2023 49er & 49erFX Junior U23 World Championship: Australia crowd the podium, rest fight for scraps
by 49er and Nacra Sailing 31 Jul 2023 02:26 NZST
Jack Ferguson, coach Marc Chapon, and Jack Hilderbrand © John Hilderbrand
Australia sweep the podium in Nacra 17
Ruben and Rita Booth (AUS) hung on all week, surviving a late challenge, to win the 2023 Junior World Championships by three points. In the final race they found themselves outside of the top ten while Archie Gargett with Sarah Hoffman (AUS) charged forward into the race lead.
With a five-point gap separating the two overall, that point gap was enough to reverse the overall leaderboard in the final race. But the Booth siblings focussed inward on their sailing and targeted passes, making strong gains on the middle lap. Come the final rounding, the Booths were up to sixth, with a bit more work to do. They found their downwind rhythm quickly and managed to pass three more boats to come third in the race, securing their first Junior World title... read on
Aussie Jacks and Fun French take 2023 Junior World Titles
The Junior U23 World Championship for Olympic 49er and 49erFX sailors concluded at Travemünder Woche with competitive racing and up and down the leaderboard. More than 100 teams came to show their skill and compare their progress to their peers as they transition from Youth to Senior racing. After five days of intense competition, two teams emerged as the crowned champions in the challenging offshore winds.
In the 49er class, the Australian duo of Jack Ferguson and Jack Hilderbrand delivered a commanding performance from start to finish. They demonstrated exceptional boat handling, tactical brilliance, and a strong nerve in unstable conditions, securing the lead early in the championship and holding off challengers through Gold fleet racing... read on
World Championships up next
The combined Sailing World Championships begin in a weeks time. All 10 Olympic Classes plus 4 Para Sailing Classes will compete at the same time. It's a bit of an odd time this week, as the venue isn't allowing sailors yet, so the whole fleet is sitting in three Belgium towns training and waiting for Worlds to begin.
Expect comprehensive coverage of from our channels as the fleets get their first chance to qualify for Paris 2024.