Day 5 of the 2023 ILCA U21 Sailing World Championships

Tangier, Morocco – The day began with sunshine, warm temperatures, and a light south breeze, signaling that all the storms had moved on and the stable weather was back. Some scattered clouds and a lower sun angle continue to hint at the arrival of autumn. The plan for the day was to sail two races. However, at 11:00 am, the AP flag was hoisted as the breeze was too light to sail. At 12:30 pm the AP flag was removed, and sailors made their way to the racecourse with a light breeze of 7 knots. As the afternoon progressed, the gentle breeze died down to 2-3 knots, making racing impossible. However, at 2:30 pm, the first warning signal was hoisted as the northwest breeze increased to 7 knots. Sailing in such conditions is very technical, and strategy and tactics play a dominant role in such a light, shifty breeze.

In the first race of the ILCA 6 fleet, the Italian, Emma Mattivi, came in first with a decisive advantage over the second finisher, Ginevra Caracciolo, also from Italy. Despite a competitive fleet, Eve McMahon from Ireland still stands in first place, closing the day with 47 points, a good advantage over the second and third positions, which are very close. Second place in the overall score is the Italian Carlotta Rizzardi with 64 points, closely followed by the Swiss Anja Von Allmen with 65 points.

Catching up with Eve McMahon after racing she recalled, “Today was day 5…and it was a very difficult day today. We had light winds with a big swell, but overall I’m happy we got two races off. I was just trying to stay as consistent as possible, but it was very difficult today.”

In the first ILCA 7 gold fleet race, the top position was very close between Finley Dickinson from the UK and Oskar Madonich from Ukraine. In third place was the Slovenian Luka Zabukovec. The most consistent sailor of the day has been Oskar Madonich, claiming the second place with 40 points, just 1 point away from Finley Dickinson, who remains in the top position. Caleb Armit from New Zealand rounds out the top three sailors with 71 points. The suspense is palpable as the top position in the ILCA 7 fleet is hotly contested.

Finley Dickinson recollected,” It was the first day we had light winds, there was slight sea breeze, but it’s hard racing in the gold fleet. I managed to win the first race, and then unfortunately, the second race was really challenging with tough conditions. The Ukranian (Oskar Madonich) in second had a good day. He sailed really well. Hats off to him! I think he’s the only one today who managed to master the conditions.”

The final day promises to be the apex of the sailor’s efforts, where the champions will emerge, and the rewards for their hard work and dedication will be realized. It is a day when strategy, tactics, and nerves of steel will be put to the test. The sailors have given their all, and their relentless pursuit of victory has created an atmosphere of anticipation and excitement.

The current podium standings are as follows:

ILCA 6 Women’s fleet