Balearic Sailing aims to shine at the 49er, FX and Nacra 17 World Championships in Quiberon

The Spanish pre-Olympic sailing team begins competition today, Tuesday, May 12, at the World Championship for the Olympic 49er, 49er FX and Nacra 17 classes in French waters.

The pre-Olympic team and the 2032 Team of the Real Federación Española de Vela begin the World Championship for the 49er, 49er FX and Nacra 17 classes today in Quiberon (France), where competition will run from May 12th to 17th, featuring many of the leading international names in Olympic skiff and mixed catamaran sailing.

Reigning world champions Paula Barceló, from the Club Nàutic s’Arenal, and María Cantero are Spain’s main medal hopes in the championship, alongside the crews formed by Melania Henke, from the Real Club Náutico de Palma, and Patricia Suárez; Conrad Konitzer, from the Club Nàutic s’Arenal, and Antonio Torrado; brothers Martín and Jaime Wizner; as well as Joan Cardona, from the Real Club Náutico de Palma, and Nicole Van der Velden.

The competition will begin with three days of qualifying races, followed by the finals and, on Sunday, May 17, the Medal Series, scheduled to consist of two decisive races. The program includes a maximum of three races per day.

The 49er FX class will feature 65 boats from 25 countries, with a strong Spanish contingent made up entirely of crews from the RFEV pre-Olympic team.

Current world champions Paula Barceló and María Cantero (RCN Gran Canaria) arrive in Quiberon after winning bronze just over a month ago at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels, where they led much of the championship before a highly tense Medal Race.

Paula Barceló acknowledged that the Quiberon World Championship will be especially demanding because of the characteristics of the racecourse: “I think it’s going to be a difficult championship because it’s a very enclosed bay and, unless the wind comes from the south, most directions are offshore, with very shifty and unstable winds. And when the wind comes from the sea, a significant swell builds up, so it’s going to be tough. In addition, the forecast points to strong winds for the first three days, so we’ll face conditions quite different from those we’ve had recently.”

The Mallorcan sailor also made clear the Spanish team’s ambitions: “The goal is to win and, if not, at least to reach the final day with a chance to do so. The fleet is extremely tight, everyone is pushing hard, and several teams are capable of taking victory. Championships are very long and, with these wind conditions, it will be important to rest well, conserve energy, and fight until the end.”

Regarding preparation for the event, Barceló explained: “After the Sofía Trophy, we trained in Santander with Alicia and Elena, working especially on currents, because there’s a lot of current here, and fine-tuning aspects from Palma such as starts and sailing in waves. We arrived in Quiberon a week ago, which has allowed us to spend a lot of time on the water, get to know the racecourse better, and feel comfortable with the conditions. We feel ready to start.”

Joining them in competition will be Patricia Suárez (RCN Vigo) and Melania Henke, from the Real Club Náutico de Palma, who achieved a solid Top 10 finish in Palma and fourth place at French Olympic Week in Hyères, as well as Alicia Fras and Elena Barrio (RCN Gran Canaria).

Among the main international rivals are Sweden’s Vilma Bobeck and Ebba Berntsson, along with Canadian sisters Georgia and Antonia Lewin-LaFrance, bronze medalists at the last World Championship.

In the 49er class, 86 boats from 30 countries will compete in one of the largest and most demanding fleets in Olympic sailing. Spain will field three crews from the pre-Olympic team and the 2032 Team.

Particular attention will be on Martín and Jaime Wizner (RCN Vigo), reigning European champions, and on Conrad Konitzer, from the Club Nàutic s’Arenal, and Antonio Torrado (RCN Torrevieja), who finished fifth at the last World Championship held in October in Cagliari, Italy. Young sailors Alex and Pol Marsans from the 2032 Team will also compete.

“This is a venue with a lot of variability and it looks like we’ll have light, medium, and strong wind days, so it’s positive to experience a bit of everything within the same regatta,” commented skipper Conrad Konitzer.

The Balearic sailor admitted the team arrives highly motivated to return to its best form: “We approach this World Championship with a lot of motivation. We know we had a very good championship last year, but we’re also coming from a few difficult weeks due to illness and not being able to perform well at the Sofía Trophy. Our mindset is to take it day by day, race by race, especially before the finals. The objective is to reach that phase without a really bad race that penalizes us heavily, although we know it’s very difficult because the fleet level is becoming increasingly competitive.”

Current world and Olympic champions Diego Botín and Florian Trittel will not compete in Quiberon, although Dutch sailors Bart Lambriex and Floris van de Werken, three-time world champions and reigning runners-up, as well as Denmark’s Jonas Warrer and Mathias Lehm Sletten, bronze medalists at the Worlds, will be present.

The Nacra 17 class will gather 37 crews from 21 countries. Spain will be represented by Olympic bronze medalist Joan Cardona, from the Real Club Náutico de Palma, and Nicole van der Velden, members of the pre-Olympic team, as well as Dani and Nora García de la Casa (CN El Masnou) from the RFEV 2032 Team.

The French event is one of the major international competitions of the season for Olympic skiff and mixed catamaran classes and offers another opportunity to measure the level of the Spanish team against the world elite.