Olympic Diary: July 28, 2024 - Kiwis and Dutch lead after funky Day 1 at Marseille
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 28 Jul 2024 16:06 UTC
29 July 2024
Martina Grael and Kahena Kunz (BRA) - 49er FX - - Marseille - Paris2024 Olympic Regatta - July 28, 2024 © World Sailing / Lloyd Images
The first day of racing in the 2024 Olympic Sailing Regatta has finished at Marseille.
What happened today in Marseille:
- Four classes were scheduled to race on three courses. The Womens Windsurfer were due start at 1215hrs local time. However there was insufficient wind strength, and the Postponement flag was flown for the first start and effectively stayed up for the day.
- The Mens Windsurfer were due to have their first race at 1345hrs on the same course - Marseille - as the Women. They did not get a start either.
- On the Frioul course (outer right) there was more breeze and the Womens Skiff (49erFX) were the first to get underway in 7kts of breeze, and completed three races. The current world champions, Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz (NED) top the overnight leaderboard, after they won two races and placed 6th in the other (allowed as a discard. The French crew of Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon, placed second in all three races and are second overall.
- The Mens skiff sailed on the Marseille course in a building breeze and were able to complete three races. The Black flag came out for the final attempt at starting in Race 3, but claimed no victims. The series is being led by a young New Zealand crew - Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie, otherwise known as the "McKiwis". Second overall is the Irish crew of Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove.
- There was some action in the Jury Room, with the Brazilian Mens 49er crew being penalised 30% of places in the first race for polishing the hull of their 49er after it had been trough measurement inspection. They tried to get the Hearing re-opened, but were unsuccessful. A Lithuanian competitor in the ILCA6 class was penalised 5% of placings for present a set of her own sail battens for measurement. A similar penalty was awarded against a Dutch windsurfer who sanded the supplied boom of her windsurfer.
Commentary:
Four classes were due to race today - the Mens and Womens Skiff and the Mens and Womens Windsurfer. But only the two skiff classes on different courses were able to race.
Light winds plagued the opening day - with all four starts being postponed. The Womens Skiff (49erFX) has completed three races, with the Mens Skiff (49er) sailing a third race at the end of the day, in the best breeze (10kts) of the day.
With winds too light for the iQFoil windsurfers to be able to foil, both the Mens and Womens Windsurfer spent the day under postponement, and their racing has been shifted to Monday.
All now-casting/wind recording real time data has been shutdown for the Olympics - with official concerned that the information could be imported into sophisticated weather prediction systems. The upshot is that it is very hard to pick up weather data from around the course area - however it can occasionally be picked up from boats not associated with the regatta. One boat indicated a wind of just 4.7kts to windward of the Marseille case - not sufficient to lift the windsurfers onto their foils.
The International Jury had some business - mostly arising from the measuring and inspections.
Most serious affected the Brazillian Mens 49er crew they were spotted polishing the hull of their 49er two days before the start of racing, they have been penalised 30% of their points in Race 1, by the International Jury. The offence was deemed to constitute an infringement requiring that the crews not "undertake work not permitted by Class Rules after the pre-race inspection."
The Brazilians - Marco Grael and Gabriel Simones - tried to get the case reopened, on the basis that the Int Jury had made an error interpreting the rules, but despite a refresh of the Jury membership, the Int Jury did not alter the original finding and the Brazilian team were received points for last place in Race 1.
The other hearing were also of a technical issue, concerning a Lithuanian sailor who presented her own set of ILCA 6 battens during the measurement instead of the supplied equipment in the one design class. She received a 5% points penalty. A Dutch windsurfer sailor wished to sand the boom grip - a supplied part. After some discussion she sanded the grip under the impression that doing so was permitted. However the Jury ruled otherwise and she too copped a 5% points penalty reduced with Jury commenting "The penalty was decreased because of the substantial confusion created by the event officials and NED was acting in good faith."
A young New Zealand crew of Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie, sailing in their first Olympic regatta in the class - and filling the very big shoes of Olympic Gold and twice Silver medalists, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, stepped up to the mark admirably to lead the overall pointscore, from the Irish crew of Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove.
This was not the first regatta for the Irish pair who just failed to make the cut (top 10) for the Medal race at Tokoyo2020, and second on the overnight leaderboard must have brought some measure of redemption. Uruguay's Hernan Umpierre and Fernando Diz are third overall.
Many of the fancied names lie well down the leaderboard, with double digit placings in one race, which they were able to discard after three races, however they cannot afford any further indiscretions.
In the 49erFX, the pre-series favorites, and current world champions Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz, lived up to their billing. “We focused on boat speed," Duetz said ashore. "It was quite tricky but we had a really good day. It’s always nice to get the first race of an event done, (then) you feel like you’re truly in it, so I'm very happy.”
France’s Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon had a consistent performance on the water, finishing second in each of the three races. van Aanholt and Duetz had two wins in their three race pointscore, but were able to drop a 6th in the opening race as their discard, to top the overnight leaderboard.
Germany’s Marla Bergmann and Hanna Wille were third overall, with a declining 3,4,5 race score - and were able to drop Race 3 as their discard.
How the day unfolded
1530hrs UTC Race 3 - the Finishing order for Mens Skiff (49er) is: 1. IRL; 2. FRA; 3. GER; 4. ESP; 5. BEL; 6. POL.
The overall points after Day 1 for the Mens skiff, with one discard. 1. NZL; 2. IRL; 3. URU; 4. NED; 5. AUT
1420hrs UTC Race 2 - the Finishing order for Mens Skiff (49er) is: 1. NED; 2. URU; 3. NZL; 4. IRL; 5. AUT; 6. ESP.
Overall after two races and no discard: 1. NZL: 2. URU; 3. AUT: 4. SUI; 5. IRL; 6. NED.
1340hrs UTC: The second race is underway in the Mens Skiff (49er) after three attempts at starting the last under the dreaded Black Flag. The crews are sailing in a good breeze at full stretch. The right hand side of the course has paid a big dividend, with the Dutch crew leading around Mark 1.
1250hrs UTC Race 3 in the Womens Skiff has concluded, again sailed in light winds of 6kts. Race 3 Finish Positions: 1. NED; 2. FRA; 3. DEN; 4. JPN; 5. GER; 6.BRA;
The Overall Results after three races and 1 discard race are: 1. NED; 2. FRA; 3. GER; 4. JPN; 5. BRA
1150hrs UTC Two races are underway in the 49er and 49erFX, or the Mens and Womens Skiff classes respectively.
Womens Skiff Race 2: Positions on the first downwind are 1. POL; 2. FRA; 3. GER; 4. BRA; 5. ITA; The boats are on a downwind leg with the positions changing each cross, however these five seem to be the lead group. Finish positions - Race 2: 1. NED; 2. FRA; 3. POL; 4. GER; 5. BRA; 6. SWE;
Mens Skiff Race 1: Finish: 1. NZL; 2. SUI; 3; AUT; 4. CHN; 5. URU; 6. GER;
1135hrs UTC The Mens skiff has got underway. On Leg 2, AUT leads; NZL 2; GER 3. Wind is shown at 4.7kts
The Womens iQFOIL is still on a postponed start with the competitors alongside their coach boats. From above they look like a flock of butterflies with their sails lying in the water.
1120hrs UTC: The first race in the Womens 49er Skiff has finished. It was won by CAN with FRA in second and GER third.
4. NED; 5. FIN; 6. GBR; 7. ITA; 8. BRA; 9. SWE; 10. NZL
1100hrs UTC: The Womens Skiff start has got underway on the Frioul Course over halfway France and Canada are swapping the lead, with Japan 3rd. Defendingchampions Martine Grael is a handy 7th in the 20 boat fleet. The wind is recorded at 7kts on the 49erFX course.
The Mens Skiff is on the Corniche course, where it is also blowing 7kts, They are scheduled to start at 1115hrs UTC.
1015hrs UTC: The Womens Windsurfer (iQFoil) has been postponed for an hour at least, as has the Mens event originally due to start 90 minutes later. Both are on the Marseille course.
Winds in the race are are said to be 3kts. From boats upwind of the racing area we can see that the breeze, such as it is is between 3-5kts.
Light winds spoil Windsurfer debut
Sunday was to be the first day in which the iQFoil foiling windsurfer made its Olympic debut But it was not to be with winds of 3-5kts
Both Mens and Womens events were scheduled to sail on the inshore Marseille course.
Mid afternoon at around 1535hrs local time. the third event - the Womens's Skiff started on the Frioul course, which is one of the two outer courses. The Mens Skiff event started 10 minutes later on the Corniche course - one of two inshore courses.
Winds are still expected to be light for Monday with a promise of better things to come on Tuesday and Wednesday. The fresh winds are now not expected until Friday. Winds are forecast to be light on Thursday when the Medal races are due to be sailed in the Mens and Womens Skiff (49er and 49erFX). The Mens (ILCA 7) and Womens Dinghy (ILCA 6) will start their official racing on that day.
The Mens and Womens Windsurfer sail their Finals on Friday, when the breeze is expected to be fresh.