Balearic crews ready to take on the best in the 49er and FX World Championship

Among the 127 crews from 36 countries in the competition, several Balearic crews have entered the 49er and FX Championship of the Lanzarote International Regatta.

After the end of the Olympic windsurfing World Championship on the 3rd of February, Marina Rubicón, in the south of the island of Lanzarote, is once again organizing a new Olympic class world championship under the umbrella of the Lanzarote International Regatta. On this occasion it will be the turn of the men's 49er and women's 49erFX double class, in which once again there will be an important fight as there are few opportunities left to be in Paris 2024.

Spain already has a place and confirmed crews for Paris 2024: the Cantabrian Diego Botín and the Catalan Florian Trittel will be the Spanish representatives in 49er, while the sailor from Club Nàutic Arenal, Paula Barceló and her teammate, the Galician Támara Echegoyen will do the same in 49erFX.

With their sights set on Los Angeles 2028, younger crews are preparing, including those made up of Balearic sailors, who will also defend the colours of Spain in Canary Islands waters: Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita sailor Neus Ballester and Carlota García from Boya 14, Paula van Wieringen and Claudia Sobral representing Club Marítimo San Antonio de Playa and CM de Oza, Conrad Konitzer and Antonio Torrado from Club Nàutic S'Arenal and RCN Torrevieja, and Alberto Torres and Elías Aretz from RCN of Palma.

Since Friday 1st of March, material inspections and registration confirmations have been taking place at the Marina Rubicón facilities. On Monday the official training regatta was held (13.00h) and the opening ceremony (18.00h).

From today, Tuesday 5th of March, until 10th March, there will be six intense days of racing with the races scheduled to start at 12.00h local time.

The championship will consist of two phases: a qualifying series (5th to the 7th of March) and a final series (8th to the 10th of March). At the end of the qualifying series, the 25 best crews will sail in the gold fleet. On Sunday the 10th of March, the final Medal Race will take place, in which only the top 10 crews will take part, scoring double points and the result of which cannot be ruled out. 

A week before the start of the races, most of the fleet was already in Marina Rubicón, where up to four training regattas for both classes have been held since last December. The most recent one was this past weekend and was attended by 77 boats.

In 49erFX, always as favorites, are the Brazilians Martinez Grael and Kahena Kunze, Olympic champions in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Sweden's Vilma Bobeck/Rebecca Netzler will also be fighting to retain the title won in The Hague in 2023, while Spain's Támara Echegoyen and Paula Barceló, with their place in Paris 2024 already confirmed, are always in the betting pools and will have the warmth of playing at home.

In the men's 49er fleet, there are also many candidates for the title and a clear favorite: the team formed by Dutchmen Bart Lambriex and Floris van der Werken, winners of the last three world championships in the class. The rest of the members of the 2023 European and world podiums will also be present, such as the European champions Lucas Rual and Emile Amoros (FRA). Diego Botín and Florian Trittel, bronze medallist in the last 49er World Championship, are Spain's trump cards.