Lanzarote Tests the Strategic Intelligence of Olympic Competitors

Canary Islander Tara Pacheco stands out among the best strategists, advancing to third place in the Nacra 17 flying catamaran, as did the pair of Diego Botín and Iago López in the 49er class. However, the island has put the women's duo of Tamara Echegoyen and Paula Barceló to the test.

The gusty winds have tested the sailors' ability to read the Lanzarote regatta course, so strategy has prevailed over speed, with the debut of the Bocaina being a challenge to advance towards Tokyo.

The wind dropped significantly in intensity this Monday but it maintained its direction, which made the sailors risk a lot at the start in order to be able to sail with the free wind. Monday was a strategic challenge, a very technical, nerve-racking race. However, Tara Pacheco from Gran Canaria and Florian Trittel from Barcelona were able to read the course and moved up three positions, although they hope "to have a better chance tomorrow on the first upwind leg so that they can be in front from the start." In general, there has been little pressure, "the boat could hardly fly downwind, which means that the speed differences between the boats are huge," explained Pacheco.

Their direct rivals for the Olympic Games are the French Delapierre and Audinet, current European runners-up and second in the Lanzarote International Regatta, while the German duo of Paul Kohlhoff and Alica Stuhlemmer are still in the first place. It should be remembered that some European countries such as the Netherlands (currently in eighth position with Järudd Emil and Jonsson Cecilia as sailors) or Finland (with Sinem Kurtbay and Janne Jarvine in the tenth position) are fighting for the remaining Olympic spot.

For their teammates in the men's 49er, Diego Botín and Iago López, the easterly winds allowed them to advance to third place. "It was all about going left on the racecourse, the whole fight was almost decided at the start, at the beginning it was difficult, but we managed to come back, it was a very good day for us," said the Cantabrian sailor. Despite having come back three positions, the English have been the ones who have imposed themselves on this second day of racing as the best readers of the Lanzarote wind: Dylan Fletcher and Stu Bithell, third in the World Championship held in Auckland (New Zealand) and gold in the European Championship in Weymouth (United Kingdom) in 2019.

In the women's 49er FX, Tamara Echegoyen and Paula Barceló have not been so lucky. They decided to take risks at the start of the day, but almost nothing paid off. As a result, the favourites to win the Lanzarote International Regatta are going to have a hard time recovering from the 16th position. On the other hand, the Norwegians Helena Næss & Marie Rønningen claimed the first place.

Lanzarote: a precedent for Olympic qualifying events in the Canary Islands
The competition, a European and African qualifier for Tokyo 2020, set the precedent of positioning the Canary Islands as a sports tourism benchmark and safe destination in the world, with the support of the Canarian government’s Department of Tourism, Industry and Trade led by Yaiza Castilla. For the first time, the islands are the continental passport to compete in three modalities of Olympic sailing: Nacra 17, 49er and 49er FX. The results can be followed live on the official website of the Lanzarote International Regatta.

Text Credits: Lanzarote International Regatta
Photo Credits: Sailing Energy / Lanzarote International Regatta