Please select your home edition
Edition
Crewsaver 2021 Safetyline LEADERBOARD

Mat Belcher & Will Ryan blog: On Top of the World

by Mat Belcher & Will Ryan 22 Oct 2015 19:18 BST 22 October 2015
Gold for Mat Belcher & Will Ryan with coach Victor Kovalenko at the 470 Worlds in Haifa © Australian Sailing Team

Spectators in Haifa, Israel, were treated to a nail biting final medal race at the 2015 Open 470 World Championships. After a closely fought regatta and a tight medal race Mat Belcher and Will Ryan, under the guidance of coach Victor Kovalenko, secured their third consecutive World Championship since teaming up in late 2012. What's more, this win brings Mat a record-setting 6th consecutive world champion title, and Victor his 18th World Title as a coach.

Following 11 races held over the previous 5 days, the final top 10 crews had been decided and teams were met with yet another day of picture perfect warm clear waters, and an 8 knot sea-breeze, signalling that the title would come down to the wire in a tactical and physical battle.

After opening the event with 3 race wins, Team #Aus11 had moved to the top of the rankings. However true to Will's pre-event comments "we expect the event not to be easy, and the level of competition to be extremely tough", day 3 saw the team scoring a 15th and a 22nd. It was an uncharacteristic day by the team's standards, struggling to break free from the middle of the pack, as well as getting caught up in disturbed winds of the women's fleet as the two packs merged together on the final turning gate.

A sign from above greeted the Aussie teams on Day 4 however as they prepared their boats for launching - as the words of Men at Work and 'Land Down Under' broke through over a nearby sound-system! The team fought hard to bring back the points deficit, with a final heat win, giving #Aus11 a one point advantage over the in-form Croatian team going into Saturday's final show-down!

A good start for #Aus11 secured the early break in the who-beat-who medal race battle for the World title, and it was an advantage the team fought hard to protect in the difficult conditions, eventually crossing the line in 4th place to secure the title and a place in history!

Post race Mat commented, "It's a special feeling to be World Champion, to defend our title and to do it with Will and Victor for the third time is really special. I never thought I would be able to achieve six World Titles in a row. It just shows how great our system is and the effort everyone is putting in. But everything for us is about next year (the Olympic Games!)"

Thank you to all of the team's family, friends and supporters for the constant stream of messages this past week. The team's motivation is as high as ever, and they will keep working hard as the days tick down towards Rio 2016!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/belcherryan2016
Instagram: instagram.com/belcherryan2016

Related Articles

Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS day 2
It does not get better than this, with a sparkling spring sea breeze An afternoon of warm sunshine with 10-12k knots of thermal wind saw all seven course areas operating in champagne conditions, a reminder there is no better place in the world for early season Olympic racing on this scale. Posted on 1 Apr
The Proving Ground
Why the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS is such an important regatta The end of an Olympic quadrennial cycle often brings sailing campaigns to an end. Some partnerships in doublehanded classes split, with helm and crew going their separate ways, while others use the time to reflect on their future. Posted on 1 Apr
Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS day 1
The Bay of Palma's perfect start to the 2028 Olympic cycle The beautiful Bay of Palma ushered in the new Olympic sailing quadrennial with sparkling, near perfect conditions - sunshine and 16-18kts winds - as the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels got under way for the 10 events. Posted on 31 Mar
Australia's best set for first major test of 2025
The 54th Trofeo Princesa Sofía Regatta will commence today The 54th Trofeo Princesa Sofía Regatta will commence today and continue through to April 5th in Mallorca, Spain, marking the first major international test for Olympic-class sailors this season. Posted on 31 Mar
New teams and renowned veterans
A quick look at each of the 10 fleets in the 54th Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca For many sailors on the Olympic campaign trail towards Los Angeles 2028, the Bay of Palma is where the international competition really begins. Posted on 29 Mar
Princess Sofia Trophy marks start of LA 2028 cycle
British Sailing Team ready for 54th edition of this prestigious regatta The Princess Sofia Trophy regatta will take place in Palma, Mallorca. This year there are four sites making up the event: Arenal (49er, 49erFX, Nacra 17, 470), Ca'n Pastilla (ILCA 6 and 7), Portixol (iQFOiL) and Playa de Palma beach (Formula Kite). Posted on 27 Mar
54th Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca presentation
Santiago Lange appointed official Ambassador The official presentation of the 54 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels brought together representatives of the Balearic public institutions and its new main sponsor, FERGUS Group, who showed their support to the organizers of the event. Posted on 26 Mar
Mixed doubles classes set to shine
At the 54 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels The mixed crews will once again demonstrate their competitiveness on the bay of Palma. Posted on 26 Mar
Up & coming young athletes look to make their mark
At post-Olympic Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca The entry lists are now almost definitive and confirm a historic post-Olympic edition, with almost 850 boats registered comparing favourably to the 779 which took part at the first Sofia regatta of the Paris 2024 cycle. Posted on 21 Mar
Semaine Olympique Française preview
See you in Hyères in a month The world's leading Olympic sailors are gearing up - as they have for more than 50 years - for the unique challenge of the Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères - Toulon Provence Méditerranée (SOF). Posted on 20 Mar