feeling the wind in the sheets, the sail, looking at the wind shifts." “There’s so much to it, compared to cycling on a bike especially. There’s just so much to it, and it’s just a lovely feel.”
His return to international competition has also given him a first-hand view of the range of sailors competing in Portimão.
“There are so many people with different needs doing fantastically well,” he said. “Takes your breath away." “It’s just a lovely, lovely atmosphere.”
Fjelddahl Holds RS Venture Lead
Elsewhere, Sweden’s Fjelddahl and Rosenberg have maintained the lead in the Para Inclusive Two Person Keelboat competition. The Swedish pair, whose two opening victories put them at the head of the RS Venture Connect standings, now hold a two-point advantage over Spain’s Pau Toni Homar and Ramón Gutiérrez.
Finland continues to dominate the Para Inclusive One Person Technical Keelboat 2.4mR fleet, with Finns holding the top four positions. Marko Dahlberg added two victories and a fourth to retain the overall lead from Rikard Bjurström, with Niko Salomaa third.
RS Venture Connect: Sweden’s Fia Fjelddahl and Patric Rosenberg continue to lead the Para Inclusive Two Person Keelboat standings, holding a two-point advantage over Spain at the halfway stage. Photo: Gonçalo Melo
Germany’s Jens Kroker broke clear of a three-way points tie in the Para Inclusive One Person Keelboat Hansa 303 standings with two race wins. France’s Gauthier Bril is second and Poland’s Piotr Cichocki third.
Breaking clear: Germany’s Jens Kroker took control of the Para Inclusive One Person Keelboat Hansa 303 standings with two race wins, breaking a three-way tie at the top in Portimão. Photo: Gonçalo Melo
Cichocki and Joanna Cichocka also strengthened their advantage in the Inclusive Two Person Keelboat Hansa 303 competition, leading Korea’s Mun Sungwon and Dongjin Yun by 11 points.
Campos Takes Three Wins
Portugal’s José Campos won all three races on Wednesday in the Inclusive Cognitive Impairment ILCA 6 competition, ahead of teammate Rodrigo Pereira.
Hong Kong China’s Tsz Hin Cheung continues to lead the Para Intellectual Impairment ILCA 6 standings, ahead of Elijah Walters of St Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago’s Ivan Stollmeyer.
There was no change at the top of the Vision Impairment RS21 competition, where Britain’s Lucy Hodges, Jamie Tylecote, Liam Cattermole and Steve Tylecote continue to lead the Spanish team of Dani Anglada Pich, Carmen Lopez Garcia, Jordi Sánchez Pérez and Monica Azon Canalda.
In the Inclusive Wingfoil demonstration event, Britain’s Charlie Wolf holds a four-point advantage over France’s Guillaume Colin after the pair shared Wednesday’s three race wins. The World Sailing Inclusion Championships continue in Portimão until Saturday, 10th of October.
