THREE out of the four-strong Guernsey sailing team have never competed in the Island Games before.It is a completely different set of sailors who won the team silver in Rhodes two years ago.

Jamie Hamilton, Chris Dravers and Daniel Wray will all make their Games debuts in Aland next week and the remaining member, David Aslett, has sailed in only one previous Games and that was in Jersey 12 years ago.

But according to Aslett (pictured), who also manages the Heritage Group sponsored-side, this is not that important.

‘There’s a lot of experience there, just not in the Island Games,’ said the 43-year-old architect.

‘Jamie has done a lot of sailing in lots of different boats, mainly bigger boats, and he’s new to the dinghy scene. Daniel has done a lot of events in the UK in Lasers and Chris is a good local dinghy sailor.

‘They are all fairly experienced sailors. They’ve come up through the ranks in the local sailing scene.’

Wray grabbed the headlines last year when he came second in the Laser 4.7 class at the UK Laser National Championships held at Abersoch, Wales.

The 18-year-old probably holds Guernsey’s best chances of getting a sailing medal in Aland when he competes with Dravers, 20, in the Laser Radial Rig class.

Aslett and Hamilton, 31, are fighting it out in the larger Laser Standard Rig event.

Aslett pointed out the main contenders.

‘The people we know from Jersey and Isle of Wight are very good sailors,’ he said.

‘The local guys [from Aland] will be very good too. They’ll have the local knowledge.

‘The key is that some of these sailors that have been before have moved on to bigger boats and regattas. It all depends on who turns up.

‘We’ve got a big range in sailors.

‘We’ve got people who like to sail in heavy conditions but we’ve got light-wind specialists as well.’

Guernsey team:
David Aslett, Daniel Wray, Jamie Hamilton, Chris Dravers.

Schedule:
Saturday 27 June
10am – Laser Radial, tune up race, two races
1pm – Laser Standard, tune up race, two races
Sunday 28 June
10am – Laser RDL, two races
1pm – Laser STD, two races
Monday 29 June
10am – Laser STD, two races
1pm – Laser RDL, two races
Tuesday 30 June
10am – Laser RDL, two races
1pm – Laser STD, two races
Wednesday 1 July
Reserve day
Thursday 2 July
10am – Laser STD, two races
1pm – Laser RDL, two races
Friday 3 July
10am – Laser RDL, two races
1pm – Laser STD, two races
Saturday 4 July
Reserve day

Medal hopes: Despite a lack of Island Games experience, Guernsey are taking some good sailors who could be coming back with medals around their necks.