Every four years since 2003, World Sailing (the organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee governing competitive sailing) hosts the Senior World Sailing Championships, one year prior to the Olympic Games.
This event brings together the best crews from the 8 Olympic and 2 Paralympic sailing classes onto a single racing venue.
The 2023 edition of this regatta took place in the North Sea, at The Hague, just a few kilometers from the mouth of the Nieuwe Maas River, providing access to the port of Rotterdam.
Our strong performances at the World Cup in Palma (early April), the French Olympic Week in Hyères (late April), and the Coach Regatta in Marseille (early May) earned us a spot in this competition. Therefore, we had the great honor and pleasure of being part of the delegation consisting of 52 French athletes participating in the World Sailing Championships.
Here is a brief summary of this prestigious regatta.
Five days before the start of the regatta
Despite a week of rest spent with family, we arrived at The Hague with our mixed results from the Youth World Championships (under 23) held in July still haunting us. We were still reeling from our underperformance and could see the immense challenge ahead in the Senior World Championships, facing the most experienced crews, including all the Olympic teams from around the world.
Day -1
After several days of training, we participated in the "Practice Race," a training race serving as a warm-up for both the racers and organizers. Like every day in The Hague, the currents were strong. The North Sea and the English Channel exchange enormous quantities of water with each tide, creating currents of over three knots in the race areas.
On that day, the wind was light, making us particularly vulnerable to the current. The practice race began. Like most of the fleet, we were not accustomed to sailing in such strong currents. We had a poor start, but some good strategic decisions helped us gain many positions. We finished in the top third of the 35 boats that participated in this race (which was not mandatory). The opening ceremony took place later that evening, a beautiful spectacle reminding us of the magnitude of the event.
At 9:00 PM, the qualification fleets are announced for the races scheduled for the next day: the 83 teams are divided into three fleets of 28 boats each.
Day 1 - Q1
CONDITIONS :
Wind: 8 knots
Sea: choppy
Current: strong
Number of Races: 3
The big day arrived. We started our day with a hearty breakfast consisting of baked eggs seasoned with a blend of three condiments from Lee Kum Kee: premium mushroom seasoning powder, Chiu Chow Chili Oil, and reduced salt soy sauce. This delicious combination not only provided an explosion of flavors but also the essential nutrients and energy we needed to kickstart the championship.
The conditions were similar to the previous day. We began the first race very well, getting a good start and continuing left in fresh wind. Favorable wind angle and strength allowed us to quickly round the windward mark in 5th position. We lost one place in the second upwind leg and finished the race in 6th without losing positions downwind.
The second race was more challenging. We attempted a start similar to the first one. However, a gust arrived midway through the course, benefiting the crews positioned to our windward. Sailing higher and faster, they gained an advantage over the pack that started at the pin end of the starting line, where we were. We considered tacking and going beneath the fleet's wind shadow to benefit from the pressure zone, but we made the wrong decision to continue left. We finished 24th.
The third race went well. We had a committee start, tacked early to go right in fresh wind with a good angle and speed. We tacked again to follow the fleet left. Smart placements to manage risks allowed us to maintain our position. We finished 2nd. Yahoo! The overall ranking was impressive. At the end of the first day of qualifications, we were 11th in the general ranking and most importantly, the 1st French boat!
Unfortunately, our moment of glory didn't last long...
Day 2 - Q2
CONDITIONS :
Wind: 15-16 knots
Sea: swell + choppy
Current: strong, same direction as the wind
Number of Races: 3
On the second day, the conditions were different: 15-16 knots of wind, strong current in the same direction as the wind. We knew we weren't as fast in these challenging conditions and that we had to limit the damage to avoid losing too many positions in the overall standings.
During the first speed tests in preparation for this day, we realized we were sailing lower and slower...
The three races of the day were tough. We scored two races of 21 and one of 19. Even with a good start, like in the second race, we couldn't compete upwind, and we rounded the windward mark in the last pack of boats each time.
Back onshore, we cheered ourselves up with a delicious chicken sandwich, seasoned with pure sesame oil from Lee Kum Kee. It was a perfect treat for optimal recovery before the ultimate day of qualifications.
Day 3 - Q3
CONDITIONS :
Wind: 13.7 knots
Sea: swell + choppy
Current: strong, same direction as the wind
Number of Races: 3
The third and final day of qualifications before the finals arrived with slightly lighter winds. The objective was clear: to be fast upwind and have the tools to compete at the front of the pack. Unfortunately, the first race unfolded like the three previous ones, and we finished 19th. The second race was a bit better: 18th, as the wind started to drop. In the third race, there was only about ten knots of wind, and we finished 16th.
Back onshore, we checked our overall ranking: 52nd. With qualifications completed, we calculated the position where the silver fleet would end. With a total of 83 boats and a gold fleet of 25 boats, as is the case in all 49er regattas organized by World Sailing, there were 58 boats to be divided between the silver and bronze fleets, resulting in two fleets of 29. 25 + 29 = 54. Therefore, the silver fleet started from the 26th position and ended at the 54th position. This meant that we had qualified for the silver fleet in our first Senior World Championships! It was fantastic!
Our enthusiasm might seem excessive, but we were genuinely thrilled to qualify into the silver fleet, especially after the mediocre day we had just experienced.
Now, it was time for rest, with a day dedicated to recovery. The agenda included muscle warm-up in the morning, a visit to the physiotherapist, and an afternoon nap.
Our recovery was aided by an excellent sandwich with Lee Kum Kee sesame oil, followed by a super hearty breakfast of veggie noodles. All of this was accompanied by Lee Kum Kee’s reduced salt soy sauce and premium mushroom seasoning powder, which undoubtedly helped maintain our physical condition and concentration throughout the day.
Day 4 - F1
CONDITIONS :
Wind: 10.1 knots
Sea: swell + choppy
Current: weaker than usual but increasing
Number of Races: 3
As the first day of the finals began, we were well-rested and relaxed. The conditions were light, similar to the first day of qualifications. The past few days of racing had made us understand our strengths and weaknesses. So, we knew that with such conditions, we were capable of performing as well as on the first day.
We arrived at the race area. The upwind legs we sailed alongside our compatriots Julien D'Ortoli and Noé Delpech (5th at Rio 2016 Olympic Games), also in the silver fleet, reassured us. This time, we were just as fast as them.
The three races of the day went extremely well. We scored 3, 5, 3, which propelled us to 37th place overall, 11th in the silver fleet, while achieving the best day in the fleet. Good starts followed by strong upwind legs in fresh wind put us at the front from the beginning of each race. It was our smart risk management and sailing in sync with the fleet that allowed us to maintain our good position and stay in the top 5 at all the mark roundings.
Day 5 - F2:
CONDITIONS :
Wind: NW, 12 knots with gusts of 15+
Sea: swell + choppy
Current: strong Number of Races: 3
On the final day of the finals, the wind was at 12 knots with gusts reaching 15-16 knots, and the sea was rough due to strong currents opposing the wind. Unfortunately, the struggle continued, especially upwind.
In the first race, we started from the committee end. Shortly after the start, the windward boats rolled over us, and we couldn't recover. We finished 22nd.
For the second race, we decided to start on port tack because we didn't have the speed to hold on starboard after the start. This starting technique, although risky, allowed us to make one less tack and sail quickly in fresh wind to the right side of the course. However, the left side of the course turned out to be favorable in this race, and we still weren't fast upwind. It was impossible to catch up, and we finished 23rd.
In the third and final race of the regatta, we attempted a good port tack start like in the second race to then tack into fresh wind and head left. Unfortunately, a traffic jam formed at the committee boat due to a group of trailing boats (a perfect illustration of the typical risk of a port tack start). This forced us to tack, and we went to starboard as the second line. Our slower speed compared to others prevented us from making headway. Without finding any fresh wind, we finished 23rd again.
Conclusion
Overall, these World Championships were highly instructive. We faced the best crews in the world during the most competitive phase of a four-year Olympic preparation, on a particularly challenging course due to its strong currents.
On one hand, we were pleased with our good results on the first days of qualifications and finals, which took place in light winds. In total, we had 5 races in the top five, which was onethird of the races in this regatta!
On the other hand, we realized the frightening speed deficit we had upwind in stronger winds. By observing our GPS tracks and the data derived from them (speed, wind angle, VMG - Velocity Made Good), we found that our VMG was on average between 0.5 and 1 knot below the top crews. A significant difference!
Several factors could explain this gap:
Technique: Sailing upwind is an art that requires maintaining the ideal wind angle between 45 and 50 degrees relative to the wind to sail both fast and close to the wind. In the 49er, achieving this ideal angle and maintaining it is crucial, along with minimizing slowdowns in choppy waters and maximizing acceleration in gusts and surfs. A fundamental principle of 49er sailing for speed is sailing flat. The boat's balance is controlled with crew weight, sheet tension, rigging, and sails. Finding the right combination and adjusting it constantly for maximum efficiency is essential. -
Mast settings: Our reference settings were somewhat disrupted as we were sailing with a new-generation mast for the first time (a requirement for participating in this World Championship). Until then, we had used and were accustomed to the previous generation rigging.
Hull: Our 2018 hull was not as rigid and smooth as the new hulls of the top crews, resulting in less efficiency in choppy waters and gusts.
Sails: The jib and spinnaker we had used for the first time the previous year at Lake Como were no longer as well-shaped. The carbon mainsail we had been using since January now had over 100 days of sailing as it was our only carbon sail, used in training as well.
Crew weight: At 155 kg, we were not at the ideal weight and could not compete with crews weighing 165 kg. The extra 10 kg made a real difference once the boat became very powerful (i.e., wind >12 knots) because it allowed for keeping the boat flat and passing with more power in challenging conditions.
Our job until the European Championships next November in Vilamoura, Portugal, is clear. It's up to us to raise our game and prepare effectively to be competitive in this last championship of the year!
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors for their unwavering support:
Lee Kum Kee: For their financial support and magical sauces that make our meals both fun and nutritious.
French Sailing Federation: For their trust over the past two years, providing us with boats, coaching, physical and mental preparation, and more, and for selecting us for the World Championships in La Hague.
ECE (Engineering school): For their financial support, assisting their high-level student athletes.
Vaikobi: For providing high-performance thermal suits.
Figaro Nautisme and Météo Consult: For their media and meteorological support.
