Today – on 24th July the 49er and 49er FX Youth World Championships in Gdynia is starting. All teams are already in Gdynia and they will have official registration and measurement procedures to pass. Some teams have arrived few days earlier to train here and familiarize with the racing area.
We have interviewed Xavier Rohart, double Star world champion (2003, 2005) and Star bronze medalist in Olympics in Athens 2004. He coaches French 49er teams and has come to Gdynia with 4 French young ones. We asked him about his predictions about potential winners of the forthcoming regatta. „I think there are five or six very strong teams. One of them is German Jan Hauke Erichsen – he is one of the best and strongest. Also English James Peters and Ed Fitzgerald are very good – they took ninth place at last European in Denmark. Spanish Diego Botin – he has a very strong positin in ISAF ranking. Very good, but too young, not consistent enough. And of course French Kevin Fischer, ISAF and world champion in 29er, he is realy good, he must be on a podium. Danish teams are very good, too.” Asked about teams in 49er FX he said: „49er FX – I don’t know much about the teams, this class is so young. I believe Norwegian team is quite good, also team from Singapur, and Spanish Maria Cantero Izquierdo has a lot of potential.”
Talking about regatta in Gdynia he summed up: „What is really good in this regatta – it will equalize the level between the teams. The teams will be able to check themselves and find out where they actually are. The racing area here is difficult and very technic, requires a lot of experience and good strategy skills. For teams, especially young, it could be difficult to cope with that. The team that wins will be really strong one, they will be really champions.”
