Briton Annie Lush was rushed to hospital after plunging ten feet to the ground while her Elliot six-metre vessel was docked in a boat park.

Lush, the world's number one match racer, suffered a wound to the head requiring 25 stitches, concussion, a broken nose and dislocated fingers.

She flew home on Sunday to recover and will be replaced by Mary Rook in Britain's women's match racing crew.

Some 36 of Britain's top Olympic and Paralympic classes sailors had descended on Florida for the first major event of 2011 – the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, which began today.

They will compete across 12 of the 13 events in six days of competition out on Biscayne Bay.

The team includes triple Olympic champion Ben Ainslie in the Finn class, Nick Thompson in the Laser, and Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell in the SKUD class, who all claimed gold in the opening leg of the World Cup series in Melbourne last month.

Finn world champion Ed Wright has opted to skip the Miami event which he won last year, but Ainslie, Giles Scott and Andrew Mills will be looking to continue the strong British showing in the class which led to a clean sweep of World Cup podium spots for Britain at the Melbourne event.



Britain will have strong hopes in the Laser event, with world silver medallist and 2010 winner Nick Thompson (pictured) and Olympic champion Paul Goodison both in action.

Development squad sailor Alex Mills Barton also makes his Miami debut.

Bryony Shaw and Nick Dempsey will hold British hopes of silverware in the RS:X women's and men's windsurfing events, while Alison Young in the Laser Radial will hope to repeat her first ever World Cup podium spot - a third place in 2010 - at this year's event.

In the 470 men's event, Britain will be represented by Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell, and Nic Asher and Elliot Willis, while Penny Clark and Katrina Hughes, Sarah Ayton and Saskia Clark will compete in the 470 women's competition, along with Hannah Mills and Katie Archer sailing their first World Cup event since joining forces.

The Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta sees the return to international competition for 49er duo Paul Brotherton and Mark Asquith, now back on the campaign trail after Brotherton underwent knee surgery last summer after tearing a ligament at the 49er Europeans in July.

"I'm really looking forward to getting on the start line and getting some racing that counts," said Brotherton.

"Great weather, great conditions and, compared to what we've been training in, 20 knots here is an absolute joy.

"We've got a new rig that we've had some pretty good feelings about in training, but tuning and racing is a different thing.

"It looks like we're going to have a variety of conditions so hopefully by the end of the week we'll be in a good position to either include that mast as part of our portfolio or exclude it, and certainly so far it's been pretty positive.

"The training's gone really well, we both feel really well, we've had a good build up to the regatta.

"I don't see any reason why we can't come away from here with a good performance."

Brotherton and Asquith's 49er teammates John Pink-Rick Peacock and Dave Evans-Ed Powys will also compete for Britain in Miami.

In the Paralympic Classes, British medal hopes include world champions Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell in the SKUD event, the Sonar trio of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas, and Megan Pascoe and Helena Lucas in the one-person 2.4mR event.