French Team Leads at the Offshore Sailing World Championship
by 2024 Offshore Double Handed World Championship 28 Sep 08:42 PDT
24 September – 1 October 2024
Elodie Bonafous & Basile Bourgnon (FRA) – Offshore Sailing World Championship © Vincent Curutchet
The concluding elimination race for the Offshore Double Handed World Championship concluded in an exhilarating finish that determined the five teams advancing to the finale.
Two hours prior to sunset, the 87NM race commenced downwind, with winds reaching nearly 30 knots. The international fleet surged at top speed during a 40-mile descent south through the islands near Lorient, followed by a reaching leg offshore, west of Belle-Île, facing an Atlantic swell for a demanding 30-mile beat. As dawn broke and the fleet neared the finish, the breeze lightened to around ten knots, leading to a thrilling conclusion for teams vying for the top five positions. They received provisional spots in the Offshore Double Handed World Championship Final set for 29 September.
Provisional Qualifiers for ODHWC Final
France 1: Elodie Bonafous & Basile Bourgnon
Sweden: Anna Drougge & Martin Angsell
Netherlands 1: Erik Van Vuuren & Yvonne Beusker
Germany: Lina Rixgens & Sverre Reinke
Turkey: Onur Tok & Pelin Keskin
Elodie Bonafous & Basile Bourgnon (FRA) crossed the finish line over an hour ahead of Anna Drougge & Martin Angsell (SWE), clinching their second race victory in the World Championship for France. “We didn’t execute a flawless race, but we’re pleased with our win,” said Elodie Bonafous. “Before the start, we were the first crew to set the spinnaker, focusing on making smooth maneuvers while limiting gybes downwind as much as possible.” Basile Bourgnon noted, “Our speed was good, but to secure a chance of winning the final, we must avoid mistakes—much like in Figaro racing; a mistake means you won’t win.”
The Swedish pair, Anna Drougge & Martin Angsell, engaged in a fierce battle with Erik Van Vuuren & Yvonne Beusker (NED), finishing just two minutes and 20 seconds ahead. “Our initial speed was strong, but the Dutch team gained on us during the downwind leg; we know there’s room to improve both our tactics and speed, but we’ve learned immensely,” remarked Martin Angsell.
“We are absolutely thrilled,” Anna Drougge said. “Our target was to qualify for the final, placing in the top five, but Martin suggested aiming for the top three for extra security. So, finishing second exceeded our expectations. It was incredibly close with the Netherlands, but that competition pushed us both to enhance our performance, especially upwind in the challenging waves.”
Lina Rixgens & Sverre Reinke (GER) secured fourth place after an impressive recovery. The German duo, hailing from Hamburg, started sixth after the long downwind leg but made a strong comeback on the beat north, climbing the standings. “The beat was grueling with large seas and dim light, making it hard to navigate the wave patterns,” commented Sverre Reinke. “We switched drivers every 15 minutes to maintain focus. Despite the short length of the race, it was very exhausting; we threw everything into achieving a top-five finish and are excited about the final race.”
The battle for fifth place was intense. The ‘hot seat’ for a spot in the Offshore Double Handed World Championship Final was determined by a mere two minutes and 40 seconds. Onur Tok & Pelin Keskin (TUR) claimed fifth, with Timothée Deplasse & Alix Schouller (BEL) in sixth. Turkey and Belgium were closely matched throughout 15 hours of racing. As they rounded the island of Groix heading towards the finish, the Belgian team chose to go inshore and hoisted their Code Zero, their final chance to overtake the Turkish team.
“We were extremely fatigued by the conclusion, but when we spotted the Belgians raising the Code Zero, we felt we had to follow suit,” Onur Tok stated. “Crossing the finish line, we had nothing left, but representing Turkey in a World Championship final is a fantastic achievement; we take great pride in that.”
The results from the Region Bretagne Race (Elimination 2) are subject to protest hearings expected to take place later today, Saturday 28 September. The ODHWC Race Committee is anticipated to release an official announcement about the scheduling of the Offshore Double Handed World Championship Final. Due to forecasted weather conditions and sea state, the start of the Lorient Agglomération Final is likely to be postponed, now set for Monday 30 September at 1100 UTC+2. The 2024 Offshore Double Handed World Championship Final will be streamed live and freely accessible on YouTube.
Stay updated with all developments in the Offshore Double Handed World Championship through LIVE TRACKING. For more info, visit: www.lorientgrandlarge.org
