Olympians rise as big easterlies wind up Hyères

This was the other face of sailing here in the Mediterranean and the sailors could feel the change of pressure on their cheeks as they arrived in the morning and got ready on the beach or in the Base Nautique.

Only the iQFOiL fleets were allowed out in the morning with the red and white AP flag hoisted for the rest of the classes, but after 12:30 the wind shifted slightly right and dropped a few knots allowing them out. The kites still only managed two races in the men and one for the women.

But you could not hope for a better start to an Olympic sailing event with the different conditions – subtly on the first two days, more brutally on the third – testing the skills of the fleet.

The 470s looked close to their limit – but Spain’s Palma champions, Jordi Xammar Hernández & Marta Cardona Alcántara said it was “top range conditions – about “80% of the boat’s capability – avoiding capsizes was something that we had in mind during all the downwinds.”

As an example of the different challenges the 10 classes faced, in the iQFOiL, after the pumping aerobic workout in 5 knots on day one, and 10 knots on day two, this was about bigger weight training and hanging on in 25 knots. The one design class (7.3m sails for women, 8m for men) mean only the harness line and boom height can be changed not the size, so today was the sailorss adjusting their bodies, not the sails, to the conditions.

470 (mixed double-handed dinghy)

Jordi Xammar Hernández & Marta Cardona Alcántara said they were caught napping on day 1, but they had woken up by Wednesday to leave the fleet in their wake and win all three races in commanding fashion. It was statement of precision, speed and intent. The British, Wrigley / Harris stayed second and candidate for most improved boat of the week went to the French Pennaneac’h / Williot, who were 17th after the first two days but jumped to third overall as the two Italian leaders from the first two days struggled in the bigger winds.

iQFOiL (men’s & women’s windsurfing)

iQFOiL were the only class allowed to start on schedule at 11:00 in the wind and waves. The intense 20-minute races were not at full speed because of the chop and it was about staying relaxed on the long reaches, managing flight through the chop, and avoiding the race-ruining big wipeout. After the aerobic workout of the pumping on the first two days, this was about bigger weight training and hanging on. The one design sails (7.3m for women, 8m for men) can only be adjusted on the spacing and harness line not the size, so today was the sailors’s adjusting their bodies not the sails

Women

Palma champion and SOF 2025 champion, Tamar Steinberg (ISR) won three of the four races, and did not compete in the third to take the overall lead from China’s Zheng Yan. Italy’s Olympic champion, Marta Maggetti, stays third as the top three detached from the rest of the fleet.

Men

Proving that they are not fair weather fliers, Italy had the leader and two in the top four. Nicolo Renna kept his overall lead and has been the most consistent rider over the three different days.

But Australia’s Paris 2024 silver medallist, Grae Morris, began to flex his Olympic muscles winning the last four of the five races to move into second place.

Formula Kite (men’s and women’s kite)

All about control for the kites today and riders keeping the speed manageable, staying low and efficient, and nailing transitions without getting rag-dolled after launching from the beach in Salins, north of the Hyères sailing area.

Women

France’s Paris 2024 silver medalist, Lauriane Nolot, finished second in the only race possible yesterday preserving the big gap to her two Chinese and British challengers.

Men

Singapore’s Max Maeder took the lead from Italy’s Riccardo Pianosi, the SOF 2025 champion, with victory in the first of the two races, and kept it with third place in the second.

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

High-wire handling under pressure for the skiffs with flips and capsizes the punishment for sloppiness.

Women’s FX

Australia’s Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot won both races in the FX on Wednesday to jump into second place, as China’s Yingqian Wang & Xiaoya Su struggled and conceded the overall lead to Italy’s Sofia Giunchiglia & Giulia Schio, who could only finish eleventh but stay second overall.

Men’s 49er

Ireland’s Robert Dickson & Sean Waddilove, fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympics, took the overall lead but they were joined at the top by duos who had struggled on the first two days. The Chinese, Swedes and French shared the spoils as both American boats struggled.

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

ILCA 6

Australia’s Zoe Thomson took the overall lead with victory in the first race and tenth in the second was enough to hold on to it as the top 10 filled with some familiar names and previous champions. A twentieth place in the second race saw Netherlands’ overnight leader Maxime van de Werken-Jonker drop to fifth. As she said at the end with a laugh, they do not put your name on the yellow jersey.

ILCA 7

Australia’s double Olympic champion, Matt Wearn, jumped past his two British challengers, to take the overall lead by winning the first race and finishing second in the second. Overnight leader, Michael Beckett could only manage 13th in the second to fall behind his GB team mate Elliot Hanson.

Nacra 17 (mixed double-handed catamaran)

The other double Olympic champions going for three-peat, Italy’s Ruggero Tita & Caterina Banti continued their dominant form winning both races to stay top. Their compatriots, Gianluigi Ugolini & Maria Giubilei, were second to them in both races with the rest of the field struggling for consistency behind them.

Text and images courtesy of FFVoile.fr.