Petard and Lubac Reach Into Nacra 17 Lead at 2024 Junior World Championships

For the first time in class history, the Nacra 17 fleet sailed with reaching starts, inspired by the Sail GP circuit. The format modifies the traditional start by sending all teams on a beam reach across the wind toward a mark they bear away to a downwind at. Now, crews start reaching directly toward the first mark of the course, which is the maximum speed for most sailboats and puts crew, helm, boat and race organizers under maximum pressure from moment go.

The French Titouan Petard and Thea Lubac snatch the Nacra 17 leading position from their compatriots Thomas Proust and Eloise Clabon, who are now third. Siblings Kwinten and Lieselotte Borghijs leapfrog into second. The Belgians are tied on 23 points with the leaders and three points ahead of the third overall, and scoring the fewest points on the day overall.

Manel Lligé, Race Official for the Nacras, says, “Sailing is modernising and there is a social demand to make this sport more attractive; this new format is better for spectators.’

Ruben Booth, son of the legendary Mitch Booth, is the coach of the Belgian and British teams. He explains that ‘this new format changes the whole way of sailing in the Nacra 17.’

Third day of competition in the 2024 Junior World Championship, which ends this Sunday on the waters of the Arousa’s estuary (Ría de Arousa), where once again there was an extraordinary day for sailing with a Southwesterly breeze of 8 knots to start the day but built to 15 knots as the 49er fleet finished their qualifying series.

The 49er FX class has completed the full race program so far (three races per day). Germans Katharina Schwachhofer and Elena Stoltze maintain their position as leaders with 27 points. French Manon Peyre and Clara-Sofia Stamminger de Moura had a really great day on the water today.

The defending Junior World Champions, Manon Pere with Clara Stamminger (FRA), finished the day with two firsts, and they moved up to fourth overall. Italians Sofia Giunchiglia and Giula Schio are in second place, two points behind the Germans, while Danish Rebekka Johannesen and Silje Cerup-Simonsen are third with 56 points.

The last ones to go to the water on this third day of competition were the 49ers. The yellow fleet sailed on the Alpha course and the blue fleet on the Bravo course. Both completed four races. After three days of competition, they will start the Final Series tomorrow. The top 25 teams move into Gold fleet until Sunday, the last day of the World Championships.

The provisional podium has completely changed today. After this third day, the Maltese Richard Schultheis and Youenn Bertin are in the lead (31 points), with New Zealand’s Sebastian Menzies and George Lee in third place now (42 points). The Dutch Wiebrand de Vos and Stijn Gast are in second position (41 points).

The 49er, 49er FX and Nacra 17 Junior World Championship is organized by the Real Federación Galega de Vela (Royal Galician Sailing Federation) with the sponsorship of the Diputación de Pontevedra (County Council of Pontevedra), the Xunta de Galicia and the Concello de Vilagarcía de Arousa (City Council of Vilagarcía) with the support of the Port Authority and other brands collaborating in the event.