Nacra 17 Europeans- Success for Italy's Bissaro and Sicouri

by Camille El Beze on 9 Jul 2014

2014 Nacra 17 European Championship Antoine Beysens

If the loss of the first day of racing at the Nacra 17 European Championships due to too little wind was the price to be paid in order to have great Mistral conditions today off La Grande Motte, then many of the 71 competing crews would accept that as a worthwhile tax.

Today’s payback was a cross offshore, NW’ly Mistral averaging 17 to 19kts but up to 23kts at times which was peppered with lighter holes and big shifts in direction creating a spectacular opening to the regatta.

While the top ranked Italian sailors Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri who went 1,4,1 in the yellow fleet to lead the world champions Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA) who opened with a 5,1,1 in the opposite grey fleet, it was not so straightforward an opening day for Australia’s Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis who found themselves on the back foot.

A collision with a Bulgarian crew resulted in a hole in the Bulgarians boat in the first race, and in the second they were among those penalised under the black flag rule. To add to their woes a capsize put the tin lid on a day the duo who hold three Olympic silver medals between them will probably be glad to put behind them.

Keeping it simple, staying out of trouble and sailing the shifts well were the fundamental building blocks to success today. Besson and Riou, who train on these waters with the French team, were in their element, starting off with a fifth in their first race when it was especially shifty with big changes in wind pressure with the breeze puffing partially off the land. The Italian regatta leaders also adhered to the first principles of sailing the key shifts and holding their lane out of the traffic.

Besson explained how they stuck to watchwords of keeping it simple, safe and fast: 'The wind constantly changes strength and direction and so it is hard to find the right angle to get to the buoy as fast as possible. The key in these conditions is safety first. You really have to use secure maneuvers because we are never safe from a fault or a capsize and it needs great control between crew and helmsman to be very coordinated.'

2014 Nacra 17 European Championship © Antoine Beysens

The Italians, who are world ranked number one on the ISAF standings, showed the benefit of their intense training programme in Cagliari which they shared with the Austrians Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank. They too would have been up there was well but for a black flag penalty in the first race, in which they crossed the finish line second.

Bissario said: 'It is not an easy job to win. Two wins is good but the championships are long. We just sail fast and do the simple things well and try and get the shifts right. We are happy. We expected to do this because we have worked hard and have been going well.'

New Zealand’s Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders won the first race for the grey fleet and were then pleased to back that up with a pair of solid, counting results in the form of an 11th and an eighth.

'We had three keepers which is good from a first day like that.' Said Jones 'It was very shifty, very up and down and when we first went out it was very windy. The first and second races were a bit lighter. We feel like we had good speed and were racing quite well but just have to get on the right side of the windshifts.'

In the tactical, technical conditions Denmark’s 49er bronze medallist Alan Norrergard sailing with Line Just retained a high level of consistency with a 2,2,4, proving they are fast learners in the Nacra 17 since making the move into the mixed sex Olympic catamaran just over six months ago, after they have put in some hard miles training at home.

2014 Nacra 17 European Championship © Antoine Beysens

Norregard, third at London 2012, smiled: 'We are very happy. We were in the right places at the right times. There were very big shifts and we managed to get them right. Some of it was a little bit lucky but that is the way it is in these conditions. If you are in the right place at the right time it is easy. We were up there all the way. Getting the first shift was important because it got you out of the traffic. But we were really happy with our speed and how we sailed. We have done a lot of training at home. We have just done a lot of hours on the boat, some in breeze. But to be honest we are still getting the hang of it. The French are still better than us in these conditions but I think we can catch them at some point. They are good downwind and really push the boat more. We are still a bit careful. So we need more time in windy conditions. For me it is really fun, a lot of new things after the 49er, learning every time we are on the water and I am really enjoying it. We really only started this project about six months ago and so we are still quite new into it. We changed to the boat only in the spring and surprisingly we did not expect to get near the top so quickly. We will see over the week we will drop a bit this week I’m sure, but it was tactical, technical racing.'

Qualifying racing continues with warning signals due at 0900hrs local time Wednesday in order to try and catch up on the races lost on day one.

2014 Nacra 17 European Championship © Antoine Beysens

Lucy MacGregor (GBR): 'We had two good races and then did not get a good start in the third one. We just lost our gap on the line and so had to fight our way back through the fleet which was pretty tough in that breeze. We got a counter. The conditions were pretty crazy, up and down and very shifty. The two good ones we fought up to thirds. We are going well, speedwise which is good to see but there were a lot of gains and losses on the shifts. You are trying to get your head out the boat and see what is happening.'

Sophie de Turckheim (FRA) (crew with Cammas): 'We were straight into it with a lot of wind this morning. That was not really so good for us but the second race was better. These are conditions we have not had very much this year and the strong stuff is a bit of a weakness for Franck and I right now. We take this as our chance to train alongside the best. In the strong wind, we have to keep things simple, manouevering as little as possible. You can easily capsize if you attack too hard and at the same time it should not be too defensive. If the boat takes over and we lose control. There is a balance between attack and keep it simple.

Tania Frank (AUT): 'It was a surprise to get the BFD we thought we were on the line. But the second race was good, we had a good upwind and downwind, we had good speed and so we won. We are comfortable in a lot of wind. We had two months of training in Cagliari and had every kind of conditions and so we are quite confident. I was ISAF Youth World Champion in the 420 in 2011 and Thomas, my helm, was in the Tornado and was vice world champion and European Champion. He sailed the 49er for three years. We were fourth at the Europeans last year.'

John Gimson (GBR): 'The first race there were big holes in the breeze and we were a bit average. The second was good, fresher with a more solid breeze. We made a steady start. You always want some steady top ten scored and don’t get any letters. The second race the breeze was just a bot steadier but the key thing was to stay clean and out of trouble.

2014 Nacra 17 European Championship - Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis © Antoine Beysens

Darren Bundock (AUS): 'The first race we sunk the Bulgarians. It was our fault. We were on port at the start, tried to duck them and could not bear away enough. And then on the second race we got OCS. So it was a bit of a disaster. And that race we capsized. So hopefully that is our three bad strikes and we have had them. There is still plenty to go in the regatta though.'

2014 Nacra 17 European Championship © Antoine Beysens

Scratch après 3 courses (Inc.0 retrait[s]) (71 inscrits)

Rgs	Ident	Concurrents	P Ret	P tot	c.1	c.2	c.3	Club / Pays
1	ITA 200	BISSARO Vittorio SICOURI Silvia	6.00	6.00	1 1.0	4 4.0	1 1.0	ITALIE -
2	FRA 1	BESSON Billy RIOU Marie	7.00	7.00	5 5.0	1 1.0	1 1.0	S N O NANTES USAM Voile Brest
3	DEN 248	NORREGAARD Allan JUST Line	8.00	8.00	2 2.0	2 2.0	4 4.0	DANEMARK -
4	AUS 158	MC NICOL EUAN WHITTY Lucinda	14.00	14.00	2 2.0	8 8.0	4 4.0	AUSTRALIE -
5	ARU 212	VAN DER VELDEN Nicole VISSER Thijs	16.00	16.00	8 8.0	5 5.0	3 3.0	ARU -
6	AUS 133	WATERHOUSE Jason DARMANIN Lisa	16.00	16.00	6 6.0	4 4.0	6 6.0	AUSTRALIE -
7	GBR 042	MACGREGOR Lucy WALSH Andrew	19.00	19.00	3 3.0	3 3.0	13 13.0	GRANDE-BRETAGNE -
8	NZL 222	JONES Gemma SAUNDERS Jason	20.00	20.00	1 1.0	11 11.0	8 8.0	NOUVELLE ZELAND -
9	GBR 076	WILSON PIPA GIMSON JOHN	20.00	20.00	10 10.0	2 2.0	8 8.0	GRANDE-BRETAGNE -
10	FRA 225	VAIREAUX Moana AUDINET Manon	20.00	20.00	10 10.0	7 7.0	3 3.0	Y C CARNAC ST GEORGES VOILES
11	NED 244	MULDER Mandy DE KONING Coen	25.00	25.00	3 3.0	3 3.0	19 19.0	HOLLANDE -
12	NED 081	DELNOOZ ELKE VAN LEEUWEN JEROEN	29.00	29.00	14 14.0	5 5.0	10 10.0	HOLLANDE -
13	GBR 2	SAXTON Ben DIAMOND Hannah	30.00	30.00	15 15.0	6 6.0	9 9.0	GRANDE-BRETAGNE -
14	GER 211	KOHLHOFF Paul WERNER Carolina	31.00	31.00	11 11.0	7 7.0	13 13.0	ALLEMAGNE -
15	FRA 077	CAMMAS Franck DE TURCKHEIM Sophie	31.00	31.00	13 13.0	9 9.0	9 9.0	YCPR S R ANTIBES
16	ARG 226	LANGE Santiago CARRANZA SAROLI Cecilia	32.00	32.00	4 4.0	16 16.0	12 12.0	ARGENTINE -
17	SWE 153	SVENSSON IDA ROSENGREN RASMUS	34.00	34.00	7 7.0	20 20.0	7 7.0	SUEDE -
18	GBR 120	WHITE Rupert NIKKI Boniface	34.00	34.00	8 8.0	9 9.0	17 17.0	GRANDE-BRETAGNE -
19	FRA 085	OGEREAU Audrey VANDAME Matthieu	35.00	35.00	23 23.0	10 10.0	2 2.0	A S P T T NANTES S R VANNES
20	AUS 067	PIETROMONACO Pip WIERZBOWSKI James	35.00	35.00	15 15.0	10 10.0	10 10.0	AUSTRALIE -
21	FRA 078	LAUGIER Flora BELLET Valentin	36.00	36.00	13 13.0	12 12.0	11 11.0	E V CATASCHOOL CN CHATELAILLON
22	GBR 182	PHIPPS Tom ROOK Marie	37.00	37.00	19 19.0	13 13.0	5 5.0	GRANDE-BRETAGNE -
23	DEN 082	CHRISTIANSEN Lin Ea SOREN KRISTENSEN	39.00	39.00	5 5.0	11 11.0	23 23.0	DANEMARK -
24	RUS 227	SEMENOV MAKSIM SHCHETINKINA ALINA	42.00	42.00	4 4.0	18 18.0	20 20.0	RUSSIE -
25	AUT 205	ZAJAC Thomas FRANK Tanja	44.00	44.00	BFD 37.0	1 1.0	6 6.0	AUTRICHE -
26	RUS 022	DZHIENBAEV Sergey IVANOVA Daria	44.00	44.00	9 9.0	13 13.0	22 22.0	RUSSIE -
27	SUI 220	BAHLER MATIAS BRUGGER NATHALIE	48.00	48.00	BFD 37.0	6 6.0	5 5.0	SUISSE -
28	ITA 032	SORRENTINO Vincenzo CATARCI Giorgia	49.00	49.00	19 19.0	16 16.0	14 14.0	ITALIE -
29	ITA 166	SABATINI Francesco MAMUSA Marcella	49.00	49.00	14 14.0	17 17.0	18 18.0	ITALIE -
30	NED 243	GROENEVELD Renee KROL Steven	51.00	51.00	7 7.0	OCS 37.0	7 7.0	HOLLANDE -
31	FRA 199	PETITJEAN Ingrid BACKES Olivier	52.00	52.00	17 17.0	21 21.0	14 14.0	S N MARSEILLE S N MARSEILLE
32	ITA 209	BRESSANI Lorenzo MICOL Giovanna	55.00	55.00	12 12.0	14 14.0	29 29.0	ITALIE -
33	CAN 100	RAMSAY LUKE CHAFEE LOUISA	56.00	56.00	26 26.0	15 15.0	15 15.0	CANADA -
34	GBR 152	CLIFFORD ALICIA BRUTON Thomas	56.00	56.00	16 16.0	19 19.0	21 21.0	GRANDE-BRETAGNE -
35	AUS 217	WALKER EVAN GILBERT ANNALISE	57.00	57.00	6 6.0	14 14.0	DNF 37.0	AUSTRALIE -
36	BEL 161	GOOD Morgan HEIJSTEK Charlotte	58.00	58.00	20 20.0	22 22.0	16 16.0	BELGIQUE -
37	GRE 210	BEKATOROU Sofia TRIGONIS Konstantinos	58.00	58.00	18 18.0	23 23.0	17 17.0	GRECE -
38	AUS 242	BUNDOCK DARREN CURTIS NINA	61.00	61.00	BFD 37.0	12 12.0	12 12.0	AUSTRALIE -
39	ITA 219	SALVA Federica BIANCHI Francesco	63.00	63.00	18 18.0	8 8.0	DNF 37.0	ITALIE -
40	ITA 126	PORRO Francesco BANTI Caterina Marian	63.00	63.00	BFD 37.0	15 15.0	11 11.0	ITALIE -
41	BRA 230	DE FREITAS Clinio SWAN DE FREITAS Claudia	63.00	63.00	16 16.0	20 20.0	27 27.0	BRESIL -
42	URU 147	DEFASIO PABLO FOGLIA MARIANA	64.00	64.00	12 12.0	OCS 37.0	15 15.0	URUGUAY -
43	AUS 156	DARMANIN PAUL COPELAND LUCY	65.00	65.00	25 25.0	17 17.0	23 23.0	AUSTRALIE -
44	JPN 249	GOTO Hiroki TABATA Wakako	65.00	65.00	27 27.0	18 18.0	20 20.0	JAPON -
45	DEN 187	VIBORG ANDREASEN Anette HJORTLUND Christensen	67.00	67.00	9 9.0	31 31.0	27 27.0	DANEMARK -
46	FRA 203	BELLET Romain SCHOENAHL Milena	67.00	67.00	21 21.0	28 28.0	18 18.0	CN CHATELAILLON B N A J SAVINES LAC
47	ITA 089	BONDI David ANGELINI Alessandra	68.00	68.00	11 11.0	32 32.0	25 25.0	ITALIE -
48	ESP 198	VERDAGUER Marc LOPEZ CASANOVA Marina	73.00	73.00	17 17.0	19 19.0	DNF 37.0	ESPAGNE -
49	BRA 231	ALBRECHT Samuel RODRIGUES DE SILVA Georgia	74.00	74.00	DNF 37.0	21 21.0	16 16.0	BRESIL -
50	HUN 218	VIRAG FLORA GECSE BALAZS	74.00	74.00	23 23.0	22 22.0	29 29.0	HONGRIE -
51	GER 010	RUMPF STEFAN GOOS Anna Bettina	75.00	75.00	26 26.0	25 25.0	24 24.0	ALLEMAGNE -
52	ESP 246	MARTINEZ IKER PACHECO TARA	76.00	76.00	DNF 37.0	OCS 37.0	2 2.0	ESPAGNE -
53	FRA 072	HAINNEVILLE Charles DESBORDES Alizee	76.00	76.00	33 33.0	24 24.0	19 19.0	C N PAUL VATINE S R CONCARNEAU
54	ESP 207	ROCA DE TOGORES Ascension CERDAN MING Vernon	76.00	76.00	21 21.0	24 24.0	31 31.0	ESPAGNE -
55	GER 092	LENZ Jakob BRECHLIN Susann	77.00	77.00	29 29.0	26 26.0	22 22.0	ALLEMAGNE -
56	RUS 013	KRYUCHKOVA Anastasia SHELUDYAKOV Viacheslav	77.00	77.00	24 24.0	23 23.0	30 30.0	RUSSIE -
57	RUS 255	PANKRATOVA ALENA ARTEMEV LURII	79.00	79.00	25 25.0	26 26.0	28 28.0	RUSSIE -
58	POR 020	DOMINGOS Afonso NEVES Diana	81.00	81.00	24 24.0	27 27.0	30 30.0	PORTUGAL -
59	MON 007	MEDECIN RODELATO Blandine RODELATO Jean	82.00	82.00	20 20.0	DNF 37.0	25 25.0	MONACO -
60	GER 045	KAPHENGST Eckart KAPHENGST Tine Marie	83.00	83.00	30 30.0	25 25.0	28 28.0	ALLEMAGNE -
61	ESP 188	RIVAS Toni LLARGUES Eli	84.00	84.00	22 22.0	30 30.0	32 32.0	ESPAGNE -
62	USA 123	HUDSON Stephanie ANDREWES Ian	89.00	89.00	34 34.0	29 29.0	26 26.0	ETATS UNIS D'AM -
63	GBR 162	ANDERSON Maddy ANDERSON Finbar	90.00	90.00	32 32.0	34 34.0	24 24.0	GRANDE-BRETAGNE -
64	NOR 196	MARTINSEN NICHOLAS MORTENSEN MARTINE STELLER	93.00	93.00	35 35.0	27 27.0	31 31.0	NORVEGE -
65	ITA 165	FERRAGLIA Matteo TOGNELLA Germana	95.00	95.00	DNF 37.0	DNF 37.0	21 21.0	ITALIE -
66	GER 221	ENZENSPERGER Markus BRUNNER Katrin	96.00	96.00	22 22.0	DNF 37.0	DNF 37.0	ALLEMAGNE -
67	BUL 048	ALEXANDROV ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVA Maria	96.00	96.00	27 27.0	DNF 37.0	32 32.0	BULGARIE -
68	GBR 119	CARTER Tim HEWITT Abbie	100.00	100.00	DNF 37.0	DNF 37.0	26 26.0	GRANDE-BRETAGNE -
69	HKG 216	FUNG Tat Choi CHAN Yu Ting	100.00	100.00	28 28.0	35 35.0	DNF 37.0	HONG-KONG -
70	FRA 083	DOMAND Vincent MERELLE Fanny	101.00	101.00	31 31.0	33 33.0	DNF 37.0	CNPA ILE DE RE C V DU TOUQUET
---	BUL 047	PETROVA Yoana TASHEV Nikolay	111.00	111.00	DNF 37.0	DNF 37.0	DNF 37.0	BULGARIE -