BRITISH sailing team boss Stephen Park has labelled the upcoming dinghy world championships the most important event in the run-up to the 2016 Olympics – and is targeting at least four medals across the ten classes.

Park, who has overseen Britain’s rise to the top of the medal rankings for sailing at the past two Olympic Games, will be looking for his young team members to put on their best displays so far as they fight for places at Rio.

Not only will the World Championships, starting in Santander, Spain, tomorrow, serve as an indicator of potential medal contenders, it will also serve as the first opportunity for nations to qualify in their chosen classes.

Team GBR is looking to enter competitors into all ten classes – and the world championships provide an early chance to secure those slots.

“From a British perspective we would hope that we would qualify for the Olympic Games in each one of those ten events at this first opportunity, and effectively just put that to bed for this Olympic cycle,” Park explained.

“Then we can concentrate on the individual competitions and of course ultimately who Great Britain will select to sail as part of Team GB at the 2016 Olympic Games.”

Some 90 British sailors are set to compete across the ten events, including a host of Hampshire sailors including Laser class Nick Thompson.

He is expecting at least four medals from the event following the team’s success on the waters of Rio last month at the first Olympic test event.

But Park has warned his charges to expect tough battles at what he describes as “the biggest event of this Olympic cycle”.

“Across the ten classes we are looking to try and win four medals or more,” he said.

“I think following our performances in Rio last month where we did manage to get people on the podium in seven out of the ten events, we’re feeling fairly confident going into this event. “But we’re also conscious that there’s a significant greater size of fleet and depth of talent at this than from the Test Event. “It’s a completely different venue, so we can’t expect things to go all our own way, and the competition will be tough as every nation is desperate to try and secure those early slots for the Olympic Games.

“Hopefully we’ll have some good competition and we’ll be in the running in each one of those ten events when we get towards the business end of the event at the end of next week.”

Racing in Santander runs until September 21.