The first main European Regatta of the year for the Olympic classes concluded last week with a number of RQYS sailor competing and achieving outstanding results. Conditions for the week of racing were tough with long days of shifty winds, cancelled races, re-starts and cool conditions across all the fleets.

In the ILCA 6 women’s single handed class (fleet of 143 boats), past Olympian and well known RQ member Mara Stransky achieved an 8th overall with a first and a fifth in the gold medal final series for the top ten competitors.  She inched out fellow AST sailor Zoe Thompson who finished 9th overall.  The other RQ sailor in the ILCA 6, Frances Beebe, also made Gold Fleet finishing 45th, a great result in this tough fleet.

In the ILCA 7, Australia’s Matt Wearn who is coached by RQ Finn Sailor Rafa Trujillo, had a commanding win clinching the Gold Medal while RQ sailor Isaac Schotte finished 86th in the fleet of 199 boats. In the mens iQFoil class (119 competitors), RQ was well represented with Rory Meehan finishing 25th, Philip Crispey 65th, and Jarrod Jones 73rd.  A sign of how tough this fleet is becoming is shown by Australia’s Grae Morris, the olympic silver medalist, posting a 12th overall.

In other classes, Niamh Meehan crewing for Jake Liddll came a credible 24th in the 42 boat Nacra 17 fleet, while Sammie Costin posted a 50th in the 70 board women’s iQFoil fleet.

Note that RQ’s John Harrison Foundation and Wyuna Trust funding supports many of these sailors along with other up and coming youth at international events throughout the year.

The sailor now head off to French Olympic Week in Hyères from 20–25 April, a key Sailing Grand Slam event and a critical marker as the international season builds towards the individual World Championships later in the year.