Semaine Olympique Française
CHAMPIONS DOMINANT IN HYÈRES DAY OF BUILDING PRESSURE
The wind might have dropped on day 2 of the 53rd Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères – TPM, but the pressure kept rising for the sailors either getting to know their new crews or crafts.
You can feel it in the boat parks here in Hyères, with an Olympic cycle of just three years before the Paris 2024 Olympic sailing event takes place in Marseilles, a fine morning’s sail west along the coast. On a day that started light and built steadily from shifty 6s in the late morning to steady 17-19-knot south-westerlies by the late afternoon, the classes that set off in the morning were tested in a range of conditions.
49er sail split
The clear leaders in the two 49er men’s fleets are both running old rigs in Hyères, for some different reasons, and one major one that’s the same; reliability. Last year the 49er class announced a change from Mylar sails to North Sails 3di, and the accompanying new rig means a shallower spinnaker too. Time will tell if performance gains have been overblown.
Poland’s Dominik Buksak and Szymon Wierzbicki, the overall leaders, have gone back to their old mast and sails after broken spreaders on the new mast in the first race in Palma at the beginning of April cost them a place in the gold fleet.
They had another strong day, that included a third race win and a lowest of fourth in six races over two days.
49er FX
Norway’s Helene Noess & Marie Ronningen took the overall lead in style after winning the first three of the four races yesterday.
The Nacra 17, learning to fly
Sometimes the performance gains have been immediately more obvious. There is a new craft in the Nacra 17 – in all senses. After a 2016 Olympic debut, in 2017, the Morrelli & Melvin-designed Nacra 17 evolved: the sporty catamaran abandoned its curved daggerboards for Z foils, and now this season, its rudders are equipped with wings, allowing it to fly at all angles. Its hulls are now partly carbon and a lot of weight, around 22kg, has been added at the level of the foil well to be able to support all the extra force. The Nacra 17 is therefore totally flying and the first flying Olympic support.
Italy’s Olympic champions, Ruggero Tita & Caterina Banti, lead overall after winning the fourth and last race of the day. That took them past Britain’s pair of John Gimson & Anna Burnet are second overall after a strong finish to the day in the bigger breeze.
Kitefoil (men’s and women’s foiling kitesurfing)
Men’s
France’s Alex Mazella and Singapore’s Maximilian Maeder continue to dominate their two fleets after 4 more races on Tuesday. Although Maeder slipped to second overall after picking up a big discard for not finishing race 8.
Women’s
After 4 more races and 8 in total, France’s Lauriane Nolot moved past USA’s five-time and reigning world champion, Daniela Moroz, at the top of the leaderboard. Moroz finished ninth in race 7.
iQFOiL (men’s & women’s – new Olympic windsurfing class)
Men’s
France’s Nicolas Goyard jumped into a commanding lead after winning all five races today as all his rivals faltered with heavy discards.
Women’s
Hélène Noesmoen was not quite as dominant as her compatriot and fellow World and European champion, winning only three of her five races. Her rivals look distant, but remain in touch, just.
ILCA 6 and 7 – (women’s & men’s solo dinghy)
ILCA 6
Agata Barwinska, made it a strong day for Poland’s sailors, as she held onto the overall lead despite finishing 17th in the second race of the day (Race 4). In two days of violently swinging results, nearly the whole leaderboard already have big discards.
ILCA 7
Australia’s Olympic champion, Matt Wearn, kept the overall lead by winning both his fleet races, but Germany’s 2020 World Champion, showed his class and form too, but winning both in his to move second overall.
470 (mixed double-handed dinghy)
The 470 looks like being one of the most hotly contested classes in Hyères. Germany’s Luise Wanser & Philipp Autenrieth are edging the overall lead after winning both races in their fleet.
