The first day of the final qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics saw Switzerland’s Elena Lengwiler claim three first places at the Last Chance Regatta to live up to her billing as an also-ran turned medal contender in the Formula Kite event.
The 28-year-old is arguably the most improved athlete in the newest Olympic sailing event and has been talked about as a potential challenger for the podium this summer in Marseille.
But the Swiss must first qualify a place for her country at the Last Chance Regatta which is being held as part of the Semaine Olympique Française in Hyères, and she has put herself in a very strong position after just one day’s racing.
Three bullets and a second place will make her difficult to dislodge from the top five places which will earn a qualifying place for a sailor’s country.
Behind Lengwiler is a trio of Poles, lead by former under-19 world champion Julia Damasiewicz, in search of that precious Olympic berth for Poland.
Poland also had a strong day in the men’s kite, where Maks Zakowski then Jan Marciniak top the standings after four races. And that means Connor Bainbridge of Great Britain – among the best sailors still not assured of a place on the start line at the Games – is down in third with only the top five qualifying a country place.
US windsurfer Noah Lyons rivalled Lengwiler for the performance of the day with his three bullets from three races in the men’s iQFOiL, in which seven Olympic places are up grabs.
Lyons – who knows he will be selected if he can qualify a US place – has the advantage over his rivals with Taehoon Lee of South Korea two points behind in second but with a 19th place finish in race two. AIN athlete Anastasiya Valkevich leads the women’s windsurfing from which eight qualification places are available.
The Italians will be happiest with results in the 470 mixed dinghy placing two in the leading four of a class from which a top four place will qualify an Olympics spot, including pole position for Giacomo Ferrari and Alessandra Dubbini.
For Ferrari, knowing everyone else in the fleet is also after an Olympic place means the stakes could not be higher.
He said: “It’s the last chance so we have to be focussed on the race and do our best
“No-one wants to get a bad result, so everyone is going for it.”
After several days with the Mistral blowing in from the north before the event, the first day of racing saw much lighter conditions so Ferrari was especially pleased with his afternoon’s work.
He said: “It was very light wind day, so it was not easy. Two races with this wind is difficult. We did a good job, a good first day and we are ready for the week.
Team-mate Dubbini added: “We’ve started with lighter conditions but for sure we will find the windy conditions Hyères is known for later.”
Italy also lead the way in the 49er men’s skiff, from which the top four will earn a country spot, thanks to the efforts of Uberto Crivelli Visconti and Giulio Calabro although their 19th place in the second of three races today could prove a cause for regret later in the week.
Five places are up for grabs in the 49erFX women’s skiff where Polish sailors had the best of the three races possible.
Two bullets for Aleksandra Melzacka and Sandra Jankowiak mean they lead while compatriots Gabriela Czapska and Hanna Rajchert are in third behind Singaporean pair Kimberley Lim and Cecilia Low.
With four Olympics places available from a field of 15 boats, a strong first day was especially advantageous in the Nacra 17 and Danish pair Natacha Saouma-Pedersen and Mathias Bruun Borreskov seized the initiative with two bullets and a third.
But an interesting all-Belgian battle is developing further down the standings with brother-and-sister pair Kwinten and Lotte Borghijs in fourth and Arthur de Jonghe and Janne Ravelingien in fifth.
Only one race each was possible in the men’s and women’s dinghies – where four Olympic places in each are available – but Oskar Madonich of Ukraine could make himself a very popular winner if he holds on to first place in the ILCA 7. In the women’s event, the ILCA 6 standings are led by Marilena Makri.
iQFOiL and KITE open the ball at the Qualified Nations Regatta
In addition to the “Last Chance Regatta”, the “Qualified Nations” race, as its name indicates, corresponds to the nations and sailors who have already validated their place for the Olympic Games. If the pressure is less, this last confrontation aims to work on different points again and again, to gauge yourself and to gauge your opponents one last time. A dress rehearsal for the 307 competing crews. Today, Sunday, only the women's and men's iQFOiL and KITE were scheduled. With a wind blowing between 10 and 15 knots in the afternoon, the conditions were idyllic for this warm-up. Lauriane Nolot and Jessie Kampman occupy at the end of this first day, second and third place in Kite while in iQFOiL men, Nicolas Goyard is in second place tied on points with the Australian Morris and the Israeli Reuveny. This mano a mano promises beautiful sleeves.
“I have no pressure for this week. We will focus our navigation on different areas of work. The wind started to pick up when we got back, it's a little frustrating but that's how it is. I would very much like to be able to leave Hyères and SOF with the title of first by trying to win as many first places as possible. In any case, I am really delighted to be here and I thank the race committee for their work” confided Nicolas Goyard, currently tied for second on points in iQFOiL.
Tomorrow Monday, all categories of this 55th edition of the SOF will set sail. The conditions should be slightly different with a rotation of the wind to the north-northwest blowing between 8 and 22 knots in gusts. An onshore wind which should flatten the body of water and promote speed. The first regattas should start at 11 a.m.