Plans for Rio progress as a weakness is sorted

Following a week of light winds causing a heavily reduced race schedule, Sunday finally saw stiffer breezes at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy and Fletcher took full advantage in the 49er class.

Alongside partner Alain Sign, the Market Harborough sailor had been third in the standings heading into the medal race, worth double points, and a strong display to finish second saw him win silver in the final reckoning – only behind New Zealand pair Logan Dunning Beck and Jack Simpson.

The World Cup was the final major competition before the Rio 2016 Olympics, which are now a little over 50 days away, and Fletcher is beginning to feel ready for the big event.

“It has been a really good week for practising for Rio in terms of light winds, lots of delays and waiting around and then putting lots of races in one day,” he explained.

“It has been difficult conditions and we’ve definitely been working on some things.

“Saturday was a really tricky day but it was exactly what we needed because it highlighted a weakness with what we’ve been working on.

“To see that now and work on it in time for Rio is exactly what we needed.

“We disappointed not to get gold but happy with a solid week.

“We’ve been winning lots of races, had lots of top threes and we know that is what wins medals at the Olympic Games.”

Fletcher and Sign will make their Olympic debuts in Rio and recent performances suggest they will be right in the medal hunt.

Following their World Cup exploits they will now have a small amount of time in the UK but will soon be back to Brazil for the final stretch before the Games.

“We’ve kind of got a week off where we’ll have a bit of planning and a bit of organising bags and stuff to take out to Rio,” added Fletcher.

“Then we head out on June 20 for a ten-day camp with our training partners James and Fynn where we intend to get used to our kit, get used to our venue and get back into the swing of things out there.”

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