France claims first ever 49er world title and Dutch reclaim FX crown

Erwan Fischer and Clement Pequin (FRA) won France’s first ever 49er world title on the final day of the 49er and 49erFX World Championships in Lanzarote. Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz (NED) reclaimed the 49erFX world title for The Netherlands.

The final day brought lighter breezes but still sufficient for twin trapezing up and down the two-lap race course.

The Dutch team van Aanholt and Duetz had a chance to wrap up the world title in the last Gold Fleet race, held in the morning. However things didn’t go quite to plan as they could only manage 17th place, their worst result of the Championship. The Swedes still had a shot at taking gold for the second year running.

FIRST TIME FOR FRANCE

 

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No such problems for Erwan Fischer and Clement Pequin in the men’s 49er who high-fived and hugged as they crossed the finish line of the Gold Fleet race in first place. They had won the regatta with a race to spare and become the first ever French team to win the 49er World Championship.

In the afternoon FX Medal Race, the Dutch took the upper hand over their Swedish training partners and van Aanholt and Duetz swept across the finish line to claim back the world title they last held in Canada two years earlier.

SWEDES SETTLE FOR SILVER

 

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While Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler hadn’t been able to hold on to their world crown the Swedes sailed a supreme week to claim silver. Italy’s Jana Germani and Giorgia Bertuzzi took the bronze ahead of reigning Olympic Champions Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze from Brazil.

With the 49er world title already claimed by France, attention in the men’s Medal Race turned to a three-way battle for silver between The Netherlands, Great Britain and Spain.

DUTCH SILVER IN 49ER

Already disappointed to have lost the chance to claim a fourth consecutive world title, Bart Lambriex and Floris van de Werken made a determined start to the race and seized control of the silver medal all the way to the finish.

Spain’s Diego Botin and Florian Trittel did enough to win bronze ahead of the surprise package of the regatta, Britain’s James Grummett and Rhos Hawes, who finished a very impressive fourth overall.

Lanzarote and Marina Rubicon delivered a stunning playing field for the six days of competition. The competition is hotting up in advance of the Olympic Regatta this July with a number of big regattas on the schedule including the European Championships in La Grande Motte in the south of France in May.

written by Andy Rice