"We clearly like France!” USA skiffs win gold and silver as China and Italy top medal table

470 (mixed double-handed dinghy)

1st – Simon Diesch & Anna Markfort (GER) – 43 pts
2nd – Jordi Xammar Hernández & Marta Cardona Alcántara (ESP) – 56
3rd – Giacomo Ferrari & Alessandra Dubbini (ITA) – 59

Germany’s Simon Diesch & Anna Markfort had confirmed gold on Friday with a lead of 21 points, so just had to avoid any penalty disqualification and enjoy the Medal Race. They did and despite the Italian duo of Giacomo Ferrari & Alessandra Dubbini roaring away to win the Medal Race, Spain’s Olympic bronze medallist at Tokyo 2020 (2021), Jordi Xammar Hernández, with his new teammate, Marta Cardona Alcántara, were able to keep track and silver.

It was mission accomplished for the German duo who had finished second earlier this month in the first round of the Sailing Grand Slam.

ILCA 6 and 7 – (women’s & men’s solo dinghy)

ILCA 6

1st – Chiara Benini Floriani (ITA) – 34 pts
2nd – Emma Plasschaert (BEL) – 36
3rd – Anna Munch (DEN) – 39

The closest of the Medal Races as Italy’s Chiara Benini Floriani (ITA) emerged ecstatically victorious by the narrowest of margins with a fourth-placed finish just enough to secure Italy’s second gold of the Regatta. Belgium’s Emma Plasschaert secured silver by winning the Medal Race and Denmark’s Anna Munch was second to take bronze. But there was heartbreak for America’s Charlotte Rose, who started the day with the yellow bib as leader, albeit by one point, but could only finish seventh in the Medal Race and fourth overall, level on points with Munch, but off the podium.

ILCA 7

1st – Nicholas Halliday (HKG) – 48 pts
2nd – Thomas Saunders (NZL) – 71
3rd – Duko Bos (NED) – 79

Hong Kong, China’s Nicholas Halliday enjoyed his first ever Medal Race in World Cup event with a victory lap, after finishing Friday with a 23-point lead. Halliday finished fourth, with New Zealand’s Thomas Saunders one place ahead of him taking silver as Netherlands’ Duko Bos struggled in eighth after fading at the end of the week.

Halliday was 20th in the first round of the Sailing Grand Slam but led from the front for most of the week in Hyères.

Nacra 17 (mixed double-handed catamaran)

1st – John Gimson & Anna Burnett (GBR) – 49 pts
2nd – Gianluigi Ugolini & Maria Giubilei (ITA) – 52
3rd – Willemijn Offerman & Scipio Houtman (NED) – 60

Britain’s John Gimson & Anna Burnett won gold and their second Sailing Grand Slam victory of the month, but they did not have it all on their own after starting the Medal Race seven points clear of their training partners, the Italian duo of Gianluigi Ugolini & Maria Giubilei.

The British had to fight back from seventh after a tough start. The Italians got away and won the Race, the British pulled back to third and won the Regatta. The Netherlands’ Willemijn Offerman & Scipio Houtman finished between them, in second, to jump up into bronze, displacing the Australian duo of Brin Liddell & Rhiannan Brown, who were eighth.

49er and 49erFX (men’s and women’s double-handed skiff)

Women’s FX

1st – Isaura Maenhaut & Anouk Geerts (BEL) – 149 pts
2nd – Paris Henken & Helena Scutt (USA) – 151
3rd – Georgia Lewin-LaFrance & Antonia Lewin-LaFrance (CAN) – 156

In the most thrilling Medal Race of the day – tied with the ILCA 6 – Isaura Maenhaut & Anouk Geerts, held onto their yellow bib despite finishing second to last of the ten boats in the Medal Race, as this high-scoring regatta brought its final twists. They had a nerve-wracking start and nail-biting finish as they waited to hear from their coach boat whether they had done enough to win gold.

Their 13-point lead going into the start immediately evaporated as, uncertain who the judges were flagging, they and three other boats headed back to starting line to ensure they did not get disqualified for crossing early. This allowed the USA team, who started the day in fourth, to get away and they kept pushing, finishing second in the Medal Race and almost overturning the unlikeliest of margins. If they had passed the Italians and the Belgians had not passed the Germans on the second upwind, USA would have later been celebrating a double skiff victory.

The drama was equally as great behind the Americans, as Canada’s Lewin-LaFrance sisters took bronze by finishing one place ahead of the French duo, who had started the day in second, and finished on equal points.

Men’s 49er

1st – Nevin Snow & Ian MacDiarmid (USA) – 101 pts
2nd – Richard Schultheis & Fabian Rieger (GER) – 104
3rd – Hernando Umpierre & Fernando Diz (URU) – 108

USA’s Nevin Snow & Ian MacDiarmid produced a controlled race to displace the yellow-bibbed leaders from Uruguay, hold off the Germans and cap a great day for American skiffs 45 minutes after the USA’s women’s FX duo had pulled off their great comeback to take silver.

The high scores kept on coming and as the wind eased for the last Medal Races of the day, and gambles got bigger. This time it cost the Uruguayans most. They started the Medal Race three points clear of USA, but trailed home last to finish with bronze after the Germans came second in the race.

Text and images courtesy of FFVoile/SailingEnergy.