Giving the host nation a huge boost just months before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Erwan Fischer and Clément Pequin of France emerged victorious in the 49er World Championships held in Lanzarote on Sunday (10 March).

Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz of the Netherlands won the women's 49erFX title.

After a disappointing week for both Irish crews in Lanzarote a final-race second place on Sunday for Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove was a welcome early season morale boost as Afloat reports here

On the final day of the championship, the sailors faced lighter breezes that were still sufficient for twin trapezing up and down the two-lap race course. In the Gold Fleet race, van Aanholt and Duetz had a chance to claim the world title for the Netherlands, but they could only manage 17th place, their worst result of the championship. This left the door open for the Swedes to potentially take gold for the second year in a row.

Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz of the Netherlands won the women's 49erFX title in Lanzarote

However, Erwan Fischer and Clément Pequin had no such problems in the men's 49er. They finished in first place in the Gold Fleet race and high-fived and hugged as they crossed the finish line. They had already won the regatta with a race to spare, becoming the first ever French team to win the 49er World Championship.

The final day brought many ups and downs for the sailors, and it was a thrilling event overall. The French and Dutch teams proved to be the strongest, showcasing their skills and determination to come out on top.

Final podium. 49er Worlds. Lanzarote 2024

1. Erwan Fischer/Clément Pequin (FRA), 11+1+7+3+1+3+1+2+3+(18)+2+3+3+2+3+1+12=58
2. Bart Lambriex/Floris van de Werken (NED), 5+4+1+7+4+1+1+1+(20)+16+3+20+4+1+7+17+4=96
3. Diego Botín/Florian Trittel (ESP), 13+18+3+3+2+3+15+1+6+7+1+1+9+5+(20)+11+8=106

Final podium. 49erFX Worlds. Lanzarote 2024

1. Odile van Aanholt/Annette Duetz (NED), 1+3+1+3+6+9+8+1+1+13+5+3+2+1+(17)+6=63
2. Vilma Bobeck/Rebecca Netzler (SWE), 14+2+3+2+1+5+6+1+8+14+11+1+1+(22)+3+8=80
3. Jana Germani/Giorgia Bertuzzi (ITA), 3+2+5+16+12+2+4+2+6+6+22+6+(25)+3+1+14=90

It was an up and down day for Charlotte Dobson and Dun Laoghaire's Saskia Tidey to complete 49erFX fleet racing.

One time fleet leader, the Scottish-Irish duo excelled in this week's stronger conditions but have had a torrid couple of days in Enoshima's light stuff. 

They have seen their overall lead eroded and scoring 15-4-18 today means they go into the medal race in fifth, 11 points off the top spot, eight points off the podium. 

Royal Irish's Tidey, although sailing for Team GB in Tokyo, sailed for Ireland in Rio in 2016 then left the Irish team because of a lack of opportunities for her to pursue her career at home. As such, she is the last Irish sailing interest in Tokyo for Monday's medal race.

Tina Lutz and Susann Beucke (GER) sailed around all the potholes and landmines on the 49erFX course to come through with scores of 7,3,3. This lifts the Germans to third overall, three points off the lead shared by two high-class teams.

Holding top spot is the double World Champions Annemiek Bekkering and Annette Duetz (NED) who sit on equal points with reigning Olympic Champions Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA).

The reigning World Champions from Spain, Tamara Echegoyen and Paula Barcelo, had a difficult day in the lighter breeze and have dropped to fourth overall, but still only seven points off the lead.

Like the 49er, this is going to be a tense Medal Race on Monday afternoon, as Beucke acknowledged today. “I think we went a bit too conservative into the regatta and kind of realised we have got to be very aggressive until the end. That's what we did today. And I think that's what we're going to do in the Medal Race as well, because it's all about coming home with the medal or nothing. It's going to be exciting.”

Racing kicks off at 6.33am BST on Monday

#49erfxirl – Second in today's medal race and eighth overall at Lake Garda Olympic week, a Eurosaf event, is a welcome boost for Irish Olympic 49erfx campaigners Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey of the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire. The race was streamed live via Afloat.ie this morning. 

It's a promising performance for Ireland's newest Olympic sailing duo and further improvement on last year's mid–fleet result that came to a dramatic halt in a race course crash.

 After four days of racing the sole Irish women's skiff made the top 10 medal race cut by a single point. Today they sailed the medal race taking second in this double points non-discardable race to boost  their overall result to a credible eighth place.

'We are happy with our week, feel that have learnt lots from the racing and also managed to practise our boat handling with all those tacks and gybes along the cliffs as well as plenty of "gybe sets" at the windward marks which were very hectic at times', Brewster said on facebook.

It's a realistic assessment from the realtively new duo who still seek country qualification for Ireland at the world championships in Argentina in November. Before then, the pair will also take in the Olympic test event 'Aqueece Rio' in August.

The duo return home tomorrow before setting up in Weymouth for the ISAF World Cup event to be held there in June. They will not contest Eurosaf, Medemblik in a fortnight.

Garda Trentino Olympic Week 2015 (49erfx overall)

1 ITA 3 CONTI GIULIA, CLAPCICH FRANCESCA, C.C.ANIENE 33,0 1 1 2 (8) 1 1 3 1 8 1 7
2 ESP 23 ECHEGOYEN DOMINGUEZ TAMARA, BETANZOS MORO BERTA, RCN SANXENXO 44,0 8 2 11 2 2 (14) 4 6 2 5 1
3 FIN 17 KURTBAY SINEM, KANERVA SILJA, NJK 60,0 2 8 4 9 (12) 8 7 8 6 2 3
4 SWE 25 JULIA GROSS, CECILIA JONSSON, ROYAL SWEDISH YACHT CLUB 60,0 4 4 13 3 5 2 5 3 11 (ufd) 5
5 GER 777 LEONIE MEYER, ELENA STOFFERS, NRV 63,0 10 9 10 1 3 3 2 (15) 1 6 9
6 CAN 514 MORGAN ARIELLE, MYATT HEATHER, ROYAL ST LAWRENCE YACHT CLUB 68,0 3 7 6 7 8 4 (10) 10 7 8 4
7 GBR 11 DOBSON CHARLOTTE, AINSWORTH SOPHIE, RNCYC 78,0 6 3 1 6 7 5 18 11 5 (ufd) 8
8 IRL 997 BREWSTER ANDREA, TIDEY SASKIA, ROYAL IRISH YACHT CLUB 80,0 14 11 12 10 6 6 (17) 2 4 11 2
9 SWE 9 ERICSON LISA, KLINGA HANNA, GKSS 84,0 16 6 5 18 4 9 1 4 9 (ufd) 6
10 SIN 33 KHNG GRISELDA, TAN SARA, SAFYC 84,0 5 5 17 4 10 11 (22) 5 3 4 10

#49erfx – Royal Irish skiff duo Andrea Brewster & Saskia Tidey who made a breakthrough in their Olympic campaign by making the gold fleet this week at the ISAF Worlds in Santander have narrowly missed out on a spot for Rio this afternoon. The pair finished 24th place from 55 and crucially 13th nation, just outside the top 10 qualifying places which would have earned Ireland its fourth place in Rio.

The Irish campaign is far from over however. The new partnership sail on to the next opportunity to qualify for the Rio Games at the 2015 World Championships. The remaining places in each event shall be qualified from the 2015 Class World Championship and in a series of Continental Qualification Events sanctioned by ISAF, to finish by 1 June 2016 at the latest.

The 49erFX class finish in Santander is going to be a barn burner, as the two most consistent boats all year will go head to head making it a winner takes all for the Championship title. Ida Nielsen and Marie Olsen (DEN) are on 33 points after sailing well today with a 5, 3, 9. That could not compete with the day that Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) had, with a 3, 2, 1. The race area was right hand favoured, so it was vital to get an early lane to the right and have the boat speed to hold. The Brazilians started excellently and were able to apply the pressure.

Giulia Conti and Fancesca Clapcich (ITA) are fresh back from some time off due to injury but it hasn't held them back. Clapcich injured her ankle in Helsinki for the Europeans and has been out of the boat since July. They seem to have done the right thing and rested enough that they have been able to race well this week where they find themselves locked into the Bronze medal position for the final Medal Race.

One more team worth noting are Vicky Jurczok and Anika Lorenz (GER). This team were 25th after qualifying, the last team to make it into gold fleet and have been on fire since then moving all the way up to sixth place, with a chance to move up to fourth tomorrow if the cards line up.

#49er –  In a certain boost to their debut season Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey will race in tomorrow's medal race at Kiel week regatta after five blustery qualifying races – that included a race win. 

Scoring a 10th today and dropping a 13th (discarded after 5 races) Brewster and Tidey now lie eighth overall in the Eurosaf Cup event, 20–points off the overall lead. (Download results below as a pdf file).

'We are pretty thrilled with our result as we have made it into the medal race tomorrow with the top 10 boats. This will be the first medal race we have ever qualified for' Brewster wrote on Facebook tonight.

The girls medal race starts at 10am on Friday and, according to organisers is to be broadcast live HERE.

A month ago, the Royal Irish pair were forced to withdraw from the Eurosaf regatta on Lake Garda when crew Tidey was injured in a high speed capsize. Thankfully, this injury appears to be completely behind them, with this week's performance in breeze a heartening result for the Dublin Bay campaign.

Admittedly the Kiel womens' 49erfx fleet is missing both the winner and runner up from the last outing of the ISAF world Cup in Hyeres in late April but the 33–boat fleet does contain the Danish pair Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen who took bronze on the Cote D'Azur. Also in Kiel this week are top placed Italian and Dutch crews to reinforce the point that although Kiel may not be part of ISAF's world cup circuit it can still produce a hotly contested womens skiff event.

In the mens division, Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern, will also contest tomorrow's medal race. The Northern Ireland skiff pair won an ISAF silver medal at Hyeres World Cup Event in April and have proved quick again this week in breezy conditions. (See above vid).

More than 4,500 sailors from more than 50 nations with 1800 boats are racing off Schilksee from 21 to 29 June at the 132nd Kieler Woche, and they are fighting for titles and medals in 42 Olympic, paralympic, international and offshore classes. 

Medal Race: Front Runners From Five Nations
The wind eased for the time being. At the fourth day of Kieler Woche after three days of strong winds, there was only a light breeze on the outer fjord in Kiel. But that did not really make life of the race directors and sailors easier, since the crews proceeded on their courses at a snail's pace - too slow to get a complete race program done.

On Wednesday there will be the finals of the Olympic classes sailed on short legs and three courses. At 10am the 49erFX (TV course), Laser Radial (course India) and the Nacra17 (course Juliett) will start, followed by the 49ers at 11am (TV) and the Lasers (India) and the 470s Men (Juliett) at 11:30am.

Results: Kieler Woche day 4

2.4mR: (5 races)
1. Heiko Kroger, GER, 4 points
2. Barend Kol, NED, 9
3. Helena Lucas, GBR, 15

Sonar: (5)
1. Jens Kroker / Robert Prem, Siggy Mainka, GER, 4
2. Soren Werner / Christian Bauer, Lutz Rewa, GER, 8
3. Thomas Beer / Jorg Meierdiercks, Oliver Utrata, GER, 11

49er: (7)
1. Erik Heil / Thomas Ploessel, GER, 16
2. David Evans / Ed Powys, GBR, 26
3. Jacopo Plazzi / Umberto Molineris, ITA, 26

49er FX: (5)
1. Jena Mai Hansen / Katja Salskov-Iversen, DEN, 11
2. Victoria Jurczok / Anika Lorenz, GER, 15
3. Tamara Echegayen / Berta Betanzos, ESP, 15

Nacra 17: (6)
1. Allan Norregaard / Line Just, DEN, 15
2. Vittorio Bissaro / Silvia Sicouri, ITA, 18
3. Lorenzo Bressani / Micol Giovanna, ITA, 23

Finn: (5)
1. Bjorn Allansson, SWE, 16
2. Giorgio Poggi, ITA, 16
3. Tomas Vika, CZE, 17.3

470 M: (6)
1. Panagiotis Mantis / Pavlos Kagialis, GRE, 13
2. Mathew Belcher / Will Ryan, AUS, 17
3. Ferdinand Gerz / Oliver Szymanski, GER, 18

470 W: (6)
1. Lara Vadian / Jolanta Opar, AUT, 10
2. Annina Wagner / Elisabeth Panuschka, GER, 12
3. Alisa Kirilyuk / Liudmila Dmitrieva, RUS, 18

Laser Standard: (9)
1. Philipp Buhl, GER, 29
2. Karl-Martin Rammo, EST, 33
3. Tobias Schadewaldt, GER, 40

Laser Radial: (4)
1. Lisa Fasselt, GER, 10
2. Tatiana Drozdovskaya, BLR, 10
3. Pauline Liebig, GER, 21

Melges 24: (7)
1. Riccardo Simoneschi / Enrico Fonda, Stefano Orlandi, Federico Buscaglia, Lucia Giorgetti, ITA, 8
2. Kim Christensen / Peter Jakobsen, Mads Holmer, Jamie Lea, DEN, 11
3. John Den Engelsman / Rikst Dijkstra, Willem Jan Van Dort, Rinse Ubbink, Irena Doets, NED, 27

Platu 25: (7)
1. Gordon Nickel / Morten Nickel, Nils-Mathes Fiege, Nils Merten Farber, Sebastian Roske, GER, 9
2. Ingo Lochmann / Christian Maedel, Matthias Kruger, Jens Steinborn, Timo Chorrosch, GER, 21
3. Eiko Powilleit / Robert Heymann, Frank Barownick, Thomas Schuler, Andreas Gluschke, GER, 22

J/70: (7)
1. Claas Lehmann / Marc-Daniel Mohlmann, Bjorn Athmer, Valentin Zeller, GER, 14
2. Wouter Kollmann / Kim Platteeuw, Gilbert Figaroa, Wick Hillege, NED, 20
3. Michael Ilgenstein / Finn Mrugalla, Jan-Ole Burzinski, Terje Klockemann, GER, 21

J/80: (7)
1. Martin Menzner / Frank Lichte, Mika Rolfs, Carsten Hopp, GER, 6
2. Soren Hadeler / Peer Schickedanz, Henning Buchmann, Simon Bodermann, GER, 17
3. Hauke Kruss / Ole Sartori, Rune Schytt-Nielsen, Peer Kolberg, GER, 20

SB20: (7)
1. Alexey Murashkin / Kirill Frolov, Egor Ignatenko, RUS, 9
2. Marco Van Driel / Joost Assmann, Martijn Worseling, NED, 13
3. Leonid Altukhov / Igor Matviienko, Ruslana Taran, RUS, 19

Albin Express: (7)
1. Arne K Larssen / Merle Risy, Steffen Muhlenkamp, Sebastian Hantke, Nils Albrecht, SWE, 7
2. Andreas Pinnow / Jan Heinecke, Frieder Neu, Malte Nathke, Julian Heller, GER, 11
3. Mark Schuerch / Dirk Hornschuh, Soren Hesse, Raoul Kubler, GER, 28

Offshore:

ORC I IDM (6):
1. Platoon, Harm Muller-Speer, GER, 7.5
2. Desna, Sven Wackerhagen, GER, 21.5
3. Oxygen, Morton Ulrikkeholm, NOR, 22

ORC II IDM (6):
1. Rockall IV, Christopher Opielok, HKG, 11
2. X-Day, Niels Gauter, GER, 20
3. Sirena, Peter Buhl, DEN, 23

ORC III/IV IDM (6):
1. Sportsfreund, Axel Seehafer, GER, 10
2. Solconia, Max Gurgel, GER, 11
3. Patent3, Jens Tschentscher, GER, 13

#49er – Skiff duo Ryan Seaton & Matt McGovern will compete in the 49er World Championships in France next week along with new Irish women's combination Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey in the new 49erFx skiff class.

The six day and potential 25 race regatta held in Marseille  will be the biggest test of the year for the London 2012 partnership, especially as team bosses are already talking up the prospect of a 'replication of the recent successes of Olympic teammate Annalise Murphy', the new Laser European champion. The pair are targeting a solid top 10 finish to keep Rio plans on track.

Included in the 96–boat fleet will be three-time World Champions and London 2012 Gold medallists Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen from Australia who have most recently been competing in the America's Cup. Kiwis Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, London 2012 Silver medallists and 2013 49er European Champions will also be in attendance. With the Worlds being late in the season it has given everyone a chance to get back up to speed post Olympics. Without doubt this will be the toughest event of 2013. 

This championship will conclude what has been a busy summer for the Northern Ireland pair who had their best performance of the year at the Sail for Gold regatta in Weymouth in June when they won Gold. 

Also competing at the regatta are female 49erFX campaigners Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey.

#rio – In the first twist in Irish Olympic sailing's build up to Rio 2016, there's been a major reshuffle in Irish women's skiff sailing. The change comes just months after two separate high profile campaigns were announced. Rival women's 49erfx campaigns have apparently merged this month, leaving two former opponents establishing a new double-handed bid.

Helmswoman Andrea Brewster from one team and crew Saskia Tidey from another pairing have teamed up as a new crew combination seeking the qualification standard for Rio 2016.

Although Claudine Murphy and Brewster announced their four year campaign in May – talking up how delighted they were to be sailing together –  the pair have split after just three months.

According to an August 31st posting on the team facebook page, Murphy, elder sister of Laser Euro champion Annalise, is returning to medical studies at UCD.

The last event the pair competed in was the 49er/FX British Nationals. While they say they had made progress in the new class, they also conceded some aspects of their sailing were 'not so brilliant!'.

 'We are sad to announce that our campaign has come to an end', they said.

According to the statement, Brewster is continuing to campaign for Ireland in the debutante class, teaming up with Saskia Tidey, the crewing partner of Belfast lough helmswoman Tiffany Brien, Ireland's other 49erFx campaign. 

While there is no word of any replacement crew for Brien's campaign, the former Miss Northern Ireland was back sailing an RS Elite at the British Nationals on Belfast Lough in August.

#SailforGold– Irish Olympic Sailing sensation Annalise Murphy is back in Weymouth to make it three out of three in the Eurosaf Champions Sailing Cup series after already taking gold at the first two events in Italy and Holland.

She is joined by four of her London 2012 Olympic team mates this weekend to begin competing at the Sail for Gold Regatta. Murphy (Laser Radial) is joined by Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern (49er) and James Espey (Laser) will begin racing on Sunday in what will be the third of five EUROSAF installments

This will be the first regatta of the 2013 season for Seaton and McGovern who finished 14th overall at the Games last year. Back in familiar waters after months of physical and mental training, the duo are eager to once again feel the adrenaline of elite competition as they begin their campaign towards the Rio 2016 Olympics. Up against some of the top international 49er teams, the Northern Irish men will be looking to shake off the cobwebs after an extended break from competition.

Also campaigning for the Rio Games and competing for the first time in the 49er FX class will be two new all-female pairings. Claudine Murphy, older sister of Annalise, has teamed up with Andrea Brewster while Tiffany Brien and Saskia Tidey, will be sailing the other Irish entry for the new Olympic class.

Tiffany Brien and Saskia Tidey are currently battling for a spot on the Irish 49erfx slot for the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

The 49er FX is a double handed women's skiff which has recently been selected as a new class to compete at the Olympic Games.

Name: Tiffany Brien
Height: 5'8"
DOB: 10th August 1990
Home Location: Holywood, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
Position on boat: Helm

Club: Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club

Olympic Experience:
Previously campaigned for 2012 in a Laser Radial

General Outline of Sailing Career to Date:
Started sailing aged 7, began racing aged 14 in an Optimist and represented Ireland aged 15. I moved into the Laser 4.7 aged 16 followed by the Radial aged 17, I was ranked number 1 in Ireland in the Laser Radial in 2010 and 2011. I also race RS Elites, and finished 2nd at the British Championships last year the day after coming home from Miss World.

First Sailing Experience:
Crewing in a Mirror dinghy at the World Championships. I was allowed to lie in then delivered to the boat on the slip because I was so young and useless, I couldn't do my own hair in a ponytail either. But we seemed to do ok and finished as Girl World Champions.

Hobbies/Other Sports:
I've been playing club netball for 11 years and captain my team in NI Premier League at the moment. Apart from that I have dabbled in most sports and give anything a go. But end up spending most of my time training in the gym.

Favourite Food:
Coco Pops, Granola, Jelly Snakes

What is Your Life Long Ambition:
To win an Olympic Medal

Name: Saskia Tidey
Height: 6'1"
DOB: 11th June 1993
Home Location: Dun Laoghaire, Co.Dublin, Ireland
Position on boat: Crew
Club: The Royal Irish Yacht Club

Olympic Experience:
First time Olympic Campaigner

General Outline of Sailing Career to Date:
Started Sailing at the age of 11. Represented Ireland for 5 years in the Laser Radial and 470 class. Sailed a season on board an all female 18ft skiff crew which competed in the 2013 18ft Skiff World Championship, Sydney, Australia.

First Sailing Experience:
Being terrified of capsizing in Dublin bay because of the seals!

Hobbies/Other Sports:
I like any sport. Skiing, netball, tennis, any form of sailing, and in my spare time going to the gym.

Favourite Food:
Cereal, manuka honey

What is Your Life Long Ambition:
To win a Olympic Medal