VIDEO: Going where you shouldn’t go

Croatians Šime and Mihovil Fantela, winners of the 2018 49er World Championship, opted to test their skills in excessive winds near their hometown of Zadar. While the Class has a wind limit for racing, the Fantela brothers were curious how fast they could go in the strong Croatian northerly wind called Bora found on the Adriatic sea.

The Bora can cause extreme weather conditions and gusts from 54 knots, but may reach up to 162 knots during winter season, making it hurricane level wind. It’s dry, changeable, and cold, and a strong bora can close roads and keep people indoors.

With sponsor support, a film crew was assembled to follow the Fantelas, and while their equipment sustained some damage, they reached their goal to set a personal 49er speed record.

“It took us 15 attempts and in the end, we achieved our record speed of 24 knots, which is rare in our sport,” noted Šime. “In international competitions, you are not allowed to race in these conditions, because it’s dangerous. So we are proud we could sail successfully in this strong wind.”

Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Program*:
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7 (41)
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6 (41)
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470 (19)
Men’s Skiff – 49er (20)
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX (20)
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class (20)
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class (20)
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL (24)
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL (24)
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17 (19)
* Quota per event in parenthesis but does not include Universality Places (2 men, 2 women)

Venue: Marseille, France
Dates: July 28-August 9

Details:
• Paris website: https://www.paris2024.org/en/the-olympic-games-paris-2024/
• World Sailing microsite: https://paris2024.sailing.org/

Source: US Sailing