The iqfoiler of CNA, Bernat Tomás starts the French Olympic Week with a strong start

The French Olympic Week, the culminating championship of the Olympic calendar as it is the last selection regatta by country for the Paris 2024 Games, has already begun in Hyères. For the Spanish team, with 22 athletes, the main objective is the country classification for the Men's Formula Kite class, which Bernat Cortés, Alejandro Climent and Jacobo Espi will be looking for.

In the elite of world sailing, being one of the four countries that currently have nine qualified classes (along with Australia, China and Great Britain), Spain is looking to repeat the 10 out of 10 from Tokyo 2020.

The Spaniards have made an encouraging start to the French Olympic Week, with tenth place for Gisela Pulido in the provisional Women's Formula Kite and twelfth place for Berni Cortés in the men's category. Also in twelfth place was the sailor from Club Nàutic S'Arenal, Bernat Tomás in iQFOiL Men's, whilst in the women's fleet Pilar Lamadrid was also close to the top ten, in fifteenth place.  

The first day of competition of the French Olympic Week was marked by southwesterly winds of between eight and fourteen knots, which allowed part of the planned programme of races to be completed, with a debut for the Spanish representatives of iQFOiL and Formula Kite, in the men's and women's categories in both cases. 

The iQFOiL Men's fleet completed three races of the five scheduled in slalom format. The "iqfoiler" from Club Nàutic S'Arenal, Bernat Tomás is the best classified Spaniard, in twelfth position in the provisional general rankings, after a 13-7-9 record. Three places further back is the sailor from Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita, Nacho Baltasar, who went from strength to strength on this opening day in French waters. 

The first two races were held with very little wind," explained iQFOiL Men's national coach Marcos Fernández, "and we made some mistakes on the start and tactics. 

The day was long for the iQFOiL Women, who after waiting for the conditions to allow the start of the races, were able to compete in three races in quite gusty and gusty wind. The Andalusian PIlar Lamadrid went from less to more and closed the day in 15th place. China's Z. Yan followed by the Mexican Mariana Aguilar. 

This Monday, 22nd of April, is the opening day for the rest of the classes in the fleets of the countries that have already qualified for Paris 2024. The main assets of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation team will be in action, with Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman in 470 Mixed and the Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita sailor, Neus Ballester and Alejandro de Maqua, who form the second Spanish crew in the class.