With less than a month to the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics the ten sailing classes are warming-up at the YC Marina Point Rouge series of Magic Regattas.
The 49er and FX skiffs have just completed the latest three day ‘coaches regatta’ 22 – 24 June.
In the men’s 49er Dominik Buksak and Szymon Weirzbicki (POL) dominated throughout the event, with five top three positions, including two race wins.
They won the regatta by just two points, ahead of 2024 World Champions Erwan Fischer and Clement Pequin (FRA). Benjamin Bildstein and David Hussl (AUT) took third.
Britain’s Olympic Team GB 49er sailors James Peters and Fynn Sterritt finished 7th of 20 with a 2, 4, 7, 17, 14, 9 scoreline.
In the women’s 49er FX regatta Ronja Gronblom and Veera Hokka (FIN) won the regatta on the strength of their early results in the big breeze and big waves, to signal their return to the top of the leaderboard with two race wins at just the right time.
In second place were the improving Isaura Maenaut and Anouk Geurts (BEL) just two points off the leaders. In third overall was the French junior team of Manon Peyre and Carlo-Sofia Stamminger, warming-up for the Junior Worlds Galicia in mid-July.
Britain’s Olympic Team GB 49erFX sailors Freya Black and Saskia Tidy finished 12th of 19 with a DNF, 10, 4, 5, 16, 8, 13.
Over the quadrennial, the coaches regattas have risen to prominence as fleet coaches have coordinated efforts and calendars to have more serious racing moments outside formal regattas.
How does this stack-up for the real thing?
Much will depend on the weather conditions over the Games, but this has been a chance for teams to see who is looking comfortable, and their training will continue to that starting gun signals . . . Game-On!
The Formula Kites, 470 dinghy and Nacra 17 multihull classes will all be racing this week.
