Olympic Sailing 2024: Highlights from Day 8 in Marseille

Conditions remain tricky for the sailors as the Olympic Sailing competition continues in Marseille where the Men's and Women's dinghy competition is wrapping up

The 2024 Olympic Sailing competition continued with notable performances across multiple categories. The poor conditions might have seen some surprise winners so far, but the stage is set for a thrilling conclusion in Marseille for the many classes still racing.

Men’s and Women’s Dinghy: Wearn and Bouwmeester Hold Strong

Australia’s Matt Wearn maintained his lead in the Men’s Dinghy (ILCA 7) despite a challenging day, marked by two tenth-place finishes. He remains 14 points clear of Cyprus’ Pavlos Kontides, who moved into second with steady performances. Kontides emphasised the variability of conditions, noting, “The wind was very up and down, offering many chances to gain or lose.”

In the Women’s Dinghy (ILCA 6), Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands remains in a strong position despite an 11th-place finish in race eight, her weakest result so far. She leads by 28 points over Denmark’s Anne-Marie Rindom, who had a mixed day but recovered well in the second race. Switzerland’s Maud Jayet follows in third, continuing her consistent form.

Mixed Dinghy: Austrian Pair Takes the Lead

Lara Vadlau and Lukas Maehr of Austria climbed to the top of the Mixed Dinghy (470) rankings after a strong showing in race six. The duo managed to navigate the light, tricky winds effectively, finishing the day with a race victory and solidifying their position at the top.

Reflecting on their day, Vadlau remarked, “It was quite challenging with a super tricky wind. We are happy we had a good day.” Maehr added, “We’ve trained a lot here in Marseille, and each day is different. It’s wonderful to sail here, but it’s also very tough.”

Meanwhile, Spain’s Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman displayed consistency, moving up to second overall, while Japan’s Keiju Okada and Miho Yoshioka dropped to third after a series of tactical missteps. Brugman noted the importance of consistency, saying, “It was really easy to commit big errors today, so we’re happy with our consistent performance.”

Mixed Multihull: Italian Duo Dominates

Italy’s Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti continued their commanding run in the Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17) class, securing three consecutive wins. The duo has shown remarkable consistency and skill, making them the team to beat.

New Zealand’s Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson moved up the rankings with two second-place finishes, while Argentina’s Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco rounded out the top three.

Formula Kite: Historic Wins in Debut Event

The debut of Formula Kite at the Olympics saw impressive performances, with Austria’s Valentin Bontus and Great Britain’s Ellie Aldridge making history by winning the first races in their respective categories.

Bontus expressed his excitement, saying, “Crossing that finish line of the first race in the lead was an amazing feeling.” Slovenia’s Toni Vodisek topped the Men’s standings with consistent performances, while teenage sensation Max Maeder finished third despite a DNF in one race.

In the Women’s Kite, Aldridge was edged out in the overall standings by France’s Lauriane Nolot, who won race two and matched Aldridge on points. Nolot described the experience as a long-awaited moment, sharing, “It’s quite a good feeling to be leading after day one.” The USA’s Daniela Moroz also performed well, winning race four.

Keep up to date with all our Olympic Sailing 2024 coverage.
You can find all the Olympic sailing results at the World Sailing Olympic results page

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