Team USA windsurfer Noah Lyons has put himself on course for a place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer after day two of the Last Chance Regatta. Lyons, already selected as the American representative in the iQFOiL windsurfer should the United States qualify a country place, has his fate in his own hands at the final qualifying event of the Olympic campaign being held as part of the Semaine Olympique Française in Hyères this week.
Seven places are up for grabs in the men’s windsurfing here and Lyons – who has been sailing since he was six years old – is in a strong position after four races to ensure he will be in Marseille for the debut appearance of the iQFOiL windsurfer.
Speaking after coming ashore from a difficult day of wildly variable winds, and just one race completed this afternoon for the iQFOiL fleet, Lyons said: “I’m super happy so far, I want to just keep this momentum going. It’s nice to be leading but really my goal is to be in the top three going into the final day. We’ll just take it day by day and race by race and try to stay out in front.”
In the women’s windsurfing, Estonia’s Ingrid Puusta is setting her sights on a third Olympic Games after holding on to top spot after day two. The 33-year-old, who also qualified for the 2012 and 2016 Games, is one of the athletes bidding for Paris 2024 qualification who has been supported through World Sailing’s Emerging Nations Program (ENP).
Puusta is hoping to be one of eight women to qualify from the Last Chance Regatta and continues to top the standings.
Puusta said: “For me, it’s been going really well. I had a good first day and today I had a race win so I’m leading, and for the end of the week, I hope to qualify a place for Estonia.
“The Last Chance Regatta is very important for the countries that haven’t qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which is already less than 100 days away.
“This event has been very important for many people who have trained throughout the season just for this, so everyone is on top of their game and hoping for the best outcome.”
Germany’s skiff sailors must be happy with the way their week is going so far. Three years ago at the Tokyo Olympics, there were Germans on the podium in both the men’s 49er and the women’s 49er FX but they have yet to qualify an Olympic place in either event for Paris 2024.
While they must still clear the conditions set by the German authorities to be picked for the Games, the athletes at least look like giving their selectors a decision to make.
In the men’s competition, four Olympic places are on offer and there are two German pairs in the top three after six races. Max Stingele and Linov Scheel top the standings with Fabian Rieger and Tom Heinrich in third.
Five qualifying berths are possible in the women’s skiff where the Poles are in dominant form, occupying the top two places after six races thanks to Aleksandra Melzacka and Sandra Jankowiak in first, and Gabriela Czapska and Hanna Rajchert in second.
But a couple of bullets today for German pair Maria Bergmann and Hanna Wille has put them in contention in fifth place, just ahead of compatriots Maru Scheel and Freya Feilcke in sixth.
Connor Bainbridge of Great Britain, among the better sailors still not certain of an Olympic place after disappointing Formula Kite performances at the Sailing World Championships and the European Championships, charged into first place here with three bullets to make amends for a first day spent just off the pace.
Five men’s kite places are available, and Bainbridge will be feeling more confident about claiming one of them for Team GB as he moved ahead of Poland’s Maks Zakowski.
In the women’s kite, Elena Lengwiler of Switzerland continued her domination with seven races done as she seeks one of five Olympic places on offer. Lengwiler recorded another three bullets to go with the three she managed yesterday to live up to her billing as a potential medal contender should she make selection.
Danish pair Natacha Saouma-Pedersen and Mathias Bruun Borreskov continue to lead the Nacra 17 competition from which four countries will qualify from a fleet of 15.
They didn’t match yesterday’s 3, 1, 1 performance but a first place in between a sixth and a fourth means they are out in front. Further down the standings, a posse of Belgians has gathered in fourth, fifth and sixth, led by brother-and-sister pair Kwinten and Lotte Borghijs.
A qualifying place in the 470 mixed dinghy looks like Italy’s to lose as Elena Berta and Bruno Festo, in first, and Giacomo Ferrari and Alessandra Dubbini, in second, lead the way in a competition with four Olympic spots available.
In the men’s dinghy, where four Paris 2024 slots can be won, the top two ILCA 7s are two more sailors supported by World Sailing’s Emerging Nations Program – Malaysia’s Khairulnizam bin Mohd Afendy, seeking a fourth consecutive Olympics appearance, and Karl Martin Rammo of Estonia.
Four places are also available for the women’s dinghy, and another Emerging Nations Program-supported sailor – Cyprus’s Marilena Makri – is in first place ahead of Romania’s Ebru Bolat.
Qualified Nations - Two Different Worlds
While for some categories the proximity to the coast spared them from a strenuous navigation, for other crews the buoys located offshore seemed more like a punishment. At the extreme east of the bay of Hyères, the mixed double dinghies (470) suffered in a strengthening wind throughout the races, which was very unstable in strength and direction. At the end of the two races sent by the committee, the French duo Camille Lecointre and Jérémie Mion lead the fleet but tied on points with the Swedish Dahlberg/Karlsson and the Australians Jerwood/Nicholas.
"It was a very physically challenging day because it was very cold, it felt like we were back in winter. We had a good day, starting with a victory. We led the race almost from the start. We were very fast from the beginning and managed to handle it. However, the race was tough because there was a lot of wind but very unstable in strength and direction. There were some capsizes. The next race was even more complicated because the wind increased even more. The start wasn't great but we managed it not too bad. It remains a solid day. The goal of this event is to continue adjusting, validating equipment, further progressing in different phases, and gaining speed. It's a good preparatory regatta for the games but the competitive spirit is definitely there," said Camille Lecointre and Jérémie Mion, the French mixed duo in the dinghy (470).
In other categories, the Australians Harding/Wilmot lead in the women's double dinghy (49er FX), while the French Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon are currently in 7th place, 4 points away from the podium. However, the conditions were much lighter for this category, which had to deal with a wind of 12 knots, diminishing throughout the races. For the French who changed boats after the World Championship, it's time for work and improvement to raise their level of play even higher.
"We are sailing on a new boat but unfortunately right from the start we broke our forestay which had to be replaced as quickly as possible. So, we were able to work on our adaptability. This event is really important for us because it allows us to target the points we need to work on and improve on the boat and internally with Charline. The level is quite dense, we need to identify our areas of work to know where to gain to find ourselves at the top of the standings. This SOF is an additional experience before the Olympics," analyzed Sarah Steyaert.
In Women's Windfoil (iQFOiL), the Chinese Yan leads ahead of the Polish Dziarnowska and the French Lola Sorin. Three races were able to be held in the late afternoon under very fluctuating conditions. In the men's category, there were no changes for the top three compared to the races from the previous day. The Australian Grae Morris, the Israeli Tom Reuveny, and the French Nicolas Goyard are still leading but remain under threat from the New Zealander Josh Armit.
In Men's Single Dinghy (ILCA 7), Jean-Baptiste Bernaz does a double by winning both races of the day ahead of the Norwegian Hermann Tomasgaard and the Englishman Michael Beckett. For women, no race could be launched as well as in the Kitefoil Men and Women category (Formula Kite).
In Men's Double Dinghy (49er), the Australian duo Ferguson/Paul leads the 49er fleet, while the French Erwan Fisher and Clément Pequin are in sixth place.
See you tomorrow, Tuesday, for a third day that should be calmer but very tricky with a wind once again very unstable especially in direction.