After a challenging series in Marseille, the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Venue, followed by a desperately close medal race, the Dutch pairing of Odile van Aanholt & Annette Duetz came out on top to win Gold.
Both members of the JAJO DutchSail Women’s America’s Cup Team, Odile and Annette were the hot favourites before the regatta but had to work hard right to the end to secure the most valuable of medals.
Pushing Odile and Annette to the very last leg of the medal race were the Swedish Challenge Women’s America’s Cup Team members, Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler, who secured a magnificent silver medal and very nearly scooped the gold.
Coming down the final leg, some confusion arose around the finishing line with the starting committee boat setting a mark just off their quarter that looked for all the world like the designated finishing line. However, a further committee boat, actually flying an indicative flag, lay further down the course and was initially unseen by the Dutch pair who were leading the race. Having crossed the ‘false’ finishing line, Odile and Annette dropped their national flagged asymmetric spinnaker and rounded up to watch the others finishing, confident that they had secured gold.
Vilma and Rebecca, however, spotted the second finishing line and continued at pace downwind to the real finish. Realising their error, Odile and Annette re-launched their kite and blasted off to the real finish line, crossing the line in third place just one second behind the Italian crew of Jana Germani and Georgia Bertuzzi and some 8 seconds behind the Swedish winners of the race. It was enough, just, to secure the gold medal.
A thrilling end to a fabulous series in the 49erFX that saw a huge range of conditions that challenged the sailors to the extreme. Other Puig Women’s America’s Cup sailors, competing in the series, included: Jo Aleh & Molly Meech (New Zealand 7th), Olivia Price & Evie Haseldine (Australia 9th), Stephanie Roble & Maggie Shea (USA 10th), Tamara Echegoyen & Martin Barcelo (Spain 12th), and Freya Black and Saskia Tidey (GBR 16th).
Plenty more action to come from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with many of the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup and Puig Women’s America’s Cup athletes still competing. Good luck from all of the Louis Vuitton 37thAmerica’s Cup community.
