Billy Besson and Marie Riou the Nacra 17 duo competed in the World Cup Final in Clearwater, Florida, after the Miami stop. In addition to the Nacra 17, the 49er and 49erFX series were also competing in the final event.
The Olympic Games, which will take place in August 2016 in the bay of Rio de Janeiro, have served as a driving force for the sailors who want to prove their skills. But in this game, the French were once again the strongest. They get their 4 e world Championship title after The Hague in 2013, Santander in 2014 and Aarhus in 2015.
"It's cool! It was an intense week, with many rounds, we had to stay mobilized to manage to get a comfortable lead. Tonight, we have the satisfaction of a job well done. We came to this world championship well prepared with a group work with Moana (Vaireaux) and Manon (Audinet), which bore fruit" explains Billy Besson with modesty.
"We arrived fresh in Clearwater, with our goal in mind, we took one heat after another, day after day. It's been a tough week, we're tired. We had quite windy conditions, with swell. We started this world championship by winning the first race, then things went on, we had good days. The conditions changed during the world championship, we had to adapt the settings and adapt ourselves and that did it." says Marie Riou in turn.
Their coach was also keen to congratulate the duo, who were crowned Sailors of the Year earlier in December 2015 "Billy and Marie have a real talent. They're doing great. On this Olympiad, we have 5 titles to go. We have 4, there is only one left. So we'll get back to work tomorrow. I really want to salute the work of the team, because Moana and Manon were at the foot of the podium last night. It's their first Olympics, they still lack experience, but everyone has stepped up."
Podium in Nacra 17
1. FRA - Billy Besson (SNO Nantes / Army of Champions) âeuros Marie Riou (USAM Voile/Armée de Champions) âeuros 96 points
2. AUT - Thomas ZAJAC/Tanja FRANK âeuros 145 points
3. DEN - Allan NORREGAARD/Anette Viborg ANDREASEN âeuros 154 points
The Frenchwomen Moana Vaireaux (YC Carnac) and Manon Audinet (St Georges Voile) are ranked at 7 e place with 182 points.
