Olympic Skiffs Sidelined in Portuguese Calms
Fog, Light Winds Kill First Two Days of the 2017 49er World Championship Porto, Portugal (29 August 2017) – They’re some of the fastest sailors ever to pull on a sheet, and while many of the 80 men’s and 57 women’s Olympic skiff sailing teams arrived here weeks ago to practice for the most important […]
Changing of the Guard in 49er – A Tough Bet to Place
For the first time since 2008, the 2017 49er Class World Champion will not be any of Iker Martinez / Xabi Fernandez, Nathan Outteridge/ Iain Jensen, or Peter Burling/ Blair Tuke. It is a testament to the strength of the 49er Class that each of these three champions are now leading top professional sailing programs […]
2017 49erFX Worlds – Rio Olympics Redux
Just over a year ago, during the Rio Olympic Games, four teams were tied going into the last race! The hometown heroes, Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) capped the ultimate dream finish in front of their home fans by winning a gold medal. Rarely in sailing do we get to see such a tight […]
Kingfisher Yacht Ropes partners with International 49er and International Nacra 17 Class Associations
Yorkshire, UK – 21st August 2017 – Kingfisher Yacht Ropes, the marine specific arm of innovative rope products distributer, the DSM Group, has entered into a partnership agreement with the International 49er Class and International Nacra 17 Class Associations. DSM, a family run business, was established in 1982 and manages a global distribution of products […]
German Women Conquer Skiffs, Fletcher-Bithell Take First European Title For GBR Since Draper-Hiscocks
In a day characterized by huge gusts, out-of-control runs, capsizes and wild wind shifts, Tina Lutz and Susan Beucke took complete control of the 49erFX fleet. The local favorites won both medal races today by big margins to take their first European Championship, alternating positions with overnight leaders Vicky Jurczok and Anika Lorenz. “In that […]
Breeze on for Three Tight Final Series – Forecast
The final day is setting up beautifully with 18-22 knots forecast and puffs could be higher. Check out the full report here. Weather_04082017_engl_EURO
BIG RISKS AND BIG REWARDS ON MOVING DAY Top Teams Advance To Theatre-Style Medal Racing
With the all-important Medal Race cutoff kicking in today for all three fleets at the 49er/49erFX/Nacra17 European Championship in Kiel, Germany, all pressure was on the ‘bubble’ teams to perform at their best. Some rose to the challenge, some quietly snuck in to the last spot, and many were left disappointed after a brutally hard […]
Locals Surge Ahead As Finals Begin, Finnish Foiling Heroics On Day 4 of European Championship
Light and shifty winds continued today over Kiel Bay as Finals action began for the top of the Olympic 49er and 49erFX fleets, while the foiling Nacra 17 knocked off three more races in their first-ever regatta in the Olympic multihull’s new flying configuration. Locally-based teams took advantage of their knowledge of Kiel’s tricky summer […]
Weather Forecast for Day 4 – First Day of Gold Fleet
High cloud with bright skies great us in Kiel this morning, as well as a calm bay. The forecast for the day is for 7-9 knots and steady most of the day, driven by a gradient in pressure between a small high over mainland Europe and a small low over Sweden. There is a 30% […]
Racers Find Obstacles and Opportunities As Qualification Round Ends At European Championships
High pressure over the North Sea meant entirely new challenges for the 49erFX, 49er, and Nacra 17 fleets as the European Championship entered its third day today. A short postponement to let the wind fill in gave way to a full day of racing, with the 49erFX and Nacra 17’s getting three races in while […]