They don’t know it at the time, but Great Britain’s 49er all-stars, Dylan Fletcher-Scott and Stuart Bithell, cast themselves into the lead roles of the most captivating race of the Tokyo Olympic regatta. Before the start of the men’s skiff medal race in Enoshima, the British sailors had to not only win the race, but also find a way to put one boat between themselves and New Zealand’s superstar pair of Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. Let me repeat that: They had to beat nine other supremely talented skiff teams and the reigning Olympic champions—the two guys in the yellow jerseys who always sail faster when they’re under the gun.
Enoshima’s capricious winds have been challenging and random throughout the Olympic regatta, and this day is no different, with windshifts,…
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Sailing World (Digital) - 1 Issue, Fall 2021