Rudyard Lake Sailing Club gets set to cheer on home-grown Olympian
Rudyard Lake Sailing Club is getting set to cheer on home-grown Olympian John Gimson and his crew Anna Burnet at the Paris 2024 Games.
The club on the Staffordshire/Cheshire border is also inviting members of the public to call in for a cuppa to enjoy watching all the action on a big screen.
John and Anna won silver at the Tokyo 2020 Games and are currently ranked number one in the world in the Nacra 17 high performance foiling catamaran class.
John, aged 41, of Congleton, grew up sailing at Rudyard Lake SC, where he is a life member, and the club hopes that Paris 2024 and his journey to the pinnacle of the sport will inspire its youth and junior members and the next generation.
The Olympic sailing regatta is taking place 400 miles south of Paris in Marseille and the racing for John and Anna is expected to take place daily from Saturday 3rd August to Wednesday 7th August inclusive, concluding on the final day with a medal race for the top 10 boats in their fleet.
Depending on wind conditions in Marseille, the scheduled start times for the Mixed Multihull fleet are: Saturday 3rd August, 14:45; Sunday 4th August, 11:05; Monday 5th August, 11:05; Tuesday 6th August, 14:05 and Wednesday 7th August, 13:43.
A café based at the club – Mini Beans on the Lake – will be open on all of the days when John and Anna are racing, apart from its usual closed day of Tuesday, so club members and visitors can get together to enjoy watching the Olympic sailing.
Patricia Ordsmith, President of Rudyard Lake Sailing Club, said: “We’re all so proud of John and Anna and we’re looking forward to sharing their progress throughout the Olympic sailing regatta, with a big screen in the club house showing all the live action every day from Marseille. We’d love it if members of the public would like to call in and join us in supporting them on along the way!”
When the couple stood on the Tokyo 2020 podium to receive their Olympic silver medals they shared a kiss, revealing that they were more than just a good sailing partnership. This time around they hope to celebrate not only on the podium but also a few weeks later at their wedding.
As an RYA Recognised Training Centre, Rudyard Lake Sailing Club runs courses for all ages and abilities, with a warm welcome for anyone who would like to find out more about the sport or give it a go.
Find out more about Rudyard Lake Sailing Club and its activities, and follow all the GBR news from the Olympic regatta with the British Sailing Team.