All change ahead of the next Olympic campaign

It’s hard to recall a time in Olympic sailing that has seen so much change all at once. Aside from the technical changes to equipment, there has been a big game of musical chairs across the Olympic fleets as sailors look to form new partnerships, sometimes in different classes from their Tokyo 2020 campaigns.

In some cases, former teammates have split up into different boats and now find themselves as rivals for the same Olympic spot for their nation. This is particularly true in the 470 where the previously all-male or all-female crews have been forced to split up and re-establish themselves in mixed teams.

For the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champion in the women’s 470, Eilidh McIntyre has now teamed up with helmsman Martin Wrigley. After winning Olympic gold last August, the British sailor had to ask herself some big questions before committing once again to the high demands and sacrifices of a full-time campaign. “I feel like I’ve achieved everything I wanted to in the sport, more than my wildest dreams. And so to come back and try to figure out why I’m here, and why do I want to go again, it is really hard but I’m also having a lot of fun sailing with Martin, and we’re getting on really well. Sailing in a mixed team, it’s a new challenge and there’s something exciting about working out what it’s going to take to win again in this cycle. That’s what we had to do with Han [Hannah Mills], and now to take on the challenge again with Martin.”

The Rio 2016 Olympic Champions Santiago Lange and Cecilia Carranza Saroli from Argentina have separated into different boats following their successful career together in the Nacra 17. Meanwhile another Argentinean team from the Tokyo cycle, 49erFX sailors Victoria Travascio and Maria Sol, have also split up, with Travascio now crewing at the front of Lange’s Nacra, and Sol moving from the front to the back of the 49erFX with Carranza pulling the ropes at the front of the women’s skiff. “Ceci and I reached a natural place for us to stop our campaign together,” smiles Lange. But to race at this level, it’s very hard to find people with the knowledge, the experience and the commitment you need. I could have sailed with a younger crew, but I needed someone who was already understanding the Olympic scene, and so I think Vicky fits that very well. Without her, it would be impossible for me to be here.”

The Dutch Federation has never been afraid to switch its sailors around to find the best combination in a boat. Odile van Aanholt has enjoyed good success with a few different crews over the past three years, including winning the 49erFX World Championships in Oman at the end of 2021. On that occasion it was with Elise de Ruyter in the front of the skiff, but for this week van Aanholt is competing with Annette Duetz, who won the bronze medal at the Olympics last year with helmswoman Annemiek Bekkering who’s since retired from competition.

That same week in Oman, van Aanholt’s boyfriend Bart Lambriex won the men’s 49er Worlds with new crew Floris van de Werken, making it a double Dutch victory. Lambriex split with his Tokyo 2020 crew Pim van Vugt soon after the Games, so van Vugt has now moved on to steering his own 49er with new crew Scipio Houtman. Fortunately despite all the changes on the water, van Aanholt confirms that she and Lambriex are still very much an item. “Yes, all good there,” she smiles. “We’re going steady. For the boys, it will be interesting to see how things go. I think they thought there was more potential if they went into separate boats and Pim is a great skipper so it’s a nice opportunity for him to see how it goes. I think Bart and Floris are very happy with their team, making good progress and having fun. For Bart and Pim, as people they wish each other the best, but of course they are now rivals on the water.”

As for van Aanholt and Duetz, this week in Palma will be a good chance to see how they perform under pressure against the best in the fleet, not least the double Olympic Champions from Brazil, Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze. “When Annette and I got in the boat, we found we matched each other’s styles very well. We’re having fun, we’re learning a lot and we’re looking forward to the competition in Palma.”