Grandson, Switzerland — Australian sailing legend John Bertrand is hard at work on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel, putting the final pieces in place ahead of the SSL World Cup in Rio de Janeiro early December.
With 64 nations entered, the competition promises to be one of the most fiercely contested events on the global sailing calendar. Bertrand’s squad is a brand-new combination, yet every sailor brings deep individual experience to the boat. The nine-person team includes two outstanding female athletes who have already made a strong impression in training.
“The learning curve as a team is vertical,” the group reports, describing the rapid progress being made as the sailors gel into a cohesive unit. Bertrand himself is thriving in the intensive sessions, clearly relishing the challenge of forging a competitive outfit in short order.
The Swiss base at Grandson has provided ideal conditions for refining boat handling, tactics and teamwork before the squad heads south for the December showdown in Rio. All eyes will be on how quickly this experienced new side can convert its steep upward trajectory into results on the world stage.
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