167 sailors from 31 countries participated in the Techno293Plus World Championships in Quiberon France – the first of the qualification events for the Youth Olympic Games.
Although getting off to a slow start with tricky conditions, including everything from 40 degrees wind shifts to thunderstorms, the race committee managed to complete 11 races for the Youth Women and Open fleets and 12 for the Youth Men.[more]
With still over a year to go to the Games in Buenos Aires 6 nations in both Men’s and Women’s Windsurfer have already earned their spots for the YOG. These being the first nations to qualify in any sailing event. For those who did not get their spot at the Worlds there is still a chance to qualify during the upcoming continental championships.
Japan dominated the Open category winning all but two medals. It is not a surprise if you take into account that the Techno293Plus is a national windsurfing class for the universities there and Japan can boast of a fleet of over 500 sailors.
Iwasaki Yuta took gold in the men with his countrymen Ryota Yuri in second on equal points with Toni Vrscaj from Slovenia. Over in the women’s division it was Mika Yamauchi in first place followed by Shima Tomoko and Katija Birzule from Latvia.
In the Youth Women fleet ITA 1 – Giorgia Speciale won her fourth world title and sixth medal at a Techno293 World Championship and is by far the most decorated sailor in the history of the T293 classes. Aikaterini Divari from Greece came in second and just a point behind her Heloise Macquaert from France.
The French Youth Men did well in their classification with Fabien Pianazza and Mathurin Jolivet coming in first and second. Leonidas Tsortanidis took the bronze medal for Greece.
Last but not least and maybe most important prize was “Spirit of techno” which went to Dana from Russia.
