The arrival on Monday of the Brazilian, Robert Sheidt, has increased the number of current title-holding champions that have decided to come to this venue, where they will compete for the ISAF World Sailing Championships 2003, from the 11th -25th September.

Robert Scheidt, two times Olympic medallist (Gold in Atlanta ’96 & Silver in Sydney 2000), and six times World Champion in the Laser Class, has also had the honour of being named Rolex Sailor of the Year 2001. He arrived at the installations in Puerto Sherry, Puerto de Santa Maria, accompanied by Spaniard Luis Martínez Doreste, a sailor from the Canary Islands, who holds 16th place in the ISAF rankings in the same class (Laser). The great friendship that unites these champions has brought them together to train at different events, on previous occasions.

Scheidt arrived in Cadiz after having triumphed at the SPA Regatta (Netherlands), a regatta in which he gained first place six times out of the 10 races disputed. His presence in the Bay of Cadiz not only serves to to acquaint him with the race areas where he will attempt to win his seventh world title, but also to take advantage of the presence of other Spanish competitors (like Luis Martinez Doreste), Julio Torres and Javier Hernandez, who are preparing to face their next intenational competition in Kiel.

Robert Scheidt (Laser), Luis Martínez Doreste (Laser), Shirley Robertson (Yngling), Iain Percy & Steve Mitchell (Star) and Xavier Rohart & Yannick Adde (Star) among others, are turning the installations at Puerto Sherry and the Andalucian Sailing Federation into a truly high level trainning centre where many of the Andalucian racing crews have the opportunity to learn from those who are number one in the sailing world.

Source: Modesto Sanchez