Prize money is set to be awarded to the top sailors at the Hyères World Cup ©ISAF

The latest leg of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) World Cup in Hyères, France, will see €72,000 (£51,645/$77,634) in prize money awarded to Olympic and Paralympic classes, the ISAF have announced.

Twelve events are set to take place at the latest World Cup event, with action beginning today with the winners due to be crowned on Sunday (April 26).

The Hyères World Cup also marks the first time where fleets have been decided based on the ISAF World Sailing Rankings, with the top 30 sailors in each class on February 2 being invited to the World Cup, while the remaining 10 received their places via the Trofeo Princesa Sofia, which acted as a qualification regatta.

ISAF President Carlo Croce believes the prize money will add to the competition at the third World Cup event of the six leg season.

“We are pleased to be awarding the best of the Olympic and Paralympic sailing world with prize money at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères,” Croce said.

“Alongside the drive to be crowned a Hyères gold medallist and qualifying a spot at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final, the sailors have an added incentive with the addition of prize money.

"The list of athletes competing in Hyères is exceptional and over five days of competition I am looking forward to see how the racing unfolds.”

The previous leg of the ISAF World Cup season was held in Miami
The previous leg of the ISAF World Cup season was held in Miami ©ISAF

Following on from the opening events of the season in Melbourne and Miamis, 600 Olympic sailors in 400 boats and 39 Paralympic sailors in 25 boats will compete across four days of racing, before the medal races take place on Sunday, where sailors will be bidding to earn World Cup titles and seal World Cup Final places.

Following the conclusion to the event in Hyères, the sailors will then move on to Weymouth and Portland in Britain from June 8 to 14 and Qingdao in China from September 14 to 20.

Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates is then due to stage the World Cup Final from October 27 to November 1.



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