In the first day of racing in Cagliari, the under-25 69F fleet completed the first six qualifying races as per the schedule.
Races began shortly after 1 pm, with a light thermal breeze that filled in over the course of the day to reach 11 knots in the afternoon.
The nine competing crews took turns aboard the six boats on the water to complete four races each, on a quadrangle course of approximately 2 miles, starting on a broad reach.
Currently leading the standings with 22.5 points is the Dutch Sail – Janssen de Jong team, winners of the previous legs of the circuit, who once again are showing very solid form in both flight and manoeuvres.
The team, one of the most competitive in the Youth Foiling Gold Cup, is composed of Cas van Dongen at the helm, Scipio Houtman on the mainsail – winner in the under 23 class in the 49er Europeans 2020 – and Ismene Usman and Merle Louwinger, who alternate in the role of flight controller, coached by Pieter Jan Postma.
The qualifying races will continue tomorrow and are scheduled to run through 25 October. The team with the highest score will proceed directly to the final, while the others will compete in three days of knockouts.
Alex de Weck (the youngest in the fleet), who is sailing on Katana Sailing Team/ Société Nautique de Genève said, “It’s been a very difficult day for us. The conditions were different from the last time we sailed in Limone del Gard for our first time. Also the crew changed, so it was not easy for us.
“We had good manouvres, but we have to improve them, as well as the communication onboard. We didn’t have a lot of time to sail, but we just got a 69F in Geneva where we will train during the winter to be ready for the 2022 season.”
Lukas Hesse, who is sailing on ETA Sailing Team / Seebrucker Regatta Verein said, “It’s the first time for me and my whole team on the 69F which makes it quite challenging, it’s a very physical boat. We are learning every minute and improving every second we sail the boat. We had a lot of fun.”
Results after four races: https://69fsailing.com/yfgc-act3-cagliari-overall-ranking/
