Spectacular start for Paula Barceló and Támara Echegoyen in the 49er FX World Championship

Club Nàutic S'Arenal sailor Paula Barceló and her teammate Támara Echegoyen, who will represent Spain at the next Olympic Games in Paris 2024, are in sixth place in the 49er FX World Championship.

The 49er and 49erFX World Championships are off to a strong start in Lanzarote, and from yesterday until Sunday, the focus of the world's Olympic sailing is on the Canary Islands. More than 120 boats from 36 countries have left the facilities of Marina Rubicón (organizer of the Lanzarote International Regatta) for the Lanzarote regatta course, which has welcomed them in style: waves and wind of between 12 and 18 knots (22 and 33 km/h) which, on the course closest to the Punta Pechiguera lighthouse, reached gusts of up to 25 knots (46 km/h). At times, the conditions have been survivable. The Chinese Xiaoyu Hu and Mengyuan Shan and the Americans Mollerus and McDiarmid are the first leaders of a World Championship that will crown its winners on Sunday 10th.

On the first day of the Qualifying Series, both classes sailed divided in two fleets (yellow and blue) and in two opposite courses: Pechiguera and Papagayo. And the truth is that few would have guessed how different they were.

Two Spanish crews are sixth and seventh overall after the first day of racing in Lanzarote. The Balearic Paula Barceló (CN s'Arenal) and the Galician Támara Echegoyen want to win again the world title won in 2020 and they start well positioned thanks to a second and an eighth place.

The 51 crews competing for the world title in the women's 49erFX class have been the first to take to the water and have encountered some very tough conditions. In fact, although they were scheduled to complete three races, after finishing the second leg yesterday, the Committee announced that the day was over for them.

The men's 49er class entered the scene later and both the yellow and blue fleets completed three races, after which the American crews have clearly had a good day: first and third. 

They lead Mollerus and McDiarmid (5-3-1), one point ahead of defending world champions Bart Lambriex and Floris van der Werken of the Netherlands, with similar 5-4-1 results.

Spaniards Diego Botin and Florian Trittel are currently in 21st place overall.