Olympic pressure, what pressure?

Another sea breeze day kept the giant 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by Iberostar rolling through a demanding schedule of races. Across the classes are some marked, understandable differences between the mindsets of those who are in the throes of an Olympic selection fight and those who have missed out on Marseille and are racing now liberated of the constant pressure.

53 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar. © Sailing Energy / Princesa Sofía Mallorca
02 April, 2024

49er class

In the 49er Men’s skiff none of the top four duos have selection concerns, indeed it is the re-formed Aussie partnership of Jack Ferguson and Max Paul – racing for fun – which still leads after a counting second place today ahead of the Uruguayan duo Hernan Umpierre Odini and Fernando Diz Becerra who have a place at Paris 2024.Neither third placed US duo Andrew Mollerus and Ian Macdiarmid nor France’s fourth placed Lucas Rual and Emile Amoros will be in Marseille, the Americans losing their trials regatta on the final race and the young French pair are, predictably, behind their recently crowned world champions who are not having a good regatta here.

53 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar. © Sailing Energy / Princesa Sofía Mallorca
03 April, 2024

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49erFX class

In the FX women’s skiff Norwegians Helene Naess and Marie Ronningen still lead, “We have sailed a very consistent regatta so far except for the last race which was our discard. We are doing both here and Hyeres and then go to Marseille for preparations for the Games which really are coming up fast.”

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Nacra 17

And in the Nacra 17 Italy’s world and Olympic champions Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti, 2022 overall winners here moved up to second place with a 1,1,3 closing up ominously on Germany’s Olympic bronze medallists Paul Kohlhoff and Alica Stuhlemme.

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The 53 Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar is jointly organised by the Club Nàutic S’Arenal, the Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, the Real Club Náutico de Palma, the Real Federación Española de Vela and the Federación Balear de Vela, with the support of World Sailing and the main Balearic public institutions.

More information, at www.trofeoprincesasofia.org.

Credits: Trofeo Princesa Sofia