Friday is the last chance for competitors at the 52 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar regatta to claim a place in Saturday’s Medal racing.
Racing that will provide a an early taste of what to expect on the road to the Paris Games in 2024 and just who they have to beat to make their national Olympic squad.
Britain has been on an extended run as top sailing nation.
But circumstances of retirement and a dramatic change in the equipment being used at the next Games, has broken the steady continuity of the British Sailing Team.
Four of the sailing events are now on foiling-boards, two powered by Kites, and the heavyweight Finn class – a British specialty – has been retired from Olympic service.
This, combined with more than ten retirements from the last squad, and the short timescale due to the late running of Tokyo 2020, has led to the increased popularity of this Mallorca regatta . . . with entries approaching 1000 in the ten Olympic classes.
Now it’s time for the big show. Who will be on the starting line Saturday for the first big Medal Races of this Olympic cycle.
Medal prospects are looking good for Micky Beckett, leading the men’s ILCA7, and John Gimson and Anna Burnet leading the Nacra 17.
While James Peters and Fynn Sterritt are 8th in the 49er, and in the women’s Kite Ellie Aldridge is 3rd with Katie Dabson in 6th and Maddy Anderson 7th. Connor Bainbridge is 3rd In the men’s Kite.
In the women’s iQFOil Emma Wilson is 2nd and in the men Sam Sills is in third place.
Work still needing to be done in the other classes . . . In the women’s 49erFX it needs a big effort to make the cut, best are Freya Black and Saskia Tidey in 19th.
In the women’s ILCA 6 Britain’s Hannah Snellgrove is in 13th and in the 470 Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris are down in 19th place.
Results form this early World Cup event are about to shine a light on the new season and just who are going to be lining-up in Paris 2024.
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