The first race of the final day at the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico brought a little drama when the event leader Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) got a black flag, and Pavlos Kontides (CYP) finished fifth.
This lifted Kontides to second overall, just 12 points behind Jean-Baptiste. By finishing 14th place, Thomas Saunders (NZL) fell to third position, only five points ahead of Tonci Stipanovic (CRO).
The race win went to Alessio Spadoni from Italy who was holding currently 15th position before the last race. Filip Jurišic (CRO) finished second and Clemente Seguel Lacamara (CHI) in third place.
According to the Notice of Race the last possible warning signal at 1500 made it impossible for the race committee to give the Silver fleet a second race, so they finished the championship with 11 races sailed in total.
However, the Gold fleet still managed to get their last race started in time which was won by Michael Beckett (GBR), his best race of the regatta. Filip Jurišic (CRO) finished second, which moved him up to the third overall; Joel Rodriquez Perez (ESP) finished third.
By finishing seventh in last race, Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) secured his position he held almost the whole regatta and became the new ILCA 7 world champion. Pavlos Kontides (CYP) took Silver and Filip Jurišic (CRO) Bronze.
It is the first time that the ILCA 7 Men’s World Champion title goes to France. Congratulations!
2022 ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship top five:
1. Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) – 51 points
2. Pavlos Kontides (CYP) – 68 points
3. Filip Jurišic (CRO) – 75 points
4. Thomas Saunders (NZL) – 77 points
5. Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) – 81 points
Full results: https://www.sailwave.com/results/vyc/ILCA7Mens2022.htm
The 2023 ILCA 7 Men’s World Champions title will be sailed out at the Allianz Sailing World Championships in The Hague, Netherlands between 10-20 August 2023. The event will be the first qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. For more information, see the Olympic Games sailing regatta website: https://paris2024.sailing.org
