Andy Rice

In its 122-year history, the Olympic sailing scene has never witnessed so much change and with the clock already counting down to 2024, the competition is full on

Although it’s already eight months since the Tokyo 2020 Games, the start of the new Olympic for a classic boat that deserves better, although the racing itself is as hard-fought as ever. It was a really impressive performance by British sailor Micky Beckett cycle really only got going in to win ahead of the likes of early April at theTrofeo Princesa reigning Olympic Champion

Sofía Mallorca. e Bay of Palma Matt Wearn from Australia and hosted all 10 event Olympic events, many past world champions. four of which are brand new. e switch to Mixed 470, men e Men’s and Women’s divisions and women sailing together, in the iQFOiL windsurfers and the has brought a very di erent

Formula Kite foiling kiteboards feel to the boat park. Following were ying across the Bay of Hannah Mills’ retirement from

Palma at speeds of 30 knots and Olympic campaigning, the beyond - speeds never seen before gold medal winning crew from in Olympic competition. e Tokyo 2020, Eilidh McIntyre debate among traditionalists will continue to rage as to “Half of the 10 events are now flying is now the senior partner in her new campaign with whether these foilers constitute above the surface. The 49er - so Martin Wrigley steering the

‘proper sailing’. For pretty much everyone I spoke to radical when it launched 25 years ago boat. As Eilidh said: “ e 470 is the perfect boat for testing on the circuit, the foilers - is now looking quite conventional” men and women equally in are a welcome addition the same boat and maybe to the line-up of dinghies and ski s. Along the with the ABOVE even for women to prove they can do the job better than the men.” foiling Nacra 17 catamaran, the four new foiling classes GBR’s Micky Beckett Tenth place for Martin and Eilidh shows they’re a work in mean that half of the 10 events are now ying above winning gold at the rst major Olympic progress, coming a place behind fellow Brits Vita Heathcote the surface. e 49er ski - so radical when it launched class regatta of this and Ryan Orr. Dominating the new Mixed line-up were the 25 years ago - is now looking quite conventional. cycle in the ILCA 7 (Laser) - the only class Spanish team of Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman. Xammar

Do faster events necessarily mean that they’ll be more without major change was one of several who ew back from the SailGP nale in exciting for spectators to enjoy? Not necessarily, but that’s San Francisco to race in Palma, and the experience making certainly the intention. Olympic sport is increasingly under quick- re decisions at 50 knots seems to help the Olympic commercial pressure to provide a made-for-TV product if bronze medallist in the much slower but very tactical 470. it’s to compete with the likes of the X Games and the Red Fresh from victory in Season 2 of SailGP was Jason Waterhouse,

Bull sponsored extreme events and adventure sports. ight controller for Tom Slingsby’s winning team from Australia. e kitefoilers were launching directly o the sandy beach and Sailing with his cousin Lisa Darmanin, the Rio 2016 Olympic the spectacle of the riders launching and getting up on their foils silver medallists are back on the campaign trail together as they through the breaking waves drew quite a crowd of tourists and and the rest of the eet get to grips with the adjustable rudder passers-by. ey are spectacular yet very simple machines - a elevators now permitted on the foiling Nacra 17 catamaran. 1.5 metre board mounted on top of a xed hydrofoil setup with Waterhouse and Darmanin were prevented from completing aerodynamic, wing-shaped kites ranging in size from 9 metres the event due to Covid. e team setting the pace were Olympic for strong winds up to 23 metres for conditions below 10 knots. Champions Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti. e Italians won ere’s no getting away from the fact that high-speed foiling Tokyo gold with relative ease last August but in Palma their can be dangerous, but the riders and the sailors accept the risks mastery of the new foiling setup put them in a di erent league. and genuinely love what they do; British kitefoiler Lily Young says e adjustable rudder elevators allow for the potential for full she and the rest of the British squad o en stay out on the water upwind foiling, so learning how to mode the boat for di erent and do much longer hours than their training plan requires. conditions requires full focus as the eet learns the new rules of e kiteboarders and the iQFOilers come across as the most ANDY RICE when to attempt full foiling, and when to stay in low-riding mode. passionate about what they do, although there is a real sense of As a sailing journalist e 1,100 sailors in Palma were hugely excited to be excitement throughout the Olympic boat park. ere is major and TV commentator Andy has unparalleled back on the campaign trail at the start of the new Olympic change in every class, with the exception of the Laser where the knowledge of the cycle. Just as well, with less than two and a half years to only notable update is to the new name of ILCA 7 (for the old performance racing scene, from grassroots go before the 2024 Olympic Sailing regatta in Marseille.

Standard rig) or the ILCA 6 (for the old Radial). Terrible name to elite level More than ever, time is the most precious resource.