The Malta49er team of Benji Borg and Sebastian Ripard are currently in Palma conducting an intensive training camp that includes sparring with other sailors prior to the Olympics qualifiers in May.

Following an injury sustained by Borg to his knee in Italy last year, the winter has been spent getting the team back in form again, training in Malta under the eyes of coaches Kolja Volkers and Max Groy.

The ISAF 49er World Championship in Zadar, Croatia, presents Borg and Ripard with a chance to qualify for the 2012 Games in London next summer.

They had missed the first qualification round in Perth, Australia, in December.

Now back to peak fitness levels, the Malta49er boys are making the most of their time in Palma where several other national teams are based for the rest of the winter training schedule.

Teams who have already qualified for London, such as the Danes, Germans, Poles and Swedes, are practising in Spain as well alongside other sailors from Italy, Canada, Belgium, Chile and Bermuda, all gearing up for the Croatia qualifiers.

There are five slots left after 15 49er teams secured their entry in Perth during Yuletide.

The programme in Palma concentrates on high-intensity boat handling and speed techniques, mainly.

In the coming weeks, Borg and Ripard will have the German sailors as sparring partners and in mid-March they are lined up to race in a test regatta to gauge where they lie in the pecking order.

The Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia Regatta will be up next in April. This will be the final race prior to the decisive qualifiers between May 6 and 13.

The Malta 49er Olympic Campaign enjoys the support of the EC English Language Centre, Cisk Excel, Creative Partners, Kurt Arrigo, Bodyworks, the Malta Sailing Federation and Malta International Airport.