Home favourites shine on action-packed day in Marseille

Axel Mazella, Lauriane Nolot and Nicolas Goyard ended the day top of their respective leaderboards, while Camille Lecointre and Jeremie Mion share the Mixed 470 summit.

Elsewhere, the ILCA 6 saw Emma Plasschaert and Hannah Snellgrove impress, while Snellgrove’s compatriot Michael Beckett continues to lead the way in the ILCA 7.

Plasschaert records back-to-back bullets

Two victories saw Belgium’s Emma Plasschaert surge into ILCA 6 contention as she bounced back from a disqualification on Monday to climb to fourth.

“It’s a nice feeling, sailing bullets is always fun,” said the two-time world champion. “I got the strategy right and it’s nice when everything falls into place.

“It’s important to trust the process and believe one DSQ doesn’t have to affect everything that follows.

“It was tough, I didn’t have the best night’s sleep, but I just focused on the job at hand and trying to gain every point I could.”

Also enjoying an upturn in fortunes was Hannah Snellgrove (GBR), who recorded finishes of fourth and eighth to move into eighth overall.

Snellgrove turned 33 on the opening day of competition and was pleased to have a more successful day to celebrate.

“The birthday didn’t go according to plan, so we are doing a belated birthday two days later,” she said.

“Day one was a bit rough, a yellow flag and one not so good result, so it has been good to put in a few top-10s ever since. I had some good starts today and that made life a bit easier.”

Marit Bouwmeester (NED) and Maud Jayet (SUI) are the joint-leaders on 24 points, three ahead of Chiara Benini Floriani (ITA) with Plasschaert a point further back.

Reigning world and Olympic champion Anne-Marie Rindom remains very much in the mix in fifth.

Beckett maintains advantage

Michael Beckett claimed his first victory of an ultra-consistent week to remain top of the ILCA 7 standings.

The Brit sits five points clear of Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (FRA), with Matt Wearn (AUS) and Pavlos Kontides (CYP) each a point further back.

Finn Lynch (IRL) and New Zealand’s George Gautrey, who won the opener on day three, round off the top six – who have a comfortable cushion over the chasing pack.

Mazella maintains fine form

Axel Mazella (FRA) has been the man to beat in the Formula Kite Men competition and three more finishes inside the top two extended his advantage to nine points.

Connor Bainbridge (GBR) climbed back into second after recording a bullet in the last race of the day, leapfrogging Singapore’s Maximilian Maeder.

Beyond the top three is a 10-point gap to Denis Taradin (CYP), with Alexander Ehlen (MON) and Bruno Lobo (BRA) both level on 39 points.

Nolot’s dominance continues

French sailors are dominating both Formula Kite contests, with Lauriane Nolot continuing her excellent start on home water.

Two race wins, to add to her three on Monday, leave her on seven points – nine clear of Daniela Moroz (USA), who claimed Tuesday’s opener, with Great Britain’s Ellie Aldridge completing the top three.

“It was tricky, a game of mental patience,” Moroz said. “It was good, conditions came in strong and it was solid.

“I was close with Lauriane and Ellie, the usual. Lauriane was super quick and she’s a tough competitor. In the next few days, I will keep my strategy straight.

“I know I am capable of winning races when I perform my best and execute my strategy I know I can do it.”

Fantelas take early 49er lead

Mihovil and Sime Fantela (CRO) enjoyed a strong start on the opening day of 49er competition, a first and third giving them a three-point advantage over three pairs tied on seven points.

Those are reigning world champions Bart Lambriex and Floris van de Werken (NED), Sebastien Schneiter and Arno De Planta (SUI), and Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie (NZL).

The remaining two victories on the day were taken by James Peters and Fynn Steritt (GBR), and Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove (IRL), who sit ninth and 10^th respectively overall.

Bobeck and Netzler make impressive start

Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler (SWE) recorded consecutive victories to take the early lead in the 49erFX, which got underway on Tuesday.

Steph Roble and Maggie Shea (USA) were quickest off the mark, claiming the opener, and sit joint-third at the conclusion of the day on six points alongside reigning world champions Odile van Aanholt and Annette Deutz (NED).

A point better off are Brazilian pair Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze, the Olympic champions making a steady start in Marseille.

Goyard and Renna the ones to beat

Nicolas Goyard (FRA) bounced back from finishing midway down the field in the iQFOiL men opener to record finishes of second, first and first and end the day top of the leaderboard.

He is two points clear of Italy’s Nicolo Renna, who began with back-to-back bullets, while Noah Lyons made a consistent start and sits third.

“I’m really happy,” Goyard said. “I’ve been working pretty hard the past month and a half, on my starts and setup and everything.”

“I improved a lot because I was able to be much more consistent than before.”

Reigning world champion Sebastian Kordel (GER) is fifth behind Spain’s Nacho Baltasar Summers.

Wilson sitting pretty at early summit

Emma Wilson (GBR) arrived in Marseille in form and carried that into the opening day of iQFOiL women competition.

Three bullets on the spin have taken Wilson to the top of the standings, three points ahead of Pilar Lamadrid Trueba (ESP), who finished in each position across the top three over the course of the day.

“I wasn’t expecting that, I was just having a good time,” Wilson said.

“They were nice conditions and I was super happy. There’s a long way to go so I will just keep trying my best.”

New Zealand’s Veerle Ten Have rounds off the top three.

Level pegging in Mixed 470

Two pairs occupy a share of the lead in a tightly-contested Mixed 470 class.

Chilled beats and 470s in the heat 😎@470Sailing @Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/KXzMeJm6kK

— World Sailing 🌎⛵️ (@worldsailing) July 11, 2023

Camille Lecointre and Jeremie Mion played their part in an excellent day for the home contingent, finishes of first and second taking them to 20 points.

That’s a tally also held by Spain’s Jordi Xammar Hernandez and Nora Brugman Cabot, with Stuart McNay and Lara Dallman-Weiss (USA) four points further back in third.

German duo quick out the blocks

Olympic bronze medallists Paul Kohlhoff and Alica Stuhlemmer (GER) claimed bullets in each of the first two Nacra 17 races to move into an early lead.

They sit a point clear of Sinem Kurtbay and Akseli Keskinen (FIN), with New Zealand’s Erica Dawson and Micah Wilkinson in third.