No wind at all
Frustration for the crews of double-handed dinghies and men's single-handed dinghies who were unable to race today. The double-handed dinghies (470) were launched mid-afternoon and sailed in light winds before the Race Committee cancelled the race in progress. Camille Lecointre and Jérémie Mion were in the leading trio at the time of the cancellation. The French are hoping to run three races tomorrow to make up the few points that currently separate them from a medal. They are 5th in the provisional rankings this evening, and Jérémie Mion and Camille Lecointre still have a big day ahead of them:
" What surprises us is that the organizers called us in rather late, even though the estimated wind window for today was very short and there was an unused race zone. In our situation, that's a bit annoying. If we manage to do three races tomorrow, we'll only have lost one, but it's not going to be easy given the forecasts. It's also frustrating, because in the only race we attempted today, we were in the mix, unlike some of our rivals. Tomorrow, we're going to keep on playing and there's plenty to do, but for the moment we're a little frustrated."
The die is cast in ILCA
In ILCA 6, only one heat could be validated. The Dutchwoman and the Danishwoman, the overwhelming favourites, have already won their medals, even before the Medal Race. All that remains is for Louise to enjoy herself in the final heat, as the bronze medal will be out of her reach.
" Today was very hard on the nerves. The race zone we were on (Corniche) was very, very difficult to read. We made three starts, but only one race went all the way. I'm frustrated with that race, because I wasn't in the game tactically. Afterwards, I got back on track, but it wasn't enough to achieve what we'd come for. So I'm a bit disappointed. Tomorrow, we're going to have to win the final to finish on a high note, as the podium is out of reach. We have to take the positives from this week. We've worked hard for three years, and I'm proud of that. Now it's up to us to find out what we need to do to achieve what's in my heart for the next Olympics. We came here with the aim of reaching the final with the points we needed to win a medal. I didn't succeed. I don't have any frustrations about the other days, just today. Now we've got to focus on tomorrow and finish these Olympic Games well."
No round was run in the men's race, which marked the end of the regattas for JB Bernaz:
"The Games come to an end. It was my day of redemption, but we baked in the sun in our wetsuits without sailing. There are days when you don't sail a race... And when that happens, it's better to be ahead than behind. I'm disappointed, not so much for tomorrow's Medal Race, which I won't be taking part in, but above all for not having the chance to say goodbye to everyone, because I don't think I'll be sailing a Laser again any time soon. It's been tough. Yesterday I had a really bad day that got me into it and today I can't make up for it. 4 or 20 is the same thing. I made too many mistakes. And sailing is a sport of mistakes, it's the one who makes the fewest that wins. I clearly didn't manage to express 100% of what we'd worked on and where I was, so that's what's frustrating, really. I'm in full possession of my abilities, so there was no obvious reason for this failure. The coach and I haven't taken stock of things yet, but it's clear that this isn't how I imagined the Olympic Games scenario would go. "
3 Nacra races validated
In the end, it was the Nacra 17s that benefited the most today. This small mixed double-handed catamaran, equipped with foils, benefited from its lightness and its presence on the right race zone of the day to advance its program. After being penalized for an early start, and then winning the second race of the day, the French finished in twelfth place. In the provisional overall standings, they are 5th. The Italians continue to dominate the fleet despite a slightly weaker day.
In kite, a fall but the French remain in the match
As scheduled, but later than originally announced, the kiteboarders started the day at 13:18. Lauriane Nolot, 2023 and 2024 World Champion, had a troubled first part of the race, but made a good comeback thanks to her speed. She is fourth overall this evening. The boys had just one race. Axel Mazella took 5th place and is 6th in the provisional overall standings this evening. Singapore's Maximilian Maeder is in the lead, followed by Slovenia's Toni Vodisek.
