Please select your home edition
Edition
Hyde Sails 2024 - One Design

Medal Race looms for Morris at iQFOiL Europeans

by Blue Robinson 14 May 2023 12:42 AEST 9-14 May 2023
Grae Morris in Patras at the iQFOiL Europeans © Sailing Energy

Australian Sailing Squad athlete Grae Morris will enter tomorrow's Medal Race at the iQFOiL European Championships in fifth place, after a complex final day of fleet racing in Patras, Greece.

"Light wind course racing in around 13 knots today, but it went well," said Morris. "A lot of the top guys in Gold fleet hit trouble today, but I kept it simple for a 7th and a 2nd, so really happy with that consistency. Now it is all about the reset for tomorrow's Medal Races, where I will give it my best."

With a forecast of thirty knots for Sunday's Medal Race, this iQFOiL European Championships continues to be a supreme test of the physical and mental skills of the athletes, as coach Arthur Brett explained.

"This regatta has covered an extreme of wind ranges, fully testing the athletes. It is always a test of psychological and physical strength to get through a regatta like this, and the brutal conditions we started with means these athletes have been tested both physically and emotionally."

Harry Joyner (Australian Sailing Squad) finished this event on a high note, leading the Gold fleet in the final race on the day, which was eventually abandoned due to light winds.

"It was a complex day," said Joyner. "In race one I got a reasonable start but came off the foil after getting tangled up with competitors, but managed to fight back on the next upwind. It was light for all three races, but in the third, I split with another sailor and we crossed the fleet, then rounded first and second at the top mark just before the race was cancelled."

Samantha Costin (Australian Sailing Squad) outlined a very tricky day, with light conditions which faded fast.

"We managed to get three races in, but from the first race it started dropping," noted Costin. "Race three saw carnage on the start line, then the glassy conditions meant a lot of the fleet finished outside the time limit."

After a condensed block of regattas in Europe, Costin heads home having gained a significant amount of learning, particularly from this event.

"I came in pretty mentally fatigued, so I am really happy with how I performed here. My key take-away from this regatta is the girls that have done well here are not the quickest - but the most all-round athletes, executing well in the extreme range of conditions we experienced. That mental side was the key here."

Commenting on tomorrow's medal races, Australian Sailing Team Coach Arthur Brett was cautiously optimistic.

"Tomorrow will be huge for Grae, executing skills with absolute precision will be the test. It is unbelievable to get this exposure, and this is something that is absolutely required for this squad to get to the next level. We are gaining a lot of experience - and good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment."

The Medal Races will commence from 12 noon local time for the women and 12:15 for the men (7:15pm AEST).

Medal series format:

  1. Quarter finals - A race between 4-10th overall (7 boards). The first two advance.
  2. Semi finals - A race between 2nd & 3rd overall and 1 & 2 from the Quarters (4 boards)
  3. Grand final - A race between 1st overall and 1 & 2 from the Semis (3 boards)
Live stream: www.iqfoilclassofficial.org/allinfoeuropeans23

Visit the event website for full results.

Australian Sailing Squad (ASS), Australian Sailing Futures (ASF) and other Australian (AUS) entries:

iQFOiL Men - 14 races (four drops)
5th Grae Morris (ASS) (NSWIS) 11, (12), 4, 7, (16), 1, 4, 3, (11), 1, 11 (18), 3, 1, 11, 5, 7, 2 = 71pts
53rd Harry Joyner (ASS) (WAIS) (34), 16, 11, 16, 14, 28, (32), 25, 41, (46), 45, (54), BFD 39, 33, 35, 35, 37, 35 = 410pts
79th Steve Allen (ASS) 28, (40), 35, 26, (37), 30, 24, 34, 9, DNC (58), 12, DNC (58), BFD (58) 3 = 317pts
96th Jack Marquardt (AUS) (VIS) 45, 42, 44, (50), (50), DNF (58), 47, 46, 29, 38, (41), 29, 22, 40 = 432pts

iQFOiL Women - 14 races (four drops)
69th Samantha Costin (ASS) (QAS) 31, (39), (32), 32, 31, 29, 28, 31, 20, 24, 20, 15, 23, 21, (33), 27, 19, DNF (45) = 351pts

Related Articles

Tough conditions test Morris
As iQFOiL World Championships wrap up The iQFOiL World Championships have drawn to a close in Aarhus, Denmark, following a week of light and unpredictable wind that tested both race officials and athletes to the limit. Posted on 11 Jul
Grae Morris Takes on the iQFOiL Worlds
Shifty conditions on the first day in Aarhus, Denmark Aarhus, Denmark is serving up everything but predictability as the iQFOiL World Championships get under way, and Australian Olympic silver medallist Grae Morris is ready to assert his place at the top of the new Olympic cycle. Posted on 6 Jul
AST and B&G extend high-performing partnership
Continuing a collaboration that has been critical to the success of the team AST has announced the renewal of its long-term partnership with B&G, the world's leading sailing navigation and instrument specialists, continuing a collaboration that has been critical to the success of the team over the past eight years. Posted on 2 Jul
Bronze breakthrough for Liddell and Brown
Nacra 17 duo claim their first international podium at Kieler Woche Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown have claimed their first international podium in the Nacra 17 class, securing bronze at Kieler Woche, the third Sailing Grand Slam event of the season. Posted on 30 Jun
Aussies Break into Top 10 at Kieler Woche
Put to the test from light air to heavy breeze The first half of Kieler Woche has wrapped up in Germany, with Australian sailors putting themselves to the test in five Olympic classes. Kiel delivered a complete spectrum of conditions for athletes to sharpen their racing skills. Posted on 26 Jun
Australian Sailors ready to tackle Kiel Week
The third event within the five event Sailing Grand Slam Australia's Olympic class sailors are set to tackle Kiel Week, the third event within the five event Sailing Grand Slam, held in the north of Germany. Posted on 21 Jun
Top 10 finishes for Aussie crews in Europeans
Australia's 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 sailors have wrapped up a demanding week in Greece Australia's 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 sailors have wrapped up a demanding European Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece, with light winds, lengthy delays, and multiple general recalls pushing teams to their limits throughout the week. Posted on 9 Jun
Young Aussie squad ready to shine at Europeans
Australia's fast boat sailors are set for the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Europeans in Greece Australia's fast boat sailors are set to take on the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 European Championships this week in Thessaloniki, Greece. With up to 18 races scheduled over the next six days, it's set to be a high-intensity regatta. Posted on 2 Jun
Whitehead finish 9th at Formula Kite Europeans
A confident return to international competition in Urla, Türkiye Australia's Breiana Whitehead has made a confident return to international competition, finishing ninth overall at the 2025 Formula Kite European Championships in Urla, Türkiye. Posted on 20 May
Littlewood claims bronze in ILCA7 Worlds
It was a tale of two winds that decided the World Champions Zac Littlewood has claimed a bronze medal at the ILCA 7 World Championships in Qingdao, China, after an intense and unpredictable week of racing. Posted on 17 May
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic RangeSwitch One DesignHyde Sails 2024 - One Design