James Espey To Wrap Up 2013 Season At World Sailing Championships In Oman

This weekend Irish Olympic sailor James Espey will take on some of the legends of sailing at the Men's Laser World Championship in Muscat, Oman. Brazilian sailing legend Robert Scheidt, who has won five medals at consecutive Olympic Games has returned to the Laser class after nine years in the Star class raising the stakes among the Rio 2016 contenders at this coming championship which will begin on Sunday the 17th of November. Also competing will be Australian national champion Tom Burton who has been number one in the Laser world rankings for over a year.

The 39th edition of the Laser World Championships is one of the largest dinghy sailing events and the first sailing world championships ever held in the Sultanate of Oman. Over the course of the seven day regatta, Al Mussanah Sports City will host 128 of the world's top Laser Standard sailors from 50 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North, South and Central America. Providence Team IRL sailor Espey, who hails from Bangor, Co Down, will sail two races each day for the seven days. Also representing Ireland and joining his fellow Ballyholme club mate is Colin Leonard who is taking a break from his university studies to compete at the event.

This event will be the final 2013 championship for any of the Providence Team IRL sailors. They will now focus on their winter training both in Ireland and abroad until the first event of the 2014 season; the ISAF World Cup in Miami in January. Meanwhile the ISA Academy youth sailors are still hard at work with a number of regattas and training camps taking place in November and December.