Please select your home edition
Edition
Trinidad and Tobago - Sail Service Stay

Nations earn Olympic qualification at the Last Chance Regatta

by International Laser Class Association 29 Apr 20:55 PDT 20-27 April 2024
55th Semaine Olympique Française – Toulon Provence Méditerranée. Last Chance Regatta © Sailing Energy / Semaine Olympique Française

The Last Chance Regatta finished early with the Medal Race in heavy rain and shifty winds at French Olympic Week (SOF).

With gusts ranging from 30-40 knots and wind speed steadily over 25 knots, the last races were grounded, and Friday's rankings became the final overall rankings for the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 sailors.

In the ILCA 6 division, American Charlotte Rose wins the SOF - Qualified Nations Regatta ahead of Dutch sailor Marit Bouwmeester and Norwegian Line Flem Hoest.

"I didn't expect to win here in Hyères, so I'm really satisfied with the work I delivered. The conditions were a bit tricky because we could only start racing on Tuesday. It took everything we had, and I'm proud of what I did," commented Charlotte Rose.

Among the ILCA 6 sailors attempting to qualify for the Olympics at the Last Chance Regatta, Ebru Bolat had already earned an Olympic spot for Romania before the medal races. She was joined in the select group who will be heading to Marseille by Cyprus's Marilena Makri and Nethra Kumanan of India, all three of whom have benefited from World Sailing's Emerging Nations Program coaching. Lin Pletikos of Slovenia also claimed an Olympic place.

Ebru told World Sailing, "I've worked a lot on my mental preparation since the Worlds in Argentina where on the last day I couldn't manage the pressure.

"I knew it was one of the biggest things I had to improve, and I'm very happy with how I kept focused. Even after the disqualification, I just kept pushing through and nothing was going to stop me."

The World Sailing Emerging Nations Program (ENP) aims to close the performance gap between countries competing at the international level, as well as help to increase the number of nations attending the Olympics who may not normally be able to send sailors due to coaching or budgetary restrictions.

In the ILCA 7 division, SOF - Qualified Nations Regatta, Englishman Michael Beckett is declared the grand winner ahead of Australian Matt Wearn. German sailor Philipp Buhl takes the bronze medal.

"This week has been tough and challenging. It was cold, and we had a lot of wind and a lot of irregularities in its strength. I'm really happy to have won here in Hyères," confided Michael Beckett.

For the Last Chance Regatta ILCA 7 nations, Estonian Karl-Martin Rammo and Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy of Malaysia, were certain they had secured a qualifying spot before the final day, and their fellow ENP-backed athlete Enrique Arathoon of El Salvador joined them in earning a country place in a competition won by South Korea's Jeemin Ha.

Mohd Afendy, who is headed for his fourth Olympics, said to World Sailing, "I think this was one of the longest weeks of my life. I managed to qualify - and I have no words to describe it. I'm so happy and this is also for my family back home."

Mayor of the city of Hyères and President of Toulon Provence Méditerranée, Jean-Pierre Giran, commented, "The 55th French Olympic Sailing Week was once again the scene of exceptional races on the magnificent nautical 'stadium' bordered by the Golden Isles in the Hyères harbor. All meteorological conditions were met to distinguish the nearly 1000 competitors from 89 countries in the 10 Olympic sailing classes and to allocate the last qualifying spots for the Olympics. Despite significant safety constraints, this event was a real success and dress rehearsal less than 100 days from the Games. I want to thank all the municipal teams as well as the numerous volunteers for their contribution and involvement in the organization of this major nautical event in our region. Finally, I wish good luck to all the competitors who will compete for an Olympic medal in a few months."

Related Articles

Introducing the new Absolute 70 FLY
With an array of innovative features, attention to detail, space optimization and immersive lighting The 70 FLY debuts with an array of innovative features and embodies Absolute's signature attention to detail, space optimization, and immersive lighting. Posted on 5 Nov
A new Freedom debuts
Freedom 345 is making its debut in Fort Lauderdale Grady-White's NEW Freedom 345 is making its debut in Fort Lauderdale. Posted on 31 Oct
48 hours in silence - even on a diesel boat
Introducing the Responsible Power package: all the benefits of hybrid without going hybrid Greenline Yachts is making strides in making their diesel-powered yachts more sustainable by eliminating the need for a generator. Posted on 31 Oct
Introducing the new Absolute Navetta 62
The 62ft Navetta embodies innovative, contemporary features that set new standard in luxury yachting The Navetta 62 is a stunning yacht that embodies the innovative spirit and contemporary elegance of Absolute Yachts. Posted on 31 Oct
Yamarin set to unveil new flagship powerboat
Proud to announce the launch of its largest powerboat yet Yamarin, the premium Finnish boat brand synonymous with elegance, quality, and exceptional handling, is proud to announce the launch of its largest powerboat yet. Posted on 31 Oct
Boston Whaler debuts the all-new 330 Vantage
At the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Boston Whaler introduced its all-new 330 Vantage (“330”) today, which completes the evolution of the dual-console Vantage family lineup. Debuting at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Posted on 31 Oct
World Cat debuts new 400DC-X Island
Successor to the 400DC-X launched World Cat has launched the new 400DC-X Island, the successor to the 400DC-X, at the 2024 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Posted on 31 Oct
Quick USA introduces Sanguineti, Nemo and Xenta
Bringing Made in Italy quality and cutting-edge technology to the US boating market From technologically advanced integrated solutions to top quality deck fixtures, fittings and core components, the Italian headquartered Quick Group is one of the world's leading players in marine equipment for the yacht and superyacht sectors Posted on 30 Oct
SunDeck 3200 heralds new dawn for Hurricane Boats
The latest high point of Hurricane Boats' designs Hurricane Boats, legendary innovator in versatile deck boat designs, ushers in the next chapter in its storied history with the launch of its latest model for 2025 - the SunDeck 3200. Posted on 30 Oct
The BB44 Main Deck - Functional excellence
At Boston Boatworks, we're building the next generation of excellence The BB44 combines the amazing ride of a BB advanced-composite Zurn Yacht Design hull with an elegant home-on-the water living space created by Winch Design. Posted on 28 Oct
Maritimo 2023 S600 FOOTERTrinidad and Tobago - Sail Service Stay