Please select your home edition
Edition
Hyde Sails 2024 - One Design

Aussies embrace the work at Olympic Test Event

by John Curnow / Australian Sailing Team 11 Jul 2023 02:40 BST 9-16 July 2023
Zoe Thomson in the ILCA 6 at Marseille © Mark Lloyd / World Sailing

Hard work was the name of the game on day two of the Paris 2024 Olympic Test Event in Marseille, France.

A wonderful second place in the last race of the day by Western Australian pair Nia Jerwood and Conor Nicholas in the mixed 470 was categorically the highlight, moving them up to 11th overall and tantalisingly close the top ten finish required to qualify for the medal shootout.

The 11-knot Southerly was a little more predictable today for the Australian athletes on the racecourse, but still delivered enough challenges.

“It was very much a one-way racetrack today, with whoever could get to the left coming out on top,” said Jerwood after racing.

“In the first race we had to tack out from the pin end and go right for clear wind and we were punished for it quite severely.

“In the second race we made sure to have a good start from the pin and went left and it was much simpler from there. We know we are fast enough to be in the front, so tomorrow it's all about getting off the start and staying on the lift.”

Matt Wearn OAM is the reigning Olympic ILCA 7 champion, and one of the most focussed racers there is. A tenth place in the last race of the day has become his drop (disregarded result) for now, placing him in fifth overall. Wearn may appear laconic, but his steely approach is actually far more like titanium in strength and resilience.

“Classic ILCA racing today, very tight fleet on a short course made it even tougher,” said Wearn. “I didn't execute the simple things well enough, but overall I am sailing well. I just need to trust the process and go out and execute properly tomorrow.”

Zoe Thomson in the ILCA 6 now has a DSQ as her drop after losing a protest, meaning she’ll have to carry her results moving forward. Asked about her time in the Protest Room, Thomson said, “It was a tough day on the water and in the room, but really it’s all a part of the sport.

“There’s plenty for me to change going into tomorrow, I’m now focused on doing what I need to do to put together a good race and take each race as it comes.”

Breiana Whitehead got some racing in today after the abandoned session yesterday for the Women’s Formula Kite and finished in 11th place overall. Scott Whitehead climbed a couple of spots to be in 17th place in the Men’s Formula Kite. “It was good to get some races in, but a big delay on land, then five races made it a big day,” commented Breiana.

“We were on our big kites today. It was important to get off the line, unfortunately not something I was executing well today so I struggled a bit with catching up and a few tangles and near misses made my racing quite eventful.”

In closing, AST Technical Director, Michael Blackburn said, “A case of just some regular racing things going on, with some added importance because of the Olympic vibes. Zoe was in a protest and came out on the wrong side of it, but good lessons learned all around.”

Tomorrow is another big day for the team, with the Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Anna Meares OAM, set to visit the team in Marseille ahead of the Chef de Mission Summit in Paris later this week.

Iain Brambell, AST High Performance Director, added that “Anna arrived in Marseille this evening, joining the team for dinner at the Team HUB (recovery house). She will be onsite at the venue all day tomorrow to watch the athletes.” The staggered start of the event means that several classes are yet to open their accounts, but that all changes soon enough with all classes in action tomorrow.

Visit the event website for full results.

Australian results at the Olympic Test Event:

ILCA 7 – 42 Entries 5th - Matt Wearn OAM – 1, 7, 5, (10) (13 points)

Mixed 470 – 17 Entries 11th - Nia Jerwood and Conor Nicholas – 7, (16), 16, 2 (25 points)

Women’s Formula Kite – 20 Entries 11th - Breiana Whitehead – 7, 10, 10, (16) (19 points)

ILCA 6 – 38 Entries 13th - Zoe Thomson – 11, 8, 13, (39 DSQ) (32points)

Men’s Formula Kite – 20 Entries 17th - Scott Whitehead – (20), 10, 12, 17, 16, 16 (71 points)

49er – 28 Entries Jim Colley and Shaun Connor – (0 points)

49erFX – 24 Entries Olivia Price and Evie Haseldine – (0 points)

Nacra 17 – 18 Entries Darren Bundock and Lisa Darmanin – (0 points)

Men’s iQFOiL – 22 Entries Grae Morris – (0 points)

Follow the Australian Sailing Team Web: www.australiansailingteam.com.au

Instagram: @aussailingteam
Facebook: @aussailingteam
Twitter: @aussailingteam
YouTube: AusSailingTeam

Related Articles

Lessons learned & bar raised at Olympic Test Event
More variation to come into play on the final day A Sou'wester of 10-12 knots made sure there was still more variation to come into play on the final day at the Paris 2024 Olympic Test Event in Marseille. Posted on 17 Jul 2023
Matt Wearn wins Gold at Olympic Test Event
Matt Wearn OAM has secured Gold in the Men's ILCA 7 dinghy in Marseille Matt Wearn OAM has secured Gold in the Men's ILCA 7 dinghy at the Paris 2024 Olympic Test Event in Marseille with an emphatic win in the crucial, double points medal race. Posted on 15 Jul 2023
Morris up to second at Olympic Test Event
Grae Morris continued his climb, moving up to second place in the iQFOil windsurfing class Grae Morris continued his climb at the Paris 2024 Olympic Test Event in Marseille, moving up to second place in the iQFOil windsurfing class with seven fleet races to come. Posted on 15 Jul 2023
Wearn moves into first, Morris third
Day five at the Paris 2024 Olympic Test Event The Mistral came in and delivered a Nor'wester of 15-18 knots for day five at the Paris 2024 Olympic Test Event in Marseille, and Australia's reigning Olympic Gold Medallist in the ILCA 7, Matt Wearn OAM relished the conditions. Posted on 14 Jul 2023
Aussies meet the challenges at Olympic Test Event
Day four at the Paris 2024 Olympic Test Event Day four at the Paris 2024 Olympic Test Event in Marseille was nothing if not consistent to the plan of the last few days. Posted on 13 Jul 2023
All Aussies among the action at Olympic Test Event
Matt Wearn climbs into third place overall in the ILCA 7 class Day three brought all the Australians into racing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Test Event in Marseille, France. The breeze may have gone back a little more East, and even offered an extra little bit of pace, but it retained all its challenges. Posted on 12 Jul 2023
Aussies begin the assault at Olympic Test Event
Gentle yet challenging conditions greet the first athletes to take to the waters off Marseille A gentle yet challenging Sou'east breeze greeted the first of the Australian athletes taking to the Marseille racecourse at the Paris 2024 Olympic Test Event. Posted on 10 Jul 2023
Aussies ready to attack Olympic Test Event
When it comes to the Olympics, Australian sailors have always punched above their weight When it comes to the Olympics, Australian sailors have always punched above their weight. Starting with the first medal at Melbourne 1956, the inaugural Gold in Tokyo the decade after, then of course the glut of medals over the past four Games. Posted on 6 Jul 2023
Silver flows for Thomson, Burton and Paul in Palma
A breakthrough kind of day for Australian sailors in Palma It was a breakthrough kind of day for Australian sailors in Palma today, with Zoe Thomson (ILCA 6) and Tom Burton OAM and Max Paul (49er) both claiming silver medals in personal best international performances Posted on 8 Apr 2023
Bullets mark Aussie sailors' for medal races
Four Australians will be racing for medals at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia tomorrow... Four Australians will be racing for medals at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia tomorrow, with many of them collecting first place finishes (bullets) in the final gold fleet races. Posted on 7 Apr 2023