Men’s Hansa 303

Jens Kroker (GER) is a former Sonar sailor who represented Germany at five Paralympic Games, winning gold at Beijing 2008 and silver at London 2012.

His tactical knowledge will stand Kroker in good stead as he competes in the Hansa 303 against the likes of Piotr Cichocki of Poland who knows this boat inside out and has won multiple world titles in the class. Expect the competition between these two competitors to be fierce as they push themselves and their boats to the limit.

While both of the frontrunners are in their 50s, Great Britain’s Rory McKinna is hoping to make waves in the fleet at just 21 years old. He’s been putting in the hours and could prove a threat to the more experienced races.

Others to watch include Peter Coleman from Australia, Sergio Roig Alzamora from Spain and Gauthier Bril from France who has had the benefit of competing against more than 70 entries at the French Hansa 303 National Championships. Good also to see the small Asian city nation of Macau represented in this class by Wun Wha Liong.

Women’s Hansa 303

Polish sailor Olga Gornas-Grudzien has been training hard with her compatriot in the men’s Hansa 303 fleet, Piotr Cichocki, and can expect to be very quick, with good speed and boathandling.

Zaida Pérez from Chile, one of the supported nations in World Sailing’s Para Sailing Development Programme, has been working with World Sailing coaches and could prove a threat to the strong European nations, among whom will be The Netherlands with Finy Teitsma looking to make a splash on home waters.

After working as a coach in the Olympic and Paralympic circuits and working as a dedicated member of the Para World Sailing Committee for many years, Betsy Alison will be representing the USA as a competitor.

She is on a fightback from cancer and after successfully undergoing an operation earlier this year has only been in remission for a few months. Her build-up to the Worlds has been short, although her extensive experience and fierce determination will stand the American sailor in good stead for a strong performance on the race course.