Team GB heading for Last Chance Regatta to qualify for Paris 2024

Team GB could he heading for the ‘Last Chance Regatta’ to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) recently named ten Team GB athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

This leaves one more still to be named for the eight events Britain has qualified for – the women’s dinghy, sailed in the ILCA 6 dinghy .

In addition Britain has still to qualify in two events – the men’s Kite (Formula Kite) and the mixed dinghy (470 dinghy).

The women’s ILCA 6 event has three front runners . . . Matilda Nicholls – WR 32, Daisy Collingridge – WR 33 and Hannah Snellgrove – WR 35.

Snellgrove was the RYA selectors choice for the OLympic Test event, but after a 9th place finish and then failing to make the medal race at the 2023 Hague world championships, the final choice is on hold.

The selection could be decided after the 2024 ILCA 6 Worlds in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in early January, where all three are entered.

But while they battle for the iLCA 6 place in the Paris Olympics, qualification for the men’s Kite event is down to Britain’s top ranked Connor Bainbridge WR 10, and for the mixed 470 dinghy qualification . . . Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris WR 14, and Vita Heathcote and Chris Grub WR 21.

The 470 have their 2024 Worlds (and Olympic qualification place) at Palma de Mallorca, Spain at the end of February.

If they fail to claim one of the qualification spots, then there is also a ‘Last Chance Regatta’ for the ten Olympic events at the 2024 Semaine Olympique Française in Hyeres, from 18 to 27 April.

At the Hague worlds Heathcote and Grub finished 13th, Wrigley and Harris 15th and Charlotte Leigh and Ryan and Orr were 25th.

Any of them could grab a Last Chance qualification place, but it is then down to the RYA Selectors to name who gets to represent Team GB at the Paris 2024 Games.

Team GB rankings at 17 Oct release of the World Sailing Rankings (WR):

Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17) – John Gimson and Anna Burnet – WR 1
Men’s Skiff (49er) – James Peters and Fynn Sterritt – WR 10
Women’s Skiff (49erFX) – Freya Black and Saskia Tidey – WR 6
Women’s Windsurfing (iQFOiL) – Emma Wilson – WR 3
Men’s Windsurfing (iQFOiL) – Sam Sills – WR 5
Women’s Kite (Formula Kite) – Ellie Aldridge – WR 3
Men’s Dinghy (ILCA 7) – Michael Beckett – WR 3

Team GB selection still to be decided:

Women’s Dinghy (ILCA 6)
Matilda Nicholls WR 32
Daisy Collingridge WR 33
Hannah Snellgrove WR 35

Event GBR still need to qualify for Games:

Men’s Kite (Formula Kite)
Connor Bainbridge WR 10

Mixed Dinghy (470)
Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris WR 14
Vita Heathcote and Chris Grub WR 21