Peter Harrison’s GBR Challenge has selected the team that will compete in the next leg of the Swedish Match tour, the ACI Cup in Croatia from 26th to the 31st May. The team, which is sponsored by Colorcraft for the Tour, will consist of Andy Green on the helm and Jim Turner working the pit. Jules Salter will control the mainsail with Richard Sydenham trimming and James Stagg as bowman.

GBR Challenge will race in Jeanneau One Design yachts against top class competition that includes: Pace, Dixon, Barker, Brady, Spithill, Holmberg, Radich, and Gram-Hansen.

Ian Walker, Sailing Manager for GBR Challenge, commented; “We have made some changes to the team that did well at the Congressional Cup last month, as we need to give as many sailors as possible, experience of sailing on the Swedish Match Tour. Whilst the main emphasis of our team at the moment is starting to learn to match race our ACC yachts, we need to keep up to date with the latest match racing manoeuvres and rules.

Andy Green noted that although this is a new team, they are not unknown to each other. “Whilst we’ve never sailed before as a unit, we have all sailed together in the past and everyone has won at least one ISAF grade one event. I’ve sailed with Jim for the last three years, whilst Jules and James have a long history of sailing together that includes their very successful 1999 season in which they won seven grade one events. We’ve all sailed with Rich, who is a double youth world match racing champion, so the team should gel quite quickly.”

“Last year we managed to get a good result at the World Championships in Croatia. It would be nice to emulate that fifth place for this event. To do so, we’ll need to take our performances up another level from the Congressional Cup. We are constantly improving, but we’re not yet where we want to be.”

Credit: Mark Bullingham/GBR Challenge