ISAF Sailing World Cup Mallorca 2014- Denmark top skiff nation

by Rob Kothe and the Sail-World team on 6 Apr 2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup - Mallorca 2014 - Denmark famously won Olympic 49ers in Qingdao 2008 and the Danes are continuing to star in the high performance skiff winning two World Cup medals today.

At the behest of the 49er Class Association - three short sprint races rather than a single medal race for the 49ers racing on the Bay of Palma today.

2013 World Champions and London Silver medallists Pete Burling and Blair Tuke(NZL) finished with 15 points across the three races and preserved their lead in the regatta to take World Cup Gold medal.

A solid set of three races for Denmark's Beijing 49er Gold medallist Jonas Warrer and his London 2012 Bronze medal crew Peter Lang in today's 49er medal race. 17 points delivered them the Silver medal.

British Pairing Dylan Fletcher and Allan Sign were third overall.

Jonas Warrer, now a class veteran at 34 commented ' An enjoyable week, the highlight for us was the heavy day. It is always scary in these almost survival conditions in the 49er. You never really know what is going to happen. We had one capsize and we just didn’t know what had happened before we were lying in the water. It just went so fast.

'We are quite comfortable in these conditions and we are just aggressive and just pushing all the time and that in the end it pays off. We did a lot of training as well in these conditions so quite comfortable in them.

'Of course it reminded me a little bit about the 2008 Olympics. Almost everyone almost capsized.

'But across the week we held it together in the light conditions too and that is what we need to focus on.

'We are looking forward to Hyeres now, with the London 2012 Gold medallists Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen joining in the battles.

Martine Soffiatti Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) won the Gold Medal, holding out last years winners Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen (DEN), with Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth (GBR)

Nielsen, the leading European 49FX skipper and crew Olsen came out of 29ers and then started sailing 29XX crew in 2010 anticipating the inclusion of a women’s high performance skiff in the Olympic roster.

Nielsen explains –‘ In the 29XX I learned to steer while trapezing quite early. We were really happy when they chose the FX. We had been to the test event and tried all the boats and this was one of the boats we liked the boats and it is nice that it is the same as the boys.

‘Once the 49FX arrived, we were comfortable quite early. We won here in Mallorca last year

‘We had two bullets on the windy day so those conditions suited us.

‘Actually this was a very tactical regatta, we had very good speed both upwind and downwind and that helps a lot but also finding the shifts is very important.And it helps to see what the 49er Men are doing.’

Crew Olsen added ‘We probably ask the 49er men a question a day and their experience has helped us a lot.’