Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo 2023 S-Series LEADERBOARD

NZL Sailing Team: Testing times - Kiwis geared for Olympic dry run

by Eduan Roos/Yachting NZ 6 Jul 2023 20:51 PDT 7 July 2023
George Gautrey - NZL Sailing Team - Trofeo Princesa Sofia - Mallorca - April 2023 © Sailing Energy

For a dozen of New Zealand’s leading sailors, the Olympic test event in Marseille will be as much a reconnaissance mission as it is a chance to battle the best in the world.

The regatta starts on Sunday night (NZ time) and serves as a dress rehearsal for competitors, support staff and organisers a year out from the Paris Olympic Games.

For many of the NZL Sailing team, it is also their first top-level event since the Hyères World Cup in April.

New Zealand will have 12 sailors competing in nine of the 10 Olympic classes in Marseille.

One of those is ILCA 7 (Laser) sailor George Gautrey, who booked his spot with an impressive showing at both the Princess Sofia Regatta in Mallorca, and in Hyères.

While results at the test event have no bearing on selection for the Olympics, it provides a valuable fact-finding opportunity as the same venue will be used for sailing at the Games and the Kiwis are likely to face many of the same competitors in just over 12 months.

It also precedes the sailing world championships in The Hague (in August), where New Zealand will have a first opportunity to qualify classes for the quadrennial showpiece.

"Marseille is super important. It's preparing us for next year, having support staff on the ground, documenting all the weather and all the types of days and things like that," Gautrey said.

"It’s going to be invaluable for whoever may come back next year for the Olympics. I think we've gathered some really important information that will definitely come in handy when racing here. It’s also an awesome opportunity to take another step forward against an Olympic-size fleet, which is quite a different style of racing for us."

Gautrey is hoping to continue his strong start to the European season at the test event. The 25-year-old won the silver medal in a quality fleet in Spain and followed it up with 14th place at the World Cup a fortnight later.

It was enough to beat compatriot and former world champion Tom Saunders (fifth and 11th, respectively) to the sole ILCA 7 spot in Marseille.

"Palma and Hyères were good steps forward, but it also showed that I still had a few areas of my sailing that I wanted to tidy up – like increasing my hiking capacity and fitness and just making sure my campaign was rock solid in all areas."

Conditions have already proven a challenge, according to top Kiwi kitefoiler Justina Kitchen.

"It's a pretty important regatta because this is a real test of how you can perform in Marseille, which is a very tricky and unique venue," she said.

"We're finding water conditions and wind conditions really variable here, and every day is something new. I don't think I've had any two days here that have been the same."

Other NZL Sailing team members who missed out on competing at the test event have also been training in Marseille in recent weeks and having the cream of the country's sailing talent all in one place, is invaluable, Gautrey said.

"We’ve built a really strong team of individuals across multiple classes and it’s good to be feeding off other members of the team."

The NZ team for the Olympic test event in Marseille (July 9 – 16): 49er FX: Jo Aleh/Molly Meech, 49er: Isaac McHardie/Will McKenzie, ILCA 6: Olivia Christie, ILCA 7: George Gautrey, Nacra 17: Micah Wilkinson/Erica Dawson, Kitefoil (women): Justina Kitchen, Kitefoil (men): Lukas Walton-Keim, Windfoil (women): Veerle ten Have, Windfoil (men): Josh Armit.

Related Articles

Olympic Silver medalists win Sailor the Year
Olympic Silver medalists win Sir Bernard Ferguson Trophy at Sailor of the Year Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie won the top honour at the 2024 Barfoot & Thompson Yachting Excellence Awards on Friday, claiming the Sailor of the Year title as Olympic sailors dominated the major awards. Posted on 22 Nov
Paris 2024: New Zealand wins second sailing medal
Start line error by Brits is Kiwi's gain in Mixed Multihull in another tense light air race day Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson won New Zealand's second sailing medal of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and broke a 36-year drought when they won bronze in the mixed multihull event. Posted on 9 Aug
Paris 2024: Nervy wait for Nacra 17 crew
The fickle Marseille wind pushed the mixed multihull decider into a reserve day New Zealand faces another nervy wait for a shot at a second Olympic sailing medal, as the fickle Marseille wind pushed the mixed multihull decider into a reserve day and played a part in ending the campaign of three other Kiwi competitors. Posted on 8 Aug
Kiwis ready for 'the race of their lives"
Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson are ready for the biggest race of their lives The mixed multihull crew will effectively battle it out with Argentina and Great Britain for a silver or bronze medal in the Olympic sailing competition in Marseille tomorrow, following the most nerve-wracking day of their campaign. Posted on 7 Aug
Nacra16's already NZ's best multihull in 36years
Kiwis overcame the light winds to stay on track to break a 36-year drought Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson overcame the most disruptive conditions of the Olympic regatta and a resurgent Argentina to stay on track to break a 36-year drought. Posted on 6 Aug
Paris2024: Kiwi multihull crew show their mettle
The Kiwi multihull (Nacra 17) reveal fine form in fresh day on the Baie of Marseille Any doubt about Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson's podium potential evaporated on Day 8 of the Olympic sailing competition in a sweltering Marseille as the Kiwi mixed multihull pair enjoyed one of their finest performances as a crew. Posted on 5 Aug
Kiwis unable to progress in iQFoil Finals
Kiwi board sailors were unable to progress beyond the first of the knock out round in the iQFoil Only 24 hours after the elation of winning their first medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Friday, the New Zealand sailing team experienced the heartbreak of falling agonisingly short of a second. Posted on 4 Aug
Paris2024: McKiwis realise childhood dream
An exchange of messages between two sailors seven years ago came true off Marseille on Friday A dream that began with an exchange of messages between two young Auckland sailors seven years ago came true on the waters off the Marseille coast on Friday when Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie won an Olympic medal for New Zealand. Posted on 3 Aug
Paris2024: Kiwis progress to Finals
Kiwi windsurfers safely secured their spots in the final series. No racing in Skiff Medal events The fickle Marseille wind twice denied the New Zealand men's skiff team a medal on Day 5 of the Olympic sailing event, while the country's windsurfers safely secured their spots in the final series. Posted on 2 Aug
Paris2024: McKiwis in the 49er Medal stakes
Weather lottery provides plenty of challenges for Kiwi Skiff sailors One Kiwi crew will battle for New Zealand's first sailing medal of Paris 2024, while another will have the chance to end their storied Olympic careers in style tomorrow. Posted on 1 Aug
Maritimo 2023 S600 FOOTERTrinidad and Tobago - Sail Service Stay