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MAXI YACHT ROLEX CUP: UNA PARTENZA A GONFIE VELE - da porto cervo online 08/09/2017 @ 10:00

Vincitori delle rispettive categorie sono Bella Mente, Nilaya, Highland Fling XI, Magic Blue, Jethou, Arobas, Shirlaf

Porto Cervo, 4 settembre 2017. Il magnifico colpo d'occhio sugli spinnaker al vento nell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena sintetizza al meglio l'emozione della prima giornata di regata alla Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup & Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship. La manifestazione, giunta alla 28^ edizione, è organizzata annualmente dallo YCCS con il supporto del Title sponsor Rolex e dell'International Maxi Association.

I cinquanta yacht presenti hanno lasciato di buon mattino la banchina di Porto Cervo per la messa a punto delle imbarcazioni. Il forte vento di Maestrale, che ieri aveva impedito gli allenamenti, oggi è infatti drasticamente calato. Alle ore 11,30 la partenza è avvenuta puntuale con un'intensità di 8 nodi, saliti fino ai 12 con raffiche a 14 nodi durante il rientro in poppa a Porto Cervo.
Per tutte le divisioni in cui sono stati suddivisi i maxi presenti, il programma prevedeva oggi una regata costiera: il percorso scelto dal Comitato di regata ha portato gli yacht più grandi e performanti a compiere il periplo in senso orario dell'Isola di Spargi partendo dalle acque antistanti Porto Cervo e attraversando sia all'andata che in rientro il Passo delle Bisce per un totale di circa 30 miglia nautiche. I Mini Maxi Racer Cruiser delle classi 1 e 2 regatavano sul medesimo percorso ma accorciato di 8 miglia a una boa da doppiare sotto a Spargi, che non doveva dunque essere circumnavigata.

Le partenze scaglionate per divisione e la sapiente scelta del percorso hanno consentito di regatare in sicurezza tra maxi dalle caratteristiche anche molto diverse tra loro senza rinunciare alla possibilità di veder navigare assieme l'intera flotta sotto la roccia di Capo d'Orso.

Ogni classe ha visto i propri duelli ravvicinati, armatori ed equipaggi sono rientrati in banchina soddisfatti di questa prima, intensa giornata nel mare della Costa Smeralda e dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena. Particolare interesse per la Maxi 72 Class, racer puri che regatano per il Campionato Mondiale. Già alla boa di disimpegno Bella Mente si è portata al comando davanti a Proteus, mantenendo le posizioni invariate fino all'arrivo. La lotta per il terzo posto è invece andata avanti per tutta la regata tra Momo, Cannonball e Caol Ila R che hanno chiuso nell'ordine.

I vincitori delle altre divisioni sono stati Nilaya davanti a Ribelle e Win Win tra i Supermaxi, Magic Blue di Tonino Cacace davanti a Lyra e J One tra i Wally, Highland Fling XI davanti a Nefertiti e Rambler 888 tra i Maxi, Jethou davanti a Lucky e Spectre tra i Mini Maxi R.

La classe Mini Maxi RC1 ha visto primeggiare lo Swan 601 francese Arobas su Supernikka di Roberto Lacorte, terzo Wallyno. Tra i Mini Maxi RC2 si è imposto Shirlaf, lo Swan 65' di Giuseppe Puttini davanti ad H2O e Lunz Am Meer.

Tonino Cacace, armatore e timoniere del Wally 94' Magic Blue: "Speriamo di finire bene come abbiamo iniziato, oggi le condizioni erano adatte a noi, con un vento sui 12 nodi. Per fortuna non è aumentato troppo, avrebbe favorito gli scafi più piccoli, in ogni caso abbiamo navigato bene soprattutto di bolina, riuscendo a sfilarci subito da una partenza molto affollata. Questo bel risultato ci da fiducia per il futuro, dopo che in passato non avevamo ottenuto i risultati che ci aspettavamo."

Terry Hutchinson, tattico del Maxi 72 Bella Mente: "Abbiamo regatato sullo stesso percorso in giugno con i TP52, è molto bello e pieno di opportunità tattiche. Oggi c'è stato un vento più sostenuto rispetto alle previsioni, abbiamo fatto una buona bolina fino a Spargi, rintuzzando gli attacchi di Proteus ogni volta che finivamo in una zona di minor pressione. L'equipaggio ha manovrato perfettamente e la nuova lama di deriva, leggermente più grande e simile a quelle dei nostri avversari, sembra funzionare bene."

Domani, 5 settembre, è programmata un'altra regata costiera con l'esclusione delle classi Maxi 72 e Wally che svolgeranno prove a bastone tra le boe. Le previsioni meteo sono simili a quelle odierne, con un Maestrale leggero tra i 7 e i 13 nodi che dapprima soffierà più da settentrione per ruotare a ovest nel corso della giornata. Tuttavia lo scontro con la brezza termica potrebbe creare zone di bonaccia. Il primo segnale preparatorio è previsto alle ore 11.30.

Porto Cervo, 3 - 9 settembre 2017 - da porto cervo online 04/09/2017 @ 15:42

MAXI YACHT ROLEX CUP: 50 REGINE DEL MARE PER I 50 ANNI DELLO YCCS

Al via domani a Porto Cervo la Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup e il Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship

Porto Cervo, 3 settembre 2017. Sono esattamente cinquanta i maxi yacht ormeggiati nel marina di Porto Cervo, tanti quanti gli anni dello Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, fondato nel 1967 da S.A. l' Aga Khan. A partire da domani, lunedì 4 settembre, queste splendide regine del mare, frutto delle più avanzate tecnologie applicate alla tradizione della navigazione a vela, si affronteranno in percorsi costieri e tra le boe fino a sabato 9 settembre. Il primo segnale di partenza è previsto domani alle ore 11,30.

La manifestazione, giunta alla sua 28^ edizione, è organizzata dallo YCCS con il supporto del Title sponsor Rolex in collaborazione con l'International Maxi Association. Nella giornata odierna, dedicata alle registrazioni, la flotta è rimasta all'ormeggio e gli equipaggi non sono potuti uscire in allenamento e a causa del forte vento di Maestrale, previsto in rotazione verso nord e in calo fin dalla mattina di domani. Dopo un'iniziale bonaccia, nel corso della settimana è previsto un ritorno del vento dai quadranti nordoccidentali.

Gli yacht presenti coprono un'ampia tipologia di scafi sopra i 60 piedi e sono stati suddivisi in differenti categorie in base alle rispettive caratteristiche tecniche e di performance, mentre la numerosa classe Wally, che raggruppa gli yacht dell'innovativo marchio monegasco, avrà una classifica dedicata. La Maxi 72 Class, racer puri che rispondono a precise regole di stazza, compete per il Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship.

Con una flotta di livello così alto, ogni yacht presente è meritevole di menzione per caratteristiche tecniche ed estetiche. Particolarmente atteso è Ribelle, 33 metri disegnato dal britannico McKeon per un socio YCCS, timonato da Francesco De Angelis, ben conosciuto dal grande pubblico per essere stato lo skipper di Luna Rossa e aver vinto la Louis Vuitton Cup ad Auckland. Altri protagonisti di pagine epiche della Coppa, i neozelandesi Dean Barker e Brad Butterworth, saranno a bordo di Rambler, il racer di 88 piedi fresco vincitore del Line Hounours alla Rolex Fastnet Race, la durissima regata d'altura che si svolge ogni due anni tra l'Inghilterra e l'Irlanda. Lucky, relativamente piccolo con i suoi 63 piedi, è uno yacht portacolori del New York Yacht Club giunto a Porto Cervo dal Principato di Monaco, fresco vincitore in tempo reale - Line Honours - della Palermo Montecarlo.

Skipper di Nilaya, Baltic 112' già vincitore a Porto Cervo, sarà Bouwe Bekking veterano della VOR, pronto a partire per il suo ennesimo giro del mondo al comando di Team Brunel, mentre un altro veterano della VOR, il due volte argento olimpico Ian Walker, sarà tattico su Magic Carpet Cubed, il Wallycento di Sir Lindsay Owen Jones. Su un altro Wally, il 106' Open Season, il presidente IMA Thomas Bscher, ha chiamato alla tattica il campione olimpico Jochen Schuemann. Al debutto in regata, prima ancora di essere presentato al Monaco Yacht Show, sarà Sorceress, un cruiser racer di 96' disegnato da Farr Yacht Design e recentemente varato a Cape Town dal cantiere Southern Wind. E' ben rappresentato anche il cantiere Nautor's Swan, con tre 601 e due yacht storici, il 65 Shirlaf e il 651 Lunz Am Meer.

Tra i Maxi72 si annuncia grande battaglia, con il campione in carica, Bella Mente di Hap Fauth con Terry Hutchinson alla tattica, ben deciso a difendere il titolo mondiale dagli attacchi di Momo, Cannonball, Proteus e Caol Ila R.

Così si è espresso Riccardo Bonadeo, Commodoro dello YCCS: "Desidero ringraziare Rolex per il supporto e la fiducia che continua a dimostrare. Da sempre lo YCCS ha un legame particolare con i maxi yacht, molti armatori di queste regine del mare appartengono al nostro corpo sociale e noi organizziamo annualmente questa regata fin dal 1980. Rivolgo un caloroso benvenuto agli armatori che ogni anno vogliono ritornare qui a Porto Cervo e a coloro che sono da noi per la prima volta, sono certo che li rivedremo. Questo è un anno speciale per noi, celebriamo il nostro cinquantenario e siamo davvero lieti di avere 50 regine del mare qui a Porto Cervo, non avremmo potuto ricevere regalo migliore".

La Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup è ufficialmente iniziata stasera con lo Skipper briefing seguito dal Welcome cocktail sulla terrazza dello YCCS. Nel corso della settimana, come di consueto, alle regate seguirà il programma di eventi sociali, il tradizionale rinfresco quotidiano in piazza Azzurra, il Rolex Gala Dinner e il Crew party programmato per giovedì, giorno di riposo o di recupero, se il vento non volesse collaborare costringendo a rinviare le regate.

La Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup e Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship si concluderà sabato 9 settembre, ma molti maxi resteranno a Porto Cervo per prendere parte domenica 10 alla YCCS 50th Anniversary Regatta, evento celebrativo aperto a tutte le barche sopra i 20 piedi in possesso di un certificato di stazza. Tra i 30 yacht ad oggi iscritti vi sono i nomi di alcuni tra i maxi, e non solo, più rappresentativi, ma sono previste nuove iscrizioni entro fine settimana. Il Commodoro Bonadeo regaterà a bordo di Vento di Sardegna, l'Open 50 del socio sportivo YCCS Andrea Mura, vincitore per la seconda volta della durissima Ostar, regata transatlantica in solitario.

Sunday, August 13, 2017 Champions hail Aarhus after final day of snakes and ladders - da porto cervo online 15/08/2017 @ 22:17

If test events are all about checking how systems are working, then the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 Test Event has confirmed that the Australians are still a well-oiled machine in the Laser, Aarhus Bay is a great sailing arena and Nicholas Heiner’s weight gain programme (95 kilos and counting) is paying out.

Denmark and the Netherlands shared the honour of topping the medals table with 2 golds and 1 bronze each.

a final day of racing in stronger, veering 12-15 westerlies, gusting to 20, made for medal races of shifting fortunes that were hard to control. But the top sailors have prospered here in the range of conditions during the week and it was no surprise to see the two best laser sailors in the world take gold and silver, Sam Meech, the Olympic bronze medalist took third, finishing behind Burton in the medal race.

“It’s been fantastic sailing here,” Wearn said. “I think coming in fresh for the Worlds next year would have been a pretty big mistake, and would have made it really hard to get a good result. It’s been great, we’ve had a variety of conditions, all different directions, it’s been fantastic for a test event. I like the shifty stuff where you’ve got to be on the ball every race. The best sailor is going to come out on top at the end and win a regatta like that.”

“In the medal race I went for something off the start line and it didn’t work out, so I rounded the top mark as one of the last few boats,” Wearn, who took a healthy 13-point lead into the medal race, added. “We were sailing really close to the shore, with an offshore wind direction, which made it unpredictable. I had a bit of work to do for the rest of the race, but the wind was shifting so much there were plenty of opportunities to catch back up - it was a bit of snakes and ladder kind of day. I was pretty glad to have the points buffer.”

German Olympian Philipp Buhl, confirmed his reputation as one of the nicest guys in sailing by going out of his way to thank the volunteers from the country’s 270 sailing clubs - they say that you are never more than 50km from the coast in Denmark - who have also been testing their systems. “What made the experience great was the people working here,” Buhl, who finished sixth overall in the laser, said. “They were all very helpful and very friendly. I think they’re really looking forward to hosting this event and we athletes can feel that and that makes a big difference to some other venues.”

That will have been heartening for the Danish Sailing Association and the City of Aarhus as they count down to the World Championships next year.

“After such a successful Test Event, we know what works and what can be improved and we are looking forward more than ever to hosting the World Championships in a year,” Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark, said. “In 2018 we will take the event to the next level when we open the Aarhus International Sailing Center, which will be one of the most modern and advanced homes for sailors in the world. As one of the sailors said this week about positioning: ‘it’s about getting to the right place on time.’ Aarhus is the right place at the right time.”

That sailor was Holland's Heiner, the former laser world champion, who is still bulking out in his transition to the Finn. It is working because he was strong again in the windy conditions and managed to completely control Hungary’s Zsombor Berecz, who had started 7 points behind, . “I was really happy with my performance, especially in the big breeze,” Heiner said. “I’m not the heaviest and tallest guy – they’ve got 10kg on me – so have strong races in the big breezes this week was really nice and gives me a lot of confidence. Maybe the conditions in Aarhus favour the heavy guys a bit, but the light one won.”

Country of coasts, city of sails, bay of champions, Denmark are already counting down and gearing up Aarh

Editor's notes:

Facts about the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018:

Held every four years, the Sailing World Championships is one of the biggest global sailing event in the world and the principal qualification event for the Olympic sailing competition.
Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 will include all 10 Olympic boat classes. Kiteboarding will be added to the programme for the first time.
The ambition is to make the championships in Aarhus a unique and spectacular event, where sailing is made more popular and accessible than ever before.
In terms of the number of participants, the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 will be more than three times bigger than the event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus 2018 is the first big qualification for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and Enoshima (sailing).
Held simultaneously with the Sailing World Championships in Aarhus, a large festival will provide opportunities visiting families to get out on the water.
Dates: July 30 –August 12, 2018.
The Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 are organised by The Danish Sailing Association, Sailing Aarhus, City of Aarhus and Sport Event Denmark.

1,100 sailboats
1,500 participants from approx. 100 nations
350-400 accredited press
1,500 officials, managers and coaches
The event expects to draw 400,000 visitors to Aarhus.
More than 800 volunteers

Saturday, August 12, 2017 Aarhus offers taste of Championships to come - da porto cervo online 15/08/2017 @ 22:13

It is a truth universally acknowledged in the boat park, that while some classes are talking tech or weather, the windsurfers are finding out where to eat and chill out. But when it is competition time they are as fierce as anyone and the men’s RS:X at The Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 Test Event whetted the appetite for the battles to come here in a year’s time.

On a day of light airs, there was drama all the way to the finish line as the leader all week, Pawel Tarnowski, the 2015 European champion and one of Poland’s powerhouse production line of windsurfers, lost his gold medal by five metres, having been caught out by a gust and passed by the fleet.

France’s Louis Giard, the European champion, fresh from finishing second in the world cup final in Santander in June, was one of those who planed past, 200 metres from the finish line, and managed to finish second, as Tarnowski slipped to eighth. With the double points of the medal race it meant they finished level on points; Giard taking gold because of his better performance at the last. But the Frenchman admitted he had not known until after the race, and had not been thinking about it after Tarnowski sailed away at the start.

“I didn’t start the medal race with the goal of winning the event, he (Tarnowski) was 12 points in front of me, and I was on equal points with third and fourth place,” Giard said. “So, the main goal was to secure second place. Pawel was in front of me from the start, so, in my mind it was just about staying second or third. But in the last downwind a gust came and Piotr (Myszka, Poland) started planing and I tried to do the same and I finished the medal race in second place, but it was only after the finish line I realised that Pawel did not start planing and lost a lot of places. I was a bit lucky.”

But Tarnowski, who has struggled to find time to train while studying engineering in Dansk, was philosophical. “Everything had been going perfectly for me,” Tarnowski said. “I counted the places and it was still ok but just 200m from the finishing line, there was a strong gust behind me and the two guys behind got it 10 or 15 seconds before me - It was downwind so they caught it faster - and they passed me by a few metres. When I caught the gust, they were already slightly in front of me, and I was doing my best to catch at least one guy, but I didn’t manage it by about 5m and I lost the medal, it was so horrible for me. But we had a great week. I was going well, I enjoyed all the conditions, all the wind directions. The level was very high it’s been really useful coming here before the Worlds.”

The RS:X women’s winner had been decided even before the medal race such has been the dominance of Lilian de Geus, the Dutch windsurfer, who was fourth at the Rio Olympics last year. De Geus stated the race a massive 25 points clear of Italy’s Marta Maggetti, who had to pull out a fast finish to move up to sixth and hold onto second place overall with four sailors in contention. Her compatriot, Flavia Tartaglini, won the medal race to jump into third and a little ruefully said she almost had silver.

“I was actually quite surprised that it was easy this week,” De Geus said. “I’m really happy with my series. I wasn’t expecting it before the event. It’s my first time here and it’s nice to have good memories of place. That gives me confidence.”

The 49er was closer to the Men’s windsurfing as the leaders, the Australian brothers, Sam and William Phillips, were caught by the Austrians, Benjamin Bildstein and David Hussl, in the final race and slipped back into seventh. The two pairs had been battling at the front all week and dominated the 49er’s unique series of three medal races (where points are not doubled). The Australians won the first and finished second in the second, behind the Austrian’s but then got into trouble on the first beat of the last race as the Austrian’s attacked them.

“It was a tough one,” Sam Phillips said. “We needed to finish within one of the Austrians. We started on starboard, the Austrians were below us, a boat rolled over the top from the windward end, we tacked onto port. We came into the middle of course and it was a tight cross by the Austrians and they just managed to tack in front of us - that was a pretty defining moment in the race. Following that, they put two more tacks on us as we tried to free our air and we were just back a little bit and struggled from there, we were last at the windward mark.”

It was not an out-and-out match race because the Austrians needed to extend ahead. “But, they just made it really difficult for us, and it really worked,” Sam Phillips said.

There is no doubt that both pairs were not just here on reconnaissance for next year, they wanted to win this one.

“After (the first two medal races) it was just about them or us who was winning,” Bildstein said. “So, we sailed slightly more aggressively but not unfairly. I think it was a nice match, especially as on the second day it was really us two boats matching each other, it was big waves and heavy wind and all three races, both of us were top three. It was a really nice fight - we are good friends with them.”

Denmark’s 49erFX Olympic bronze medallists in Rio, Jena Mai Hansen and Katja Salskov-Iversen won gold in the 49er FX as expected. Almost mathematically uncatchable before the three medal races, they put things beyond doubt by finishing first, third and first. Behind them the fight was more intense. The Norwegian twin sisters, Ragna Agerup and Maia Agerup held onto silver and the Americans, Stephanie Roble and Margaret Shea took bronze.

Lin Ea Cenholt and Christian Peter Lubeck, the leaders after the 10 rounds, were awarded the gold, Denmark’s second of the day.

That leaves the Laser, the Laser Radial, the Finn and the 470 medal races tomorrow (Sunday).

A 90 degree wind shift in the last of three rounds of the lasers tonight, shook things up at the top of the fleet, with Tom Burton, the Australian Olympic Champion, finishing 54^th and dropping far into second overall, 13 points his fellow countryman, Matthew Wearn.

In the Laser Radial, Marit Bouwmeester, the Olympic champion, went home early, to protect a back injury she is just returning from. That left the top spot open and Sweden’s Josefin Olsson and America’s Erika Reinneke stepped up in their last three rounds to claim the first two spots respectively.

In the Finn, the Netherlands’s Nicholas Heiner and Hungary’s Zsombor Berecz increased their grip on the top of the leaderboard after their two races yesterday.

In the women’s 470, a win and then a second place finish in their third race of the day, gave the Swiss team, Linda Fahrni and Maja Siegenthaler, clear water at the top of the leaderboard.

In the men’s 470, another family bond, showed its strength, with the Turkish brothers, Deniz Cinar and Ates Cinar, finishing second, second and third in their three rounds to take a 5-point lead into the medal race as French pair Kevin Peponnet and Jeremie Mion slid to third.

The final day of the racing at the Test Event begins at 12:00 (local time) in Aarhus Bay tomorrow (Sunday).

Full results can be found

Editor's notes:

Facts about the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018:

Held every four years, the Sailing World Championships is one of the biggest global sailing event in the world and the principal qualification event for the Olympic sailing competition.
Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 will include all 10 Olympic boat classes. Kiteboarding will be added to the programme for the first time.
The ambition is to make the championships in Aarhus a unique and spectacular event, where sailing is made more popular and accessible than ever before.
In terms of the number of participants, the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 will be more than three times bigger than the event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus 2018 is the first big qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Held simultaneously with the Sailing World Championships in Aarhus, a large festival will provide opportunities visiting families to get out on the water.
Dates: July 30 –August 12, 2018.
The Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 are organised by The Danish Sailing Association, Sailing Aarhus, City of Aarhus and Sport Event Denmark.

1,100 sailboats
1,500 participants from approx. 100 nations
350-400 accredited press
1,500 officials, managers and coaches
The event expects to draw 400,000 visitors to Aarhus.
More than 800 volunteers

Friday, August 11, 2017 Aarhus tests champions as Nacra medal race cancelled - da porto cervo online 15/08/2017 @ 22:10

It is the mark of a champion that they rise to every test without complaining about the weather gods, and the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 Test Event witnessed those qualities surface again yesterday.


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After the heavy conditions earlier in the week, the light on Friday meant only four of the ten classes got out into Aarhus Bay and racing continued until the sun went down. The sailors have been through the spectrum of conditions so far.

But class shone through and to a woman and a man all those pushing hard for the podium in the medal races on Saturday and Sunday believe they are laying down markers for next year’s World Championships.

“Next year the Worlds are really important, so being here and the preparation is really valuable,” said Nicholas Heiner, the Dutch former laser world champion, who retained his lead of the Finn after a solid second and fifth place. On a day when others saw their chances slip, Zsombor Berecz (Hungary) won the first race and finished fourth in the second, to close the gap, and those two are clear at the top.

“You want to understand the racing, but you also want to know what the culture is, what the food is like and where to stay, and now I have the majority of that in place,” said Heiner, who is part of one of sailing’s many dynasties – his father Roy won bronze in the Finn in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and then won the Volvo Ocean Race in 2005-06.

“Overall it’s been good day. I was a bit disappointed with the last race, I was second round the top mark and finished fourth or fifth (fifth). I was sailing really nice strategically in the upwinds, playing the shifts really well, always about third around the top.”

As Heiner added, it was definitely a day for being at the right place at the right time: “Yes, it was about getting the pressure, getting the right shift, it’s not rocket science but it’s hard to get to the right place on time.”

Underlining the strength of the field, Heiner is outcompeting Olympic champions and heavyweights from the Rio Olympics, like the Swede, Max Salminen, gold medalist in the Star at the London Olympics in 2012 and close to bronze in the Rio Olympics last year before finishing sixth. Salminen was upbeat even as he dropped away from the podium – he is now lying eighth.

“It’s been great sailing conditions,” Salminen said. “We’ve had a mix. It hasn’t been my best event yet. This is this first time I’ve raced here. It’s a nice venue and the Danish are doing a great job to make it a good event, it’s very welcoming.

That’s what we’re hoping for (to have an advantage for next year), that’s why we’re here, to know what to expect, to understand the waves in this bay, they’re often quite skewed to the wind.”

Experience counts for a lot and Denmark’s 49erFX Olympic bronze medalists in Rio, Jena Mai Hansen and Katja Salskov-Iversen, have utterly dominated the fleet. Although local knowledge is not quite what it seems…yet. Both are more used to sailing around Copenhagen, but Hansen moved to Aarhus with her boyfriend, Ireland’s 49er sailor, Ryan Seaton in February. “I live just in the harbour, so, it’s very convenient,” Hansen said after they finished first, second and second to tighten their vice-like grip on the fleet.

“It was nice to get some light wind racing in because these other days it’s been more windy,” Salskov-Iversen said. “We’re from Copenhagen, but in Denmark generally you learn to expect everything because you never know what’s going to come. That’s why we’re here, to learn. Even for us, we haven’t been in Aarhus that much, and I don’t think you can be here too much either.”

Experience of another kind is helping the Australian 49er pair, the brothers Phillips, William and Sam, who held on to the lead by a point on a day of shifting fortunes and big numbers at the top.

“We’re really happy with the racing, we finished with two fifth places (out of the three races yesterday), which considering how unstable and shifty it was is really pleasing,” Phillips, W said. “We had five knots max and there were lots of big holes and short courses. We’ve really got to know Aarhus and the conditions. In a year’s time that will be a big boost to the planning.”

The Danish pair leading the Nacra 17, Lin Ea Cenholt and Christian Peter Lubeck, have a similarly slender advantage over their fleet heading into Saturday’s medal race, after finishing third in their single race yesterday. But it looks like now they will be the Test Event champions after the medal race was cancelled on Friday night. A statement posted by World Sailing said:

“The Nacra 17 medal races scheduled for Saturday 12 August are cancelled.World Sailing received a notification from Nacra Sailing on Friday 11 August stating that are recalling all foiling configuration Nacra 17s (including retrofitted versions) in order to replace the bearings for the dagger boards. Nacra Sailing has urged all owners not to sail these boats until the replacement bearings are fitted.”

Full results can be found here

Editor's notes:

Facts about the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018:

Held every four years, the Sailing World Championships is one of the biggest global sailing event in the world and the principal qualification event for the Olympic sailing competition.
Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 will include all 10 Olympic boat classes. Kiteboarding will be added to the programme for the first time.
The ambition is to make the championships in Aarhus a unique and spectacular event, where sailing is made more popular and accessible than ever before.
In terms of the number of participants, the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 will be more than three times bigger than the event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus 2018 is the first big qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Held simultaneously with the Sailing World Championships in Aarhus, a large festival will provide opportunities visiting families to get out on the water.
Dates: July 30 –August 12, 2018.
The Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 are organised by The Danish Sailing Association, Sailing Aarhus, City of Aarhus and Sport Event Denmark.