Displaying items by tag: Paris 2024
90 Nations to Compete in Hyères for Semaine Olympique Française and Last-Chance Regatta
The world’s best Olympic sailors have made Hyères on the French Riviera their meeting spot each April for more than 50 years.
And this year the stakes are even higher, as the 55th edition of Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères - TPM from 20-27 April will be the final opportunity for sailing’s elite to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
French Olympic Week 2024 comprises two events hosted concurrently: The ‘Qualified Nations’ in Hyères harbour, with two participants for each nation and class; and the Last Chance Regatta which will bring together the nations that have still to qualify for Paris 2024 to compete for the 39 places still up for grabs.
All 10 Olympic classes will be competing in both events: ILCA (men’s and women’s single-handed dinghy), 49er (men’s and women’s skiff), Nacra 17 (mixed multihull), 470 (mixed double-handed dinghy), Formula Kite (men’s and women’s kitefoil) and iQFOiL (men’s and women’s windsurfing).
This exceptional line-up means that “La SOF” is set to break its record for the number of participating nations in Hyères, with nearly 1,000 athletes and 500 support staff from 90 countries across five continents expected.
And among them will be Irish 49er pairs Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, and Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan who will be looking to make up for a disappointing 49er Worlds to clinch Ireland’s single spot in the men’s skiff event in Marseille this summer.
The schedule for the week looks like the following:
The Semaine Olympique Française:
- Friday 19 April: welcome and registration
- Saturday 20 April: welcome and registration
- Saturday 20 April: opening ceremony
- Sunday 21 April to Wednesday 24 April: iQFOiL and Formula Kite qualifying rounds
- Monday 22 to Friday 26 April: ILCA, 49er, Nacra 17 and 470 qualifying rounds
- Thursday 25 April: iQFOiL and Formula Kite Medal Races
- Saturday 27 April: ILCA, 49er, Nacra 17 and 470 Medal Races
- Saturday 27 April: Prize-giving and closing ceremony
The Last-Chance Regatta:
- Thursday 18 April: welcome and registration
- Friday 19 April: welcome and registration
- Saturday 20 April: opening ceremony
- Sunday 21 April to 24 April: iQFOiL and Formula Kite qualifying rounds
- Sunday 21 to Thursday 25 April: ILCA, 49er, Nacra 17 and 470 qualifying rounds
- Thursday 25 April: iQFOiL and Formula Kite Medal Races
- Friday 26 April: Medal Races: ILCA, 49er, Nacra 17 and 470
- Saturday 27 April: Prize-giving and closing ceremony
For more details, including the Notice of Race, see the SOF website HERE.
Irish 49er Skiff Sailors Gear up for 49er Class World Championship and Olympic Selection Trials
Irish 49er skiff sailors are set to compete in the 49er class world championship in Lanzarote, Canary Islands from March 4th to March 10th, 2024. With less than five months left before the Paris 2024 Olympics, this event marks an intensive phase for the Irish sailors.
Two Irish boats will be contesting a three-event selection trials to decide who will be nominated by Irish Sailing to the Olympic Federation of Ireland for inclusion in the Olympic Team. Although a place in the men's skiff event for the games has already been secured, the Irish sailors are leaving no stone unturned in their preparations for the Olympics.
Veteran Olympians Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove will return to Lanzarote to compete in the event where they qualified for Tokyo 2020 just three years ago. In 2020, the duo secured bronze at the Spring Championships and will be seeking at least a top ten finish or a podium place next week.
Crosshaven's Seafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan, campaigning independently of Irish Sailing's senior squad, are also chasing selection and will be looking to see the fruits of their intensive winter training paying off and recently landed a sponsorship deal. The Cork Harbour pairing will also aim to secure Sport Ireland carding status with a good performance in Lanzarote, which is the first of the three-event trials series.
A total of 75 crews from 28 countries will compete in the six-day series, which comprises a qualification round to decide the Gold fleet round. From there, the top ten boats will sail a short medal race to decide the podium.
The French Olympic Week in Hyeres followed by the 49er European Championships will complete the trials that emphasise best overall event standings rather than a boat-on-boat competition, James O'Callaghan, Irish Sailing's Director of Performance, said. "As with the ILCA7 for the men’s single-handed event, these trials will be decided on a low-points scoring basis," he added. "This incentivises both crews to concentrate on their best regatta score rather than winning the place for Paris 2024."
The single-handed events have already concluded, with Eve McMahon and Finn Lynch in the process of being nominated to the Olympic Federation of Ireland in their respective events at the Olympic regatta set for Marseille, which will begin at the end of July.
ILCA 6 Helm Hannah Snellgrove Selected as the 11th Sailor for Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Lymington sailor Hannah Snellgrove has been selected as the 11th sailor for Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the British Olympic Association (BOA) announced on Tuesday. The 33-year-old will be competing in the women's dinghy class sailing the ILCA 6, formerly known as the Laser Radial, in Marseille this summer, taking on the world's best.
Snellgrove earned a country quota place for Team GB at the 2023 Sailing World Championships last August, finishing in 11th place, before securing her selection by finishing 10th at the 2024 World Championships last month. She joins a strong line-up of athletes, including Tokyo 2020 medalists John Gimson, Anna Burnet, and Emma Wilson, and two-time Olympian Saskia Tidey.
Snellgrove, who has also represented Britain at the Paris 2024 test event in Marseille and won a silver medal at the 2022 Princess Sofia Trophy regatta, expressed her delight at being selected for Team GB. "It's the biggest honour to be selected for Team GB," she said. "It's really humbling to think of all the things that people have done to help me during the course of my career."
Mark Robinson, RYA Performance Director and Team GB sailing team leader, praised Snellgrove's determination to reach this point. "It is a great pleasure to announce Hannah's selection to Team GB today," he said. "Such is the British Sailing Team's strength over many Olympic cycles, with only one representative allowed to represent Great Britain in each class at the Games, it is often a long journey for our sailors to reach this pinnacle. I am sure she will represent Team GB with this immense inner drive and will do us proud at Paris 2024."
Mark England, Team GB Chef de Mission, also congratulated Snellgrove on her selection. "Olympic selection is highly competitive, and Hannah has shown a huge amount of tenacity and resilience throughout her sailing career," he said. "I am delighted that she will be able to fulfill her Olympic ambitions this summer in Marseille."
Team GB has a rich history of excellence in Olympic sailing competition, having won 64 medals, including 31 golds, more than any other nation.
Former Team GB athletes Sir Ben Ainslie and Hannah Mills are the most successful male and female Olympic sailors of all time; Ainslie with four golds and a silver, Mills with two golds and a silver.
The sailors selected for Paris 2024 are:
- John Gimson and Anna Burnet – Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17)
- James Peters and Fynn Sterritt – Men’s Skiff (49er)
- Freya Black and Saskia Tidey – Women’s Skiff (49erFX)
- Emma Wilson – Women’s Windsurfing (iQFOiL)
- Sam Sills – Men’s Windsurfing (iQFOiL)
- Ellie Aldridge – Women’s Kite (Formula Kite)
- Michael Beckett – Men’s Dinghy (ILCA 7)
- Hannah Snellgrove – Women’s Dinghy (ILCA 6)
Friday's final day of the second Irish Olympic trial for Paris 2024 in the men's ILCA 7 will be a tight contest at the European Championships in Athens.
Trials leader Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) is in 14th place, with his sole rival for Paris Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) in 17th, trailing in this regatta by just four points.
The fluky winds have led to a high-scoring regatta, so much can still change on the final day depending on how many races can be sailed.
After sputtering in the very light winds of today's first race, Lynch bounced back to form as the wind freshened steadily during the afternoon to score a third and a race win in his 47-boat qualification fleet. McMahon (Howth also had a good day, including third and seventh places, in addition to a 20th.
Among the overall championship contenders is Omer Vered Vilenchik from Israel, the current leader.
Despite being just 17 years old, Vilenchik has demonstrated remarkable skill, particularly in the previous light wind conditions, where he achieved impressive results (5-2). He continued his strong performance by clinching victory in the first race on Thursday and securing another commendable result (1-22-5).
First and seventh in the men's division are from so far unqualified Olympic Games countries, indicating that the standard at this regatta is missing some of the top names as the world's ILCA 7 leaders now focus instead on preparations for Marseille's Olympic regatta in July.
With a good forecast of similar conditions for Friday, organisers will attempt to sail three fleet races, but the weather-disrupted schedule means the Olympic-style medal race for the top ten boats has been cancelled.
Top 5 – Senior Europeans:
Omer Vered Vilenchik ISR 13 pt
Alessio Spadoni ITA 18 pt
Eduardo Marques POR 19 pt
Dimitri Peroni ITA 21 pt
Valtteri Uusitalo FIN 21 pt
Top 5 – Olympic qualification:
Omer Vered Vilenchik ISR 13 pt
Zan Luka Zelko SLO 23 pt
Oskar Madonich UKR 27 pt
Georgios Papadakos GRE 33 pt
Karl Martin Rammo EST 35 pt
Eve McMahon Consistent in Light Winds at ILCA 6 Euros in Athens
After three races sailed, Paris 2024 qualified Eve McMahon of Ireland lies in 20th place at the ILCA 6 European Championships in Athens.
In light and flukey conditions that have delayed the racing schedule, the Howth star scored a consistent seven and a 12 in the 110-boat fleet.
Fierce competition is unfolding among the front-runners, vying for both European titles. Viktorija Andrulyte LTU (1-4-2) and Elena Vorobeva CRO (1-2-30) currently share the lead in the rankings and are tied on three points.
Maria Erdi HUN (3-5-3) stands third in the provisional podium with 6 points. Anne Marie Rindom (4-12-3) DEN and Louise Cervera FRA (12-3-4) follow closely with 7.
In the fight for the Olympic tickets and also among the Top 10 are Katrina Micallef MLT (30-4-4) and Ursula Balas CRO (9-10-1), with 8 and 10 points respectively.
More light winds are expected for Day 4 on Wednesday, organisers will again try for three races although once four have been completed the minimum standard for a championship event will have been reached.
Ireland's Lynch and McMahon Post Nearly Matching Scores in First Light Air Races of ILCA 7 Europeans in Athens
Paris 2024 Irish Olympic trialists, in their second of three trials, posted close results after the first races sailed at the ILCA 7 European Championships in Athens today.
Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) and Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) had almost matching scores in their respective qualifying fleets, with Lynch scoring 22nd followed by a fourth; McMahon had a 23rd, then a fourth also.
Two races were completed in between spells of near-calm conditions. The 140-boat fleet was only at sea for a few hours when they were recalled to shore as the wind died.
"It's up to the sailor at the moment to choose which way to sail, but the conditions are so hard to manage that I expected from before the event started that it would be a high-scoring event," commented Irish Coach Vasilij Zbogar.
With more light winds expected for Day 4 on Wednesday, organisers will again try for three races, although once four have been completed, the minimum standard for a championship event will have been reached.
Lynch and McMahon are competing in the six-day series that also serves as part of the selection trials for the single national place already secured for the Men's single-handed event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
A young sailor named Omer Vered from Israel is currently leading in the ILCA 7 European Championship with a total of 7 points after the first two races. He managed to secure a fifth and a second place, which puts him in the running for one of the two Olympic spots offered by the event for Paris 2024.
Close contenders include Benjamin Vadnai from Hungary with 8 points and Pietro Giacomoni from Italy with 9 points after finishing 7th and 1st and 4th and 5th, respectively.
Zan Luka Zelko from Slovenia (6th and 5th) and Bruno Gaspic from Croatia (5th and 6th) are tied in the provisional Top 5 with 11 points each. If the race ended now, Zan Luka Zelko would secure the second Olympic berth for his country.
Lynch and McMahon Wait for Wind in Athens as Both Irish Olympic Trialists Make Top 25 of ILCA 7 World Rankings
As the second trial for the Irish Paris 2024 nomination was becalmed in Greece today at the ILCA7 European Championships, the February World Rankings reveal both Irish trialists are in the top 25.
Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club), who finished ninth at January's World Championships, is ranked 15th, while Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) reaches a new high at 25 in his independent 'Green Rebel' campaign.
High pressure over Athens left competitors without racing on the opening day of the Championships (Sunday, 18th February).
Lynch and McMahon were amongst the 141-boat ILCA7 class left waiting for the breeze to arrive. Although the fleet eventually went afloat, no racing was possible.
A similar forecast is predicted for Monday, though there are indications of wind for Tuesday.
Lynch has the upper hand on McMahon after the first of three trials at the Australian World Championships, but with a light wind forecast and some significant absences in Athens this week, there is an opportunity for McMahon.
As Afloat reported last November, despite achieving the necessary published criteria at a recent World Cup, the McMahon campaign says that his application for Sport Ireland funding for 2024 was "disallowed following a decision by Irish Sailing (IS) to invalidate the event’s qualification status".
The ISA then determined that the World Cup event in Almere did not meet the “minimum standard of fleet” to qualify as a carding event under the 2024 Carding Scheme rules.
Whatever the criteria may be, with only two sailors campaigning, February 2024's world rankings represent a standard McMahon's campaign will no doubt say merits his inclusion on the national team, which currently has only one ILCA 7 member.
53rd Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca To Muster All 10 Paris 2024 Classes
Over 300 teams from more than fifty countries have already registered to participate in the 53rd edition of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar, the first regatta of the year that will see all ten sailing classes compete, which will also race at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This highly anticipated showcase regatta will be held on the Bay of Palma from 29th March to 6th April.
The Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca is considered a world benchmark for Olympic classes and will be the first regatta of the year to bring all ten disciplines of the Paris 2024 Games together on the same racing waters. This event represents a key milestone in the athletes' final preparations for their Olympic dream.
From 29th March to 6th April, the world's best specialists in the women's disciplines ILCA 6, 49er FX, iQFOiL Women and Formula Kite Women; the men's disciplines ILCA 7, 49er, iQFOiL Men and Formula Kite Men; and the mixed 470 and Nacra 17 will compete on the bay of Palma.
Since the registration opening in mid-December, more than 300 teams representing 51 countries have already registered, the advance guards for a fleet that will turn the Bay of Palma into the epicentre of world Olympic sailing.
According to Ferrán Muniesa, the event's sporting director, "We are in an Olympic year, and the Sofia will be the first multi-class event in which all the participants in Paris 2024 will meet up to race before the start of the Games next July. It will be a key event in the Olympic arena, a real dress rehearsal where the athletes can test themselves against their rivals that they will meet on the Marseille race course."
The event will be a decisive marker for many countries as they select their representatives for Paris 2024.
Finn Lynch into Top Ten of ILCA7 World Championships But is Disqualified From Race Seven
A potent Finn Lynch of Ireland has sailed into the top ten of the ILCA 7 Laser World Championships after the first day of the final series, but a black flag disqualification for the National Yacht Club ace could yet prove costly in this single discard championship in Adelaide, Australia.
According to provisional results (see below), Lynch is ninth overall after the first of two final races in the 153-boat fleet.
The fourth day had it all: big breeze, big swells, and some world-class ILCA 7 racing.
The first blip in an otherwise uber-consistent scoreline for Lynch came in race seven, the first of the final races, when the Rio Olympian and 2021 World Silver medalist was disqualified under the black flag rule (BFD) for a premature start.
The gold fleet was eager to get started as sailors forced four general recalls in the opening race, three of them under the black flag, and a total of seven sailors ended up disqualified under black flag rules.
Lynch bounced back in the second race of the day with a well-earned 12th in breezy, testing conditions that have characterised the event.
The event schedule has two more 'finals' races on Tuesday, with the top ten boats in the Gold fleet, then going into a short, high-scoring Olympic-style medal race final on Wednesday ((with that race score worth double points and is unable to be discarded) while the remaining competitors battle to decide the other overall standings. Lynch can discard the BFD result from his tally, but if he is to make the coveted top ten final, he can afford no further slips in this single discard regatta.
The regatta also serves as the first round of an Irish Olympic trial for Paris 2024 in the men's singlehanded class and Lynch's Paris 2024 rival, Ewan McMahon of Howth Yacht Club, is in 44th place, after scoring 36 in both final gold fleet races.
The battle for Olympic qualification is also highly competitive, with seven remaining ILCA 7 Olympic nation berths also up for grabs among 15 countries in the gold fleet, which shows just how important the next two days of racing will be.
The National Yacht Club's Finn Lynch scored two top-ten results in the opening races of the ILCA7 world championships in Adelaide, Australia, today to take an early lead in the Irish Olympic selection trial for Paris 2024 against rival Ewan McMahon of Howth Yacht Club. The Rio Olympian is lying tenth overall in the 153-strong fleet.
McEwan opened his championship account with 24th place before earning a strong ninth place in race two to lie in 40th place.
See results sheet below
"Finn had a decent day, and the goal is to have top tens in the qualifying races, especially as there's just one discard for the whole event," commented coach Vasilij Zbogar. "Ewan had one good race and one average but proved that he can be in front - he just needs a little more consistency in the coming races."
Maximising points at this early stage of the regatta is essential as the 153 competitors are split across three qualifying fleets to determine the Gold fleet line-up for the finals series that begins on Monday.
"We had beautiful wind for the first day but very challenging and physically demanding long races - hard for the sailors," said Zbogar. "Definitely, everyone is taking as little risk as possible, as the first three days are the most important for qualifying."
Norwegian Hermann Tomasgaard won his two opening races giving himself the perfect start to his 2024 campaign.
"There's just one discard for the whole event"
With the 153-strong entry list split between three qualifying fleets, Tomasgaard drew first blood in the red fleet with two race wins, while Australian hopefuls Matt Wearn and Luke Elliott took a race win each in the yellow fleet, and Philipp Buhl (GER) and Mickey Beckett (GBR) each took a win in blue fleet.
It sets the scene for an exciting battle at the front of the fleet with Tomasgaard a point clear in first, Elliott second on three points, and Buhl third on four points, however it remains far too early to identify any key favourites for the title.
German Philipp Buhl, a world champion from the last time the ILCA 7 Worlds were in Australia, said the first day of the Worlds was always an important one to ensure you got away to a good start.
“The first day today was pretty solid and I’m quite happy with the result even though I didn’t manage to get off the start line too well in the first race,” he said.
“In the beginning of an event, basically it is all about not having a big score, so I managed to do this and came through the day quite cleanly in amazing conditions.
“This World Championships means quite a lot to me personally, because it’s part of my Olympic selection that is not done yet for us in Germany, and it’s a World Championships where you always want to do well.”
The top Aussie sailors are all in good shape as well, which was to be expected on home waters, with the five Australian Sailing Team and Australian Sailing Squad members all inside the top 20 after the first day.
Australian Sailing Squad member Finn Alexander finished the first day with a 9,7 scorecard and said the team was in good shape to perform well over the next week.
“We’ve spent a bit of time here in Adelaide and it’s a beautiful place, the weather absolutely turned it on today, we had a really nice gradient breeze of about 10-20 knots, you can’t really ask for much more on day one of a Worlds,” he said.
“We’ve got a really strong contingent, we’ve got five really good guys (in the squad) and we’ve all been pushing hard, backed up with a really solid futures group, so the future of Australian sailing is looking pretty good.”
Tomorrow’s forecast is looking like it will offer more glamour Adelaide conditions with variable morning weather shifting into a late afternoon sea breeze of up to 15 knots.
If all goes to plan, the race committee is expected to run two races per day, giving them a 10-race series up until the end of 30 January followed by the exciting 10-boat medal race on 31 January to close out the series.