U21 World Championships & iQGames Silvaplana - Day 5 showcases Marathon and Dual Course Races
by Stefan Heimbucher 26 Aug 14:58 PDT
21-27 August 2023
2023 U21 World Championships & iQGames Silvaplana © Vanora EngadinWind by Dakine
Day 5 of the U21 World Championships & iQGames Silvaplana unveiled a perfect combination of racing formats, featuring a marathon race coupled with two course races. The day's proceedings continued with two course races for both for the men's and women's fleets. The afternoon saw the marathon, contributing to the event's spectacle.
Blessed with favorable conditions of approximately 17 knots, the athletes headed out to the water around 12:00 PM. The initial sessions witnessed the completion of the planned two course races for both the men and women fleets. Following the culmination of these races, a brief break before the marathon race took place.
The marathon, distinguished by its extended duration of around 1 hour, held a distinctive challenge. Due to the size of Lake Silvaplana, the race format necessitated five laps around the lake, encompassing a significant portion of the locale. the marathon is known for the "rabbit start," an exciting starting method where athletes follow behind a boat surging over the starting line, contributing to a spectacular start of the race.
After five laps around Lake Silvaplana and approximately 50 minutes of spirited racing, Davis Mazais from Latvia and Marion Couturier from France reached the finish line, clinching victory in the marathon race.
The day's results orchestrated notable shifts in the rankings. Sophia Meyer from Germany now claims the lead in the women's ranking, surpassing Adi Millo from Israel, who now holds second place. Following closely, Italian windsurfer Linda Oprandi secures the third position.
In the men's division, Gaspar Carfantan continues to assert his dominance in the rankings, followed by Italian contender Leonardo Tomasini in second place. The marathon's victor, Davis Mazais, secures the third spot on the leaderboard.