Anna & John scoop a second springtime grand slam
Rhu sailor Anna Burnet has secured a second springtime Nacra 17 Gold alongside partner John Gimson, emerging as the dominant force in the early stages on the season.
The British Sailing Team athletes topped the podium at the highly anticipated Princess Sofia Regatta at the beginning of April, and have remained on form to secure Gold at French Olympic Week in Hyères on the 26 April.
Their second Sailing Grand Slam win of the month made for a nail biting end to the regatta, following a shaky medal race start sequence which saw the British pair rounding mark one in 7th place, after being pushed out at the start. With a third place finish required to secure the overall title, the pressure was firmly on.
After a successful clawing back of the necessary places, Anna and John were able to enjoy another moment at the top.
Speaking after the race, John said:
““It was a really hard race. Two boats rolled us off the line and we had to fight back. These boats are so fast and fun to race, it’s just pure adrenaline.”
Pleased to have secured the win, Anna added:
“It’s a nice feeling, for sure… really happy with that.”
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The British pair now shift focus to the Nacra 17 European Championship in June, followed by the World Championship in October.
With a strong start to the season in the bag it looks as though the pair are building strong, a welcome trend following news that the pair will campaign for one more Olympic cycle.
Anna shared the news with young Scottish sailors in a video last December, as part of a #wherecouldsailingtakeyou series later released on our RYA Scotland social media channels.
Sharing some words of advice, Anna said:
“Make opportunities for yourself, get to know people, ask lots of questions. If there’s something you’re interested in pursuing, in any avenue in the sport, then go and speak to those people, see if you can help them and see if they can help you.
“The advice we’ve been given in the past is that the world is round. If you give a little bit of help somewhere, you can often get back that help in the future. Explore your options, and just enjoy it.”
You can watch the full video on our Facebook now.
To follow Anna and John’s journey as their campaign continues, you can follow TeamGBNacra on Instagram and check out the British Sailing Team social channels.