The World Sailing Show

The World Sailing Show delivers 30-minute episodes which feature news, profiles, and racing highlights from across the world of sailing. Here are the March 2024 highlights:

• High drama at the 49er World Championships in Lanzarote
• Olympic places up for grabs at the ILCA European Championships and 470 World Championships
• 500 sailors take on the 15th running of the RORC Caribbean 600
• Updates from the ARKEA Ultim Challenge as the fleet crosses the finishing line
• GWA Wingfoil, GKA Kitesurf World Cups, and 2024 iQFOiL International Games get underway

Matt Wearn of Australia has just secured back-to-back world championship wins and is the defending Olympic champion, but Great Britain’s Michael Beckett has been on the podium at both of those championships and has won the Princess Sofia Trophy for the past two seasons. The duo will be leading the charge for their respective nations and are sure to renew their competitive rivalry in Marseille.

Over 120 of the world’s best 49er and 49erFX competitors representing 36 nations descended on Lanzarote, including reigning champions in both classes. Big swells and tricky breezes marked the final day of racing and proved definitive as the French team of Erwan Fischer and Clement Paquin broke Dutch dominance to claim France’s first ever 49er world title. The Dutch pair of Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz did win gold, however, and reclaimed the 49erFX world title for The Netherlands.

The ARKEA Ultim Challenge continued to deliver drama right to the very end as the fleet battled the elements and were forced to make running repairs. Charles Caudrelier on board Maxi Edmond de Rothschild held a healthy lead heading into the home straight so, with the chances of setting a new circumnavigation record long gone, decided to race cautiously to protect his boat. After 50 days at sea, Caudrelier crossed the finishing line and stepped foot onto dry land once again, two days ahead of the chasing pack.

The ILCA Senior European Championships and 470 World Championships were the next stop on the road to Paris 2024. Nearly 250 sailors headed to Athens ILCA where Hungarian Maria Erdi clinched her first-ever European championship title while Viktorija Andrulyte of Lithuania and Elena Vorobeva of Croatia sealed Olympic qualification. In the Men’s event, Valtteri Uusitalo if Finland sealed gold with Israel and Slovenia taking home Olympic qualification.

A wet and windy Mallorca played host to the 470 World Championships with 61 teams taking part. Stormy conditions on the final day meant no medal races, but the Spanish team of Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman held a commanding lead to claim gold.

This year’s RORC Caribbean 600 was the 15th edition of the event with 64 boats and 500 sailors taking on the 600 nautical mile course around 11 Caribbean islands. It was memorable for the Farr 100 Leopard 3, skippered by Joost Schuijff, who went to bed not knowing the outcome of the race and woke up to find out they had won overall honours under IRC after two days at sea.

There is also a roundup of sailing news from around the world, starting with New England sailor Cole Brauer who sailed into the history books as the first American woman to race nonstop around the world unassisted. Another sailor made history in Dubai as Charlotte Borghesi became the first female Helm to win the SB20 World Championship and did so with a 50% female team.

Source: World Sailing