A catamaran that flies on the water
The Nacra 17 is a foiling sport catamaran with T-shaped rudders, which allows to sail above water very quickly. Archimedean at the base, it has been equipped with its appendages (previously curved daggerboards) for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The Nacra is about 17 feet long (hence its name, 5.25 m) and weighs 142 kg. Light, it is also very stable and agile, but difficult to sail.
"It's an impressive boat, which goes very fast. It has a spinnaker, like the 470 and the 49er which is in the colors of the country represented." explains Guillaume Chiellino, director of the French Olympic sailing team.
It is the only mixed sailing discipline, on the Olympic program since 2016. One of the two is at the helm while the other plays the role of teammate, both being on the trapeze.
A debut at the 2016 Olympic Games
It was designed by Americans Gino Morrelli and Pete Melvin in 2011 according to specific criteria defined by World Sailing (International Sailing Federation) to become the official Olympic multihull for the Rio Olympics in 2016.
The Rio Olympics was the only Olympic event of the series. Argentina's Santiago Lange and Cecilia Carranza Saroli won gold there with a single point. Australia's Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin and Austria's Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank finished tied on points, but the former nonetheless took 2nd place overall, taking the silver medal.
For the Tokyo 2020 games, there will be 20 participating countries.
A promising duo to represent France
France will be represented by Quentin Delapierre and Manon Audinet, who joined the circuit 2 and 3 years ago. They succeed the talented duo Billy Besson and Marie Riou, four times world champions in Nacra 17 and have already won a 2nd place in the 2020 European Championship and a 4th place in the 49er, 49FX and Nacra 17 World Championships.
The two young sailors have known each other since their childhood and were already racing against each other at that time. Quentin, who will be at the helm, has two victories on the Tour Voile - 2016 and 2018 - before turning to an Olympic preparation. Manon joined the French team in 2013 for the Rio 2016 Olympic preparation in Nacra 17. One after the formation of their duet in September 2018, the pair won their first international victory in Enoshima - the Olympic water surface - during the World Cup Series.
