Penultimate day of Olympic Sailing for the Mixed Multihull and Dinghy fleets lines up tense finals, while Medal Race for Men’s and Women’s Dinghy cancelled The planned Medal Races for the Women\u2019s and Men\u2019s Dinghy (ILCA 6 and ILCA 7) could not take place due to a lack of wind yesterday, so Wednesday will see four Olympic Sailing events conclude as Medal Racing for these Dinghies takes place in addition to Medal Races for the Olympic Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17) and Olympic Mixed Dinghy (470).
\nAustralia\u2019s Matt Wearn, who leads the Men\u2019s Dinghy standings, will have to wait to see if he can secure gold, while Cyprus\u2019 Pavlos Kontides remains his closest challenger. In the Women\u2019s Dinghy, the dominant Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands stands on the brink of becoming the most successful female sailor in Olympic history, with Denmark\u2019s Anne-Marie Rindom poised for silver.
\nFor the Mixed Multihull and Mixed Dinghy fleets, the penultimate day of Olympic Sailing in Marseille was marked by light winds and high stakes as competitors completed the final races of the Opening Series. Here\u2019s a roundup of the key events and standings ahead of the decisive Medal Races.
\nPhoto: World Sailing \/ Lloyd Images
\nMixed Multihull: Tita and Banti Secure Lead Despite Disqualification
\nItaly\u2019s Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti have guaranteed themselves at least a silver medal heading into the Mixed Multihull Medal Race. Despite a disqualification in race ten due to an early start, they bounced back with a strong second-place finish in race eleven, maintaining a 14-point lead.
\nTita remarked, \u201cThere\u2019s not going to be a match race. We are going to try and control the situation based on the points we have. Second, third, and fourth will have a big battle, and we aim to stay out of that and focus on our race.\u201d
\nArgentina\u2019s Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco sit in second, having delivered a consistent performance with a first and second place in the day\u2019s races. Great Britain\u2019s John Gimson and Anna Burnet, who climbed to third after a race win, are level on points with New Zealand\u2019s Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson.
\nBosco said, \u201cWe had a really good day and we\u2019re really happy. The conditions were tricky and unstable, but we managed well.\u201d
\nPhoto: World Sailing \/ Lloyd Images
\nMixed Dinghy: Tight Contest Heading into Medal Race
\nAustria\u2019s Lara Vadlau and Lukas Maehr surged to the top of the Mixed Dinghy standings with a fifth and second place in the final races of the Opening Series. They hold a seven-point lead over Spain\u2019s Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman, who remain in second. Japan\u2019s Keiju Okada and Miho Yoshioka are close behind in third.
\nVadlau emphasised the importance of strategy, \u201cWe have to sail smart tomorrow. We have almost no advantage, but we are here to win a medal.\u201d
\nMaehr added, \u201cIt\u2019s nice to start with a little bit of a point advantage. We will talk with our coach about the plan and enjoy going into the Medal Race in first position.\u201d
\nPhoto: World Sailing \/ Sander van der Borch
\nFormula Kite: Vodisek and Nolot Take the Lead
\nSlovenia\u2019s Toni Vodisek reclaimed the lead in the Men\u2019s Olympic Kitesurfing with a win in race six. Despite a fourth-place finish in race seven, he edged ahead of Singapore\u2019s Max Maeder, who struggled with an 11th place finish in the first race of the day. Austria\u2019s Valentin Bontus held onto third despite a challenging 20th place finish in race seven.
\nIn the Women\u2019s Kite, France\u2019s Lauriane Nolot surged to the top after winning the only race of the day. Switzerland\u2019s Elena Lengwiler dropped out of the top three following a DNS, while Great Britain\u2019s Ellie Aldridge held onto second overall despite also receiving a DNS. USA\u2019s Daniela Moroz sits in third after a seventh-place finish.
\nVodisek expressed his enthusiasm, \u201cMy girlfriend\u2019s coming soon, which will make everything easier. There\u2019s going to be another level when she turns up.\u201d
\nNolot highlighted the tricky conditions, \u201cIt\u2019s the light wind Olympic Games. Every race matters, which is why I\u2019m super focused in every single race.\u201d
\nKeep up to date with all our\u00a0Olympic Sailing 2024\u00a0coverage.
\nYou can find all the Olympic sailing results at the\u00a0World Sailing Olympic results\u00a0page<\/p>\n
If you enjoyed this\u2026.<\/p>\n
Yachting World is the world\u2019s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.<\/p>\n
Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.<\/p>\n
The post Olympic Sailing 2024: Shifting Winds and Tight Battles As Medal Race Day Looms for Most appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Penultimate day of Olympic Sailing for the Mixed Multihull and Dinghy fleets lines up tense finals, while Medal Race for Men’s and Women’s Dinghy cancelled The planned Medal Races for the Women\u2019s and Men\u2019s Dinghy (ILCA 6 and ILCA 7) … <\/p>\n