Big day on the Bay

Riding the bucking bronco at the Princess Sofia Trophy

French Nacra 17 World Champion Billy Besson described racing at Trofeo Princesa Sofia - ISAF Sailing World Cup Mallorca like "riding a rodeo bull" as 20-25 knots meant the limits of sailors’ were tested, with capsizes and equipment breakages across the fleets in Palma Bay.
The southerly breeze whipping up wild winds and five metre swells pushed the nine fleets that got out racing to the max.

The 2.4mR, 49er, 49erFX, Finn, Laser, Laser Radial, Nacra 17 and Men’s and Women’s RS:X were able to compete with only the 470 fleets unable to take to the race course.

Nacra 17

France’s Billy Besson and Marie Riou continue to lead in the Nacra 17 after finishing third in the single Nacra 17 race and open up a 21 point gap at the top of the pack. After racing Besson said: “Keeping ourselves safe was our priority. It’s really difficult in the big breeze and it was like riding a rodeo bull because you just want to keep on the boat.

“The wind was really strong so throughout the race we concentrated on keeping the boat secure. We capsized but we came back and afterwards we said ‘okay, let’s be very careful’ because we had a lot of boats capsize.”

Franck Cammas and Sophie de Turckheim (FRA) retain second on 39 points with Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis (AUS) a point behind.

Bundock and Curtis won gold at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne and are happy they’ve been tested in a range of conditions against the crème of the Nacra 17 crop. “Everyone who is campaigning for the Rio 2016 Olympics is here so it’s a good chance to check in where you are in your campaign,” said Bundock. “For us we’ve only just started, this is our third regatta and we’re pleased to be in third spot after such a short time in the class.”

Curtis added, “The fleet is changing all the time, techniques, people going fast in different conditions so we’re trying to get the best bits from the other teams. It’s good because all the teams are lining up together in all these different conditions.”

The day’s race win went to Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) who are fourth overall.

Several British crews were thrown into water. Pippa Wilson and John Gimson held on to finish fifth in the race, with Lucy Macgregor and Andy Walsh the top British pairing after day four, in seventh overall.

Laser

The Laser fleet headed out onto the race course for an 11:00 start expecting to be pushed to their limits.

Ahead of racing Cyprus’ Pavlos Kontides explained the scenario, “There are some crazy conditions out there compared to what we have back home. If you want to call yourself one of the best in the world then you have to be able to sail in all kinds of conditions.”

Kontides’ training partner Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) echoed the Cypriot as they took to the water with 25 knots of breeze on the cards, “Today will be very hard and we are all really looking forward to pushing ourselves.”

And push themselves is what exactly what they did with three races completed in an increasing breeze.

Robert Scheidt (BRA) was able to hold onto his lead as he explained after racing, “Today was kind of rough. I had a third, a fourth and in the last race I didn’t do so well. I capsized two times as the breeze picked up too much and it was tough to handle. It got really windy and was on the limit. I’m still in the hunt and tomorrow is going to be a big day.”

Scheidt finished 24th in the final race of the day and discards the result. He has an eight point lead over Tom Burton (AUS) who enjoyed his best day on the water. “It was pretty good for me today,” said Burton after racing. “I got a six, two and three and it was definitely testing conditions, the races were pretty long and it was really windy.

“I haven’t been going the best but I’m trying to be consistent and today was probably my best day consistency wise.”

Germany’s Philipp Buhl also sailed well in the big breeze and is now third overall.

The day’s race wins went to Kontides, Andy Maloney (NZL) and Nick Thompson (GBR). Thompson’s day had improved as it went on – starting with a black flag disqualification, he went on to post a third before winning the final race to boost his overall standing to sixth.

Laser Radial

Double bullets from Evi Van Acker (BEL) moved her into third overall in the Laser Radial but long-time rival Marit Bouwmeester (NED) still holds the lead.

Bouwmeester has only finished out of the top three once and in a range of conditions has demonstrated her versatility. On her week so far Bouwmeester said, “We started off with light wind conditions and I was having a good regatta, I was not so sharp today but hopefully I can change that through the next few days. It has been a lot of fun racing, there are a lot of good girls here, it’s good competition.”

Van Acker added a sixth to her double bullets to move up nicely whilst Tuula Tenkanen (FIN) separates the Belgian and Dutch sailor in second.

World #1 Mathilde de Kerangat (FRA) took the final race win of the day. Britain's Chloe Martin lies in fourth place after seven races.

Men’s RS:X

Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) overtook Pierre le Coq (FRA) in the Men’s RS:X following another steady day of racing.

From eight Men’s RS:X races Kokkalanis has delivered top five results in all and is two points clear of le Coq. Kokkalanis said, “Today’s racing was really fun with planing conditions. It was really hard core conditions with a lot of waves and strong wind, it was fun. I’m really stable and doing really good.”

The French battle for one of two Rio test event spots continues to ramp up and le Coq, in second, leads the way. Julien Bontemps (FRA) moved up to third following a second, a discarded OCS and a final race bullet. Bontemps dislodged Louis Giard (FRA) who falls to sixth.

On being the leading French racer le Coq said, “It is a really important event. There are three French guys at the top so there is a big fight. Today the wind was really strong so we have to be really reactive. I had 2 good races and one in 12th. For now I’m pretty happy with the week and hope I will continue like that.”

Nimrod Mashich (ISR) and Thomas Goyard (FRA) took the days other race wins.

World Champion Nick Dempsey also appeared to enjoy his day, posting a 4,5,2 to boost him into fifth place: “My speed was good today.  I made a lot of mistakes and still had the 5,4,2 – you always know you’re going fast when you’re not sailing that well but still getting some really good results. It’s nice to have the wind here finally in Palma – it’s been a tough week so far so that eases us up a little bit and it’s a damn site more enjoyable!”

After a consistent but conservative start, the Olympic silver and bronze medallist is planning a change of approach for the final two days of the event.
 
“I’ve been relatively consistent all week but have really been lacking pushing the front of the fleet and attacking the front of the fleet.  Tomorrow I’d like to start sailing a bit more to win, actually start pushing on a little bit, maybe take a few little risks here and there and attack it a little bit more than I have been. I’ve been a little bit passive so far so I’ll go out there and give it everything tomorrow and see where we’re at.”

Women’s RS:X

Charline Picon (FRA) has opened up a 15 point lead in the 56 strong Women’s RS:X fleet as she revelled in the big breeze.

The French racer opened up her day in fine form taking a bullet and backed it up with a second. An eighth in the final race gives Picon a healthy lead going into the penultimate day.

Overnight leader Peina Chen (CHN) dropped to second and World #1 Bryony Shaw (GBR) is in third.

Britain's Bryony Shaw managed to survive the tough conditions to end her day still with the red jersey for overall third place.

“It was a really squally day – the wind kept flicking around all over the place,” the world number one explained. “We had three planing races and the last one was really windy, but I managed to survive.  I think I got a couple of counters today and one that was a bit of a higher score unfortunately, but it was a relatively solid day.

“The regatta so far has been a real mixed bag,” Shaw continued.  “It’s been light winds to start with and then had a day off yesterday where the wind just didn’t come through at all for us, so it’s been nice to have had some wind today and it’s been nice to have a mixed week with different kinds of conditions. I’ve been trying to keep my consistency, will try and get some more top threes and see how we go.”
 

49erFX

The 49erFX class was the first to complete their schedule before the breeze and waves began to build.

Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen (DEN) relished the breezy conditions and won all three 49erFX races on the fourth day of racing.

The Danes were truly dominant but Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) continue to lead after yet another consistent day of racing. The Brazilians picked up a 5-2-5 score line and a 15th in Race 5 is their only finish outside of the top five.

Grael and Kunze lead on 22 points followed by the Danes on 25 points. Great Britain’s Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth showing their boat-handling skills in the lively conditions to post 13,5,4 for their efforts and maintain overall third place on 52 points overall.

49er

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) and Jonas Warrer and Peter Lang (DEN) shared the race victories in the 49er and occupy the leading spots.

The Kiwis came fifth in the opening race and won the second by just two seconds over Benjamin Bildstein and David Hussl (AUT). The Danes had an equally close race finish in the first of the day and overcame Nico Delle – Karth and Nikolaus Resch (AUT) by six points.

Burling and Tuke have a healthy 18 point lead over the Danes at the top of the leader board.

Despite not finishing the final race of the day Great Britain’s David Evans and Ed Powys remain on the podium with two days to spare. An eighth in the opening race was enough for them to go into the penultimate day with a two point advantage over Diego Botín and Pablo Turrado (ESP) in fourth.

Birthday boy Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign were the only British pairing to successfully complete both 49er races, posting 4,10 to see them into sixth overall. Stevie Morrison and Chris Grube’s retirement was confirmed following a back injury to Grube on Wednesday.

Finn

Giles Scott (GBR) solidified top spot in the Finn after he won both of the day’s races.

Scott was dominant in the strong breeze and is eight points clear of the week’s early leader Thomas Le Breton (FRA). Jonathan Lobert (FRA) trails his compatriot by 12 points in third.

2.4mR

It was another excellent day for Helena Lucas (GBR) in the 16-boat 2.4mR as she recorded her fifth race victory.

Megan Pascoe (GBR) brought Lucas’ winning run to an end in the fifth race as she came through to defeat her compatriot and take her first bullet of the week. However in the second Lucas was back on track and at the top of the pack.

Heading into the final day of 2.4mR racing Lucas leads by five points and if she continues to display marvellous consistency then the gold will be hers.

Due to increasingly strong winds no 470 racing was possible. The Women’s 470 will pick up Race 7 on 4 April whilst the Men’s 470 will start their eighth.

Racing concludes for the 2.4mR Paralympic class on Friday (4 April), while sailors in the ten Olympic classes will continue battle it out for the ten berths in the medal races on Saturday (5 April).