PILAR LAMADRID AND NICOLAS GOYARD AS LEADERS TO THE LAST DAY
Lanzarote showed its best side on day four of the IQFOiL International Games. On
this second last day, the race committee managed to get two course races and the
marathon race in before the lunch break. After the break, all riders did another two
races of slalom. At the end of this intense day of racing, it is still Spanish Pilar La
Madrid leading the women’s fleet followed by Emma Wilson (GBR) and Maja
Dziarnowska (POL). In the men’s category, Nicolas Goyard (FRA) managed to stay
in the lead. While number two and three switched positions, putting Luuc van
Opzeeland (NED) in second and Huig-Jan Tak (NED) in third.
Friday, January 28, 2022.- After not competing this Thursday, the Spanish Pilar
Lamadrid has shown that she dominates the Lanzarote regatta course, getting 3
victories in the 5 of the races held, so she continues to lead the women’s category
and qualifies directly for the grand final this Saturday, in which she will compete in
the medal races. “Today we had a long but very productive day, although in one of the
heats I came third because I fell”, said the Spanish sailor, who despite getting the victory
in the slalom, has had bad luck during the marathon, because despite leading practically
all the time, a small mistake gave the lead to Britain’s Emma Wilson. “I’m very happy to
go tomorrow straight to the grand finale, but I’m not so calm either because I can really
lose everything, although as very bad I could be third,” Lamadrid commented. In her
words, “tomorrow it’s all or nothing.” According to her main rival, “tomorrow everything
restarts, although I’m already happy, so it will be fun,” expressed Wilson.
With ideal conditions in Lanzarote as usual, winds blow between 12 and 17 knots, so
both men and women were able to compete in the 3 different formats that can be done
in this class, especifically 2 upwind downwind legs (races), the marathon that
scores double (long distance) and 2 more slalom races (zigzag). “Today was a
perfect day, we competed in 2 upwind downwind legs in the morning, then we did long
distance (about 30-40 minutes) which scores double points, we went all the way around
the bay to Papagayo, and then in the afternoon we did slalom, as the wind dropped a
bit,” explained Gonzalo Costa, secretary of this Olympic class at the International iQFoil
Class Association. In his opinion, people are “very happy” and the forecast for the grand
final is very good, as “tomorrow we will have the medal races in which the top 10 men
and women will compete,” he added.
Regarding the men’s category, it also seems to have a defined leadership: that of
France. Nicolas Goyard has had an impeccable performance, winning almost all the
races: 6 of the 9 races, being first in the marathon and taking first place in the slalom.
“I’m very happy, they were very intense but entertaining heats, overall, we really enjoyed
the day and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the grand finale,” said Goyard. Close behind was Luuc Van Opzeeland (NED), who managed to recover from yesterday,
winning one of the two races, both slalom victories, and getting a second place in the
marathon, behind Goyard. In third place, Huig Jan Tak (NED), who, unlike his Dutch
teammate, “had a tough day”, especially at the start, so he did not get as good results
as on Thursday.
This Saturday, January 29th, only the top ten will race. This final day will be sailed according to a knock-out system. In the Quarter-Final, the number fourth till the tenth of the overall ranking will race. With only the number one and two of those races proceeding to the Semi-Finals. In that Semi-Final they battle it out together with the number two and three of the overall ranking for the last two spots in the Grand Final. In the Grand Final, in addition to the number one and two from the semi-finals, the leader in the overall standings will race. The finish order in the Grand Final will be decisive for the distribution of the medals.
