2023 ILCA U-21 Sailing World Championships at Tangier, Morocco - Day 1
by ILCA / Prow Media 18 Oct 2023 12:29 NZDT
15-22 October 2023
Sailors are still awestruck by the mesmerizing opening ceremony of the U21 ILCA World Championship held last night in the enchanting city of Tangier. The evening was a captivating blend of tradition and modernity, which set the stage for a truly memorable event.
It was an opportunity to connect with the heart and soul of Morocco. As the sun set over the Atlantic and the stars emerged, sailors were treated to the fascinating rhythms of Moroccan music, the graceful movements of traditional dances, and the vibrant colors of the parade across Tangier. It was a feast to remember!
As the sun rose over Tangier at 7:32 this morning, the first sailing day of the U21 ILCA World Championship event began. The day started with SW wind with an intensity of 8-10 knots. The sailing area chosen for today's race was sail area B. The ILCA 6 fleet started sharp on time at 12:00, sailing the inner race course. The ILCA 7 yellow fleet was called back on a general recall after the first start and did a second start under a black flag. After 25 minutes of racing, the ILCA 7 race was canceled under the November flag.
At around 13:00, there was a substantial wind shift towards the west and a significant increase in wind speed to 15-20 knots. The second race for ILCA 6 started with significantly stronger wind, making it a very technical race in the downwind legs.
In ILCA 6, the winner of the first race was Maria Vittoria Arseni from Italy, who leads overall with 11 points. The winner of race 2 was Eve McMahon from Ireland, who sits in fourth overall with 14 points. Josephine Heegaard from Denmark and Adriana Castro Nuñez from Spain round out second and third place, respectively.
As the day progressed, a hazy, humid air enveloped the city of Tangier. The blue ILCA 7 fleet was led by Australian Stefan Elliott Shirecore at the first mark, who currently leads with 3 points. Notably, Italian Pietro Giacomoni won first place in the second race. In the yellow ILCA 7 fleet, the winner of the first race was Michal Krasodomski from Poland, who is in third place overall. The second race was won by Sebastian Kempe, who holds the second place standing with 4 points.
Overall, it has been a very fine racing day for all the sailors with some fantastic conditions as the wind was steady after the initial shift, and the sea only had some light chop.
Organizing partners are the Royal Yacht Club de Tangier and Tangier Sailing in conjunction with the ILCA.
Find out more at 2023ilcau21.ilca-worlds.org