470 World Championships about to start in Israel, at Sdot Yam Sailing Club
by Andy Rice 22 Oct 2022 19:17 BST
470 Europeans 2022 day 3 © Nikos Alevromytis
Sixty international teams are ready to contest the 470 World Championship in Sdot Yam, Israel, from 22 to 29 October. With less than two years to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, the 2022 World Championship is an important regatta for teams to find out where they stand in the new era of mixed competition.
Male helm/ female crew and female helm/ male crew combinations will be competing at the event. In terms of the form book, Anton Dahlberg & Lovisa Karlsson (SWE) will start as the favourites for the world title. Having won the European Championship in Turkey six weeks ago and a few days ago winning a warm-up regatta at Sdot Yam, the 470 Open Israel National Championship, the Swedes have set a benchmark for the rest to follow.
Speaking after winning the European title, Dahlberg commented on his hopes and expectations for the World Championship. "I can see the Spanish being a big threat again. The Israeli teams will be strong on home waters and the German squad is looking strong. I wouldn't be surprised if we see the French and the Italians up there too."
Dahlberg, who won Olympic silver last year in the men's fleet, is one of a number of Olympic medallists from Tokyo 2020. The women's 470 Olympic Champion crew Eilidh McIntyre (GBR) finished fourth at the Israel Nationals with helmsman Martin Wrigley. Olympic bronze medallist and SailGP helmsman for Spain, Jordi Xammar (ESP) with crew Nora Brugman, was only seventh at the warm-up event but the Spaniards proved their credentials with a silver medal at last month's Europeans.
Xammar's fellow bronze medal winner, Nico Rodriguez, is competing with Silvia Mas, the women's 2021 World Champion. The women's Olympic bronze medal winners from France have also split into separate boats, with Aloïse Retornaz on the trapeze with new skipper Hippolyte Machetti. Camille Lecointre, a double bronze medallist, is now teamed up with former men's 470 World Champion Jérémie Mion.
Perhaps the most experienced sailor in the fleet is Fernando Oliveira (BRA), who has represented Brazil in the 470 at every Olympic Games going back to Sydney 2000 and won a bronze medal in Beijing 2008. While Oliveira is racing the Worlds with Rodolfo Streibel on trapeze, two of Oliveira's former Olympic crews, Isabel Swan and Ana Luiza Barbachan, are also racing in other Brazilian boats.
Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort (GER) finished second at the Israel Nationals behind the Swedes and look particularly strong in the bigger breeze. The Japanese squad appear to be comfortable in the Sdot Yam conditions with four teams in top 12, the best of whom were Tetsuya Isozaki and Yurie Seki (JPN) who finished third overall.
Nitai Hasson and Noa Lasry (ISR) are one of a number of Israeli teams who train regularly out of the host venue at Sdot Yam Sailing Club. Lasry commented: "It's a dream come true for us to be racing the Worlds at our home club. We're very proud to have the whole 470 community at Sdot Yam." Lasry says the fleet can expect to enjoy good moderate winds at this time of year. "Fifteen knots of wind from the north is quite typical, which I think will be great for 470 racing."
Sunday 23 October is practice race day and opening ceremony in the evening. The first race of the Championship is scheduled for 1200 hours local time on Monday 24 October.
To get all the news, photos and updates from the racing, go to 2022worlds.470.org