West Mersea’s Saskia Clark says it will be “hugely exciting” to test the Rio waters ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games.

Clark, along with her helm Hannah Mills, have been selected to represent British Sailing’s 470 women’s class at the event, in August.

It is the first Olympic test event for any sport to take place in Brazil and will see 30 British sailors do battle across ten Olympic classes with their international rivals.

Clark, who won silver at London 2012, says she wants to use the test event as an opportunity to enhance their chances of winning gold in two years’ time.

Clark said: “I’m hugely excited and proud to be selected.

“This’ll be the first time the team heads to Rio as one and races on the Olympic waters, a huge step in the direction we all head over the next two years.

“Rio 2016 and London 2012 are very different challenges.

“London was a home Games – we knew the waters so well.

“Rio’s on the other side of the world, with different conditions and it’s a real challenge to get all our equipment there and ourselves in the same shape that we were in London.

“But we’re mad for it - it’s hugely exciting to try and go for another Games and hopefully to try and improve on the silver medal."